Just Back From: Madrid
For this Just Back From, I interviewed two women about their recent stays in Madrid. The first spent four nights at the Four Seasons there this past February. To organize the trip, she consulted Bobby Zur from Travel Artistry, who in turn connected her with the Madrid-based tourism company Charmed by Spain, whom she’d worked with on a previous trip to Barcelona.
The second individual is a college junior spending her spring semester abroad in Madrid. A well-traveled young lady, she is the ‘planner’ of her friend group, organizing every detail of their itinerary on spreadsheets and Google Docs. I knew she would be a great resource for this conversation–and she didn’t disappoint!
@fsmadrid
Tell me a bit about Bobby Zur and your guide on the ground.
Bobby has helped me with trips over the past two decades. He’s well-connected, always attending travel conferences, and knows all the best hotels. He has the inside scoop, like which properties have just been redone–or which need to be redone. He connected us with Charmed by Spain and Raquel, our amazing local guide.
How was your room at the Four Seasons in Madrid?
The room was great. In retrospect, it was wasteful to have an outdoor space, as the weather wasn’t warm enough. The room had tons of space, which is nice when you are in a city hotel–you come back in the afternoon and want some space to relax.
How was the service?
The service was unlike anything I’d ever seen. Upon arrival, the staff knew our names. By the second day. they had our breakfast order memorized, so my green tea was practically waiting by the time I sat down.
They connect guests with the concierge through WhatsApp, so you are always in contact. We found ourselves in an area, and I texted: “Can you send me some ideas for lunch?” Within seven seconds, I have a list of eight places. The concierge followed up with, “Do you want us to make a reservation?” They were very helpful and responsive.
One evening, we wanted to go to a particular restaurant that had a two-hour wait. We talked to the concierge, and he was able to connect us with the manager, who ended up securing us a table. The food was fabulous. EDM was blasting, and my son loved it. The concierge was so helpful. My son was studying abroad in Spain, and the concierge told him to reach out if he ever needed anything – even though we were only staying at the hotel for a few nights. It was amazing; they were the nicest people.
How was the restaurant at the hotel?
Dani, the rooftop restaurant, was beautiful. Obviously, it is better when the weather is warm and you can sit outside. The breakfast was amazing.
There was also Isa, an excellent Asian restaurant. We went there for dinner on the final night, and it had great food and a really fun vibe. The crowd was very international.
Did you visit any restaurants outside of the hotel?
We ate at Ten Con Ten for dinner one night. It was delicious, and I recommend it. We also went to Amazonico, which was okay. It reminded me of a rainforest cafe. We took my son and his friends there, and they loved it. It was a little gimmicky for me, but the food was good. StreetXO was amazing, with fabulous food and a great vibe.
@tenconten.restaurante
Did you go to the spa or salon? What did you think?
The spa was three stories and beautiful. We all got massages, and we were all pleased with them. The salon was small, with just one person working there, but he was great. I went to get a blowout twice; the hairstylist was excellent.
Was there a pool? Was it open this time of year?
On the eighth floor, they have an indoor pool that leads outside to a patio. This indoor pool isn’t what you’re picturing–it had about twenty lounge chairs and several double loungers, and the walls were all glass. It felt as though you were sitting at an outdoor pool like the Beverly Hills Hotel, only it was inside. They also had a steam room and sauna, and you could order drinks and appetizers. Every day at five o’clock, when we got back to the hotel, we would go hang out at the pool/sauna for two hours.
Was there anything else in the hotel worth noting?
There was a cool bar in the lobby, as well as a Hermes boutique.
How was the location?
Four Seasons Madrid is near Retiro Park. We walked twenty minutes to dinner each night in different directions, so I felt the location was good enough.
@elparquedelretiro
How was the weather?
We were there in February, and I thought we had great weather. Some days, I didn’t wear a jacket, just a flannel over a thin sweater. We did have a little bit of a drizzle one day, but other than that, the weather was good.
What was a stand-out activity you did in Madrid?
I recommend the tour of Real Madrid stadium, especially if you have kids interested in sports. Our guide, Raquel, organized it, but Real Madrid staff took us around. It was definitely worth doing.
How was the shopping?
The shopping was fine. We didn’t find anything worth schlepping home and doing the VAT.
Mindy’s Tip– Check out Sol&Luna for beautifully made leather home goods. I also loved Teklassic, which sells outdoor furniture and decor in a more European style. The two or three blocks around these stores are essentially the design district. If you are interested, I definitely recommend exploring!
You also visited Toledo for a day. How did you get there?
Our guide had initially arranged for a driver to bring us, but we decided to rent a car. My husband likes to be able to stop and explore. The hotel completely took care of it for us–the car was dropped off at 8 AM, and we filled out the paperwork, used it for the day, and left it with the hotel afterward. The hotel handled returning it. All you needed was an international driver’s license, which you can get through the mail. We had a choice between stick shift and automatic. The whole process couldn’t have been easier.
What did you make of the city itself?
Toledo was phenomenal. I was expecting a small, Tuscan kind of town that was dated and old– instead, Toledo was vibrant and fun, just a gorgeous town. It had the walled, old city built into the mountains from back in the day, but it also had a whole modern, urban sprawl outside.
Alejandra, our guide, was born and raised in Toledo. She was really knowledgeable and gave us a great tour. We were there for three hours plus lunch. We could have done two more hours of touring, but we were ready to return to Madrid.
Toledo has a rich religious history, with Jewish and Catholic quarters. It is also the home of marzipan, which many shops sell. Toledo also has one of Europe’s longest ziplines. My son and husband went on it, and it was very fun. It went right over a gorge.
As mentioned above, this second interviewee is a college junior spending a semester abroad in Madrid. She may only be twenty-one, but she sure knows what is what!
What are your favorite restaurants for dinner?
Aarde, Ten Con Ten, and El Paraguas are all really good. They are a part of the Grupo Paraguas, which is probably the most famous restaurant group in the city. On the weekends, Aarde and Ten Con Ten turn into more of a club, with a DJ and party vibes. El Paraguas is more of a refined, ‘white tablecloths’ restaurant. All three have a similar menu; I would call it Spanish with a twist. They have basic salads, some kind of tartar or ceviche, fish, pasta and rice dishes, and vegetables. Aarde has a raw bar, and I had one of the best sushi rolls I’ve ever tried there.
Amazonico, another Grupo Paraguas restaurant, is also very famous. It had a jungle jazz bar with a very fun vibe, but I didn’t like the food.
Tatel and Quintin are other great dinner options, as is Kuikku, an incredible sushi bar. I recommend sticking to the hand rolls and nigiri there. If you are looking for an unconventional tapas restaurant, check out Rosie la Loca. I haven’t been yet, but I have wanted to go.
@tatelrestaurants
Any good lunch spots?
For a fancy lunch, I recommend La Maruca or Quintin. La Maruca is known for its Spanish tortilla–people like to go there and have a glass of wine. Quintin has amazing food and a good vibe. For a casual lunch, my favorite is Honest Greens. It is the Sweet Green of Madrid, and it is so good.
What are your favorite bars?
The bar at the Edition was awesome. Harrison 1933 is another good one. It is very pretty and has a bit of an older crowd. Salmon Guru is a famous bar that serves crazy cocktails. By comparison, it definitely had a younger crowd.
Did the Edition have decor similar to their other properties—such as the foliage and white color palette?
It had the greenery, yes, but was more of a Spanish take with lots of colors.
@editionmadrid
What activities in Madrid do you recommend?
We took a paella-making class at the Cooking Clubhouse, which was awesome. We were a big group of about twenty, so we rented the place out. They served unlimited wine, and we made four different kinds of paellas.
Another fun activity is going to a Real Madrid game. There are also the ‘Big Three’ museums: The Prado, Reina Sofia, and Thyseen-Bornemisza.
I really enjoyed visiting Mercado de la Paz, an amazing market that sells traditional Spanish food. You can find the best Spanish tortilla in Madrid there at Casa Dani. There is also Mercado San Miguel, a more modern market. It is a little touristy, and I personally prefer Mercado de la Paz. Another nice activity is going to the Temple of Debod for sunset. The view is amazing. I also went to a flamenco show. There are probably better ones in Seville, but it was still fun.
How was the shopping?
The shopping in Madrid is not great. Serrano is the one street that has all the designer stores. Despite asking around, I haven’t found any good boutiques yet.
How does it compare to Barcelona?
Barcelona has many more ticketed activities than Madrid. Madrid is very central, though, which is ideal if you want to take day trips.