Hotel InterContinental Madrid

ABOVE: The Paseo de la Castellana is hidden by trees (and rendered silent by sound-resistant windows) in this view from a sixth-floor room at the InterContinental Madrid. INSET BELOW: A guestroom's entrance hall.

According to the hotel group's official history, InterContinental is the "brand of choice for foreign dignitaries, heads-of-state, royalty, rock-stars, celebrities and those seeking a unique experience." During my stay at the Hotel InterContinental Madrid, the former president of Mexico and the president of Romania were in residence, so there's no question that InterContinental--or at least its Madrid outpost--draws its share of the limousine-and-bodyguard crowd.

The InterContinental Madrid is one of the leading luxury hotels on the Paseo de la Castellana, the longest stretch of the tree-lined avenue that runs from Atocha Station and the Prado Museum to the modern corporate district in the north of the city. It's a quick Metro or taxi ride from Barajas Airport and is a few minutes on foot from the upscale Calle de Serrano and Salamanca shopping districts.

The public areas of the InterContinental Madrid exude quality, from the domed lobby (with marble floors and columns) to the bronze elevator doors and private garden. It's the sort of place where you'll see guests arriving in black tie and evening gowns for a formal wedding reception, or an official motorcade delivering ministers and ambassadors to the hotel for lunch.

Guestrooms are large, quiet, and attractively decorated in a traditional but unfussy style, with views of either the Paseo de la Castellana (see photo at top of page) or the hotel garden. Ninety-nine of the hotel's 307 rooms and suites have been designated "InterContinental Club" rooms. These include access to a Club Lounge with its own reception staff, drinks and snacks throughout the day, a Continental breakfast buffet, a free Internet terminal, and other services for leisure and business travelers.

The hotel also has a lobby bar, a restaurant (with a terrace in summer), and a 24-hour fitness center.

For more information about the Hotel InterContinental Madrid, visit madrid.intercontinental.com.

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