The Metropolis Building and the Gran Vía at sunset, the Sierra de Guadarrama beyond
TheMediterranean.com The Luxury Gateway
DestinationsStayResortsSailCruisesFlyTrainsLiveLuxury Real EstateShopDineExperiencePlan a Trip

Home›Mediterranean destinations›Spain›Madrid

Luxury in Spain

Madrid

Spain’s capital of art and old money: the Prado and the Golden Triangle of Art, the boutiques of Salamanca, grand hotels on the Paseo del Prado and dinner at ten.

The Gran Vía, MadridPhotograph: Florian Wehde

Bienvenidos

The capital of art

Philip II made Madrid the capital of Spain in 1561, and the court and the kings who followed built the grand squares, the avenues and, in the eighteenth century, the Royal Palace that the city still lives on. The Plaza Mayor and the old streets of the Habsburg city keep that age.

Along the Paseo del Prado lies the Golden Triangle of Art: the Prado, with Velázquez, Goya and El Greco, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofía, which holds Picasso’s Guernica. The Retiro park and the Prado avenue together are World Heritage.

The Salamanca district, laid out in the nineteenth century, is the city’s quarter of old money, with the great Spanish and international houses on Calle Serrano and Calle José Ortega y Gasset. Madrid dines late, rarely before ten at night, and stays up later.

A few words of Spanish
EnglishSpanishSay it
HelloHolaOH-lah
PleasePor favorpor fah-VOR
Thank youGraciasGRAH-thee-ahs (GRAH-see-ahs is also understood)
Good eveningBuenas noches (after dark; buenas tardes earlier)BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs
The bill, pleaseLa cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah, por fah-VOR

Where to go

Madrid at a glance

When to go and the one best hotel.

Madrid

Spain's inland capital, home to the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofía within walking distance of one another. The Paseo del Prado and the Buen Retiro park were listed by UNESCO in 2021 as "a landscape of arts and sciences."

Best time to visitApril to June, and September to October.

Stay

Luxury hotels in Madrid

The finest hotels in and around Madrid: each rated Forbes Five-Star, holding two or three MICHELIN Keys, or among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean.

The finest hotels

Each rated Forbes Five-Star or holding two or three MICHELIN Keys.

Dine

The best restaurants in Madrid

The finest tables of Madrid and around, and the cooking schools.

Three MICHELIN stars

Cooking schools

Travel

First-class travel in Madrid

The great hotel trains, first-class rail and the chauffeurs at our standard.

First-class rail

The top class on the scheduled high-speed trains, from city to city.

  • Renfe AVE, Prémium

    The top fare in Confort, the first-class carriage of Spain's high-speed AVE, with 2+1 seats.

  • Iryo, Infinita Bistró

    The top class of Iryo, Spain's private high-speed operator, in a first-class carriage at the end of the train with 2+1 seats. A light meal and drinks are served at the seat, and the ticket is flexible.

The hotel trains

Overnight journeys in restored carriages.

  • Al Andalus: Seville to Madrid

    Spain's luxury train of restored 1920s carriages, with Grand Class rooms and Deluxe Suites.

Chauffeurs and self-drive

  • RentluxBarcelona, Madrid, Ibiza and Marbella

    Luxury car hire with a fleet it owns outright and offices at Maremagnum in Port Vell, Barcelona, at the Jarama circuit outside Madrid, on the airport road in Ibiza and on Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso de Hohenlohe in Marbella. Visit website ↗

  • Porsche DriveMadrid

    Porsche's own short-term hire programme, run in Madrid by the official Centro Porsche Madrid Norte on Avenida de Burgos, for a weekend or a holiday. Drivers must be 25 or over, or 35 for Turbo models. Visit website ↗

Shop

Luxury shopping in Madrid

The shopping streets, jewellers, auction houses, galleries and car showrooms of Madrid.

The great shopping streets

  • The Golden Mile (Calle Serrano and Calle José Ortega y Gasset)Madrid

    The heart of the Salamanca district, where Ortega y Gasset holds Dior, Chanel and Hermès and Serrano holds Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Loewe.

Jewellers and watchmakers

Auction houses

  • AnsorenaMadrid

    Madrid auction house and jeweller operating since 1845 from Calle de Alcalá 52, holding sales of Spanish and European paintings, decorative arts and antique jewellery alongside its gallery and valuation services. Visit website ↗

Art galleries

  • Galería Elba BenítezMadrid

    Leading Madrid contemporary gallery founded in 1990, in a courtyard space at Calle San Lorenzo 11, showing installation, sculpture, video, photography, painting and performance. Visit website ↗

The great marques

Official showrooms, most by appointment.

The Great Marques: showrooms, factories and cars to hire ›

Experience

Events and things to do in Madrid

The Madrid year: the great events, month by month; each event's own website gives this year's dates.

The great museums

Opera houses, concert halls and festivals

Health spas

Live

Luxury real estate in Madrid

A home in Madrid: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • Spain Sotheby's International RealtyBarcelona and Madrid

    The Sotheby's affiliate for Spain, brought together under the Vivium group in 2025, with offices in Barcelona, the Costa Brava, Madrid and La Moraleja, Palma, Port d'Andratx, Ibiza, Formentera, Menorca, Marbella, Alicante and Seville. Visit website ↗

All the leading agencies in Spain ›

Looking for a home in Madrid? Write to [email protected] and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.

Architects and designers

  • Isabel López-QuesadaMadrid, Spain

    Her studio, founded in 1983, designs and decorates private houses in Spain and abroad, including homes in Malta and Greece, and her work is published in two monographs, "At Home" and "Town & Country." Visit website ↗

  • Lázaro Rosa-ViolánBarcelona, Spain

    A studio of more than 150 people with offices in Barcelona and Madrid, working on residential and hotel interiors with more than 500 completed projects in 40 countries. Visit website ↗

Private banks and advisers

  • Julius BaerMonaco, Milan, Madrid and Tel Aviv

    The Zurich-based private banking group, present in about 25 countries, lists Monaco, Milan, Madrid and Tel Aviv among its locations. Visit website ↗

  • PictetMonaco, Spain, Italy and Israel

    The Geneva private bank, established in 31 financial centres, has Mediterranean offices in Monaco, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Turin, Verona and Tel Aviv. Visit website ↗

  • Lombard OdierMadrid, Milan and Tel Aviv

    The Geneva private bank opened its first Spanish office in Madrid in 2007 and serves private clients from Milan and Tel Aviv as well. Visit website ↗

  • Rothschild & Co Wealth ManagementMonaco, France, Italy and Spain

    The family-controlled group's wealth management arm has Mediterranean offices in Monaco, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Milan and Madrid, the last opened in 2021. Visit website ↗

See all 7

Private healthcare

International schools

  • King's CollegeMadrid

    Founded in 1969, a member of COBIS and the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, it teaches the English National Curriculum from age 2 to 18, through IGCSE to A-levels or the IB Diploma, on its main campus at Soto de Viñuelas north of the city, with further campuses at La Moraleja and Chamartín.

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Madrid and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Madrid

Where is Madrid?

In the centre of Spain, on the high plateau of Castile. Madrid-Barajas airport takes private jets and is about 20 to 30 minutes from the centre; Torrejón also serves private aviation.

What is Madrid famous for?

The Prado and the Golden Triangle of Art, the Royal Palace, the Retiro, the shopping of the Salamanca district, Real Madrid, and its late dining and nightlife.

Which are the best restaurants in Madrid?

The three-MICHELIN-star table on our list for Madrid: DiverXO.

Do you tip in Madrid?

Not expected as in the US. In restaurants, 5–10% for good service. Round up taxi fares. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day.

What should you wear in Madrid?

Shoulders and knees covered in churches and cathedrals. Smart dress for fine dining; jackets are rarely required.

Beyond Madrid

More in Spain

Ibiza, Mallorca, Marbella and Barcelona, and the Mediterranean beyond.

SpainLuxury Spain Holidays: Mallorca & IbizaExplore SpainThe MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the MediterraneanPlan your journeyFrom your home to Madrid, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Madrid

How Spain does things.

Language
Spanish (Castilian) nationwide; Catalan, Valencian, Galician and Basque are co-official in their regions. English is widely spoken in luxury hotels and fine restaurants in the main resort and city areas.
Greetings
Two cheek kisses are usual between women, and between men and women, even on first social meetings; men usually shake hands. In business and with older people, a handshake and señor / señora are the safe start.
Dress
Shoulders and knees covered in churches and cathedrals. Smart dress for fine dining; jackets are rarely required.
Dining
Lunch is the main meal, rarely before 2 pm; dinner seldom starts before 9 pm, often 10 pm or later in Madrid. Book ahead for well-known restaurants. Meals are long and unhurried; the bill comes only when you ask.
Tipping
Not expected as in the US. In restaurants, 5–10% for good service. Round up taxi fares. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day.
Good to know
Many smaller shops close for a long midday break (roughly 2–5 pm) and on Sundays; the evening paseo (stroll) around 8–9 pm is a fixture of town life.
Tourist tax
Hotels add a tourist tax per person per night: at a five-star hotel in Barcelona, €12 since spring 2026, with further rises planned; in Mallorca and Ibiza, up to €4 in summer.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.