Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid: A Hotel to Remember

There are hotels you stay in. And then there are hotels you remember.

I took these photographs at Christmas, shortly after the Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid reopened following a three-year restoration.

The original Ritz opened in 1910, and rather than trying to turn it into something completely new, the restoration preserved its Belle Époque character while bringing the hotel very much into the present. The spectacular glass canopy over Palm Court was even reinstated after more than 80 years.

And at Christmas, it was magical.

The enormous tree beneath the glass ceiling. The extraordinary illuminated flowers framing the entrance. The beautiful public rooms. The small details you notice when you actually spend time in a hotel rather than simply walk through it.

And then there was the location.

My room was on the upper floor, tucked beneath the roofline with skylights, and I could look directly across at the Prado. That photograph in the reel really was my view.

For me, that's one of the things that separates a very good hotel from a memorable one. You don't feel removed from the destination. You feel as though you're living right in the middle of it.

Madrid was outside my window.

And yes, there was also the food.