In celebration of 70 years of hospitality at InterContinental Madrid, we have reviewed this excellent InterContinental hotel and one of the few hotels in Madrid with club lounges.
If you choose to stay at InterContinental Madrid, you will get free club lounge access if you book via our luxury travel concierge.
Location
The InterContinental Madrid is situated on the central and prestigious Paseo de la Castellana on the northern side of the Salamanca fashion district. This location will connect you to the vibrant social and cultural life of Madrid, one of the largest European capitals.
The hotel is close to Real Madrid Stadium, the exclusive shopping area of Serrano Street, and the “Art Triangle” with Prado Museum. To get to the city center, you would be wise to hop on the tube at the nearby Rubén Darío metro station.
This is an exciting area with the 24-hour outdoor Museo de Arte Público, with works by 20th-century Spanish sculptors displayed underneath a concrete flyover.
Style & Character
The hotel is a very nice 5 star, which was the palace of the Dukedom of Aliaga. Original red marble pillars, chandeliers, and white marble floors are classy and regal.
Originating in 1800, the Paseo de la Castellana area was chosen by the Spanish nobility to build their urban palaces. On number 49 was erected the Palace of the Duchy of Aliaga, a title of which Alfonso Martínez de Irujo y Fitz-James Stuart is the owner today, and it is here where the hotel’s story begins. At number 49, more than a century later, InterContinental Madrid was established.
In 1953, after the Civil War, the palace underwent a thorough renovation and was transformed into the hotel that marked a milestone in the hotel industry. It was the first international hotel to be established in the capital and stood out for its exclusive, classic, and sophisticated style.
Its opening was an event for the city of Madrid, coinciding with the signing of the treaty of international relations between the United States and Spain. In fact, the Director of the hotel, together with the U.S. Ambassador, raised the Stars and Stripes flag in the hotel’s garden.
The inauguration party was also a major event. It lasted three days and welcomed the biggest celebrities of the Hollywood scene. Ava Gardner, Gary Cooper and Liz Taylor received a warm welcome in Madrid while the Nodo of July 27, 1953.
Among the stars who passed through the hotel during the 50s, one left a special mark in some of its corners. Ava Gardner, then married to Frank Sinatra and always on the run from the Italian and American paparazzi, found an oasis of tranquility, fun, and, above all, discretion in Spain.
She established her habitual residence in the Hotel for 10 years, attended intellectual talks in the rotunda of the central lobby, and met the bullfighter Luis Dominguín in the club lounge. The legendary actress is still part of the hotel’s history, and the “Ava Suite” is still preserved today.
Rooms
The hotel has 302 rooms, including 7 Presidential Suites and the spectacular Royal Suite, and 16 meeting rooms with a beautiful garden terrace. Rooms are large and mix mustard and brown, and bathrooms have black marble and are very nice, as you would expect.
Book a club room, and you will get access to the InterContinental club lounge, which has classic decor. There are lots of orangy-colored woods and blue and mustard carpets, and it is open from 7:00 am – 11:00 pm.
The lounge includes a private breakfast, which is usually very good at InterContinental hotels, with a very good buffet and a la carte hot dishes. Beyond breakfast, there are snacks and drinks throughout the day, and in the evening, there is a large buffet with appetizers, snacks, and drinks.
You can also enjoy a private check-in. On check-out day, you have use of the Club Lounge area until 4:00 pm. You have use of a meeting room at Moncloa Club Lounge meeting room (subject to availability for 2 hours) plus you get two item pressing service at the hotel laundry.
InterContinental club lounges are excellent. This is definitely the best executive club lounge in Madrid. If you want an idea of the offering at this club lounge, you can read our review of the club Lounge at InterContinental London, Park Lane and the club lounge at InterContinental O2.
Club Lounge access is free here if you book via our luxury travel concierge, along with benefits including a room upgrade on arrival, early check-in / late check-out (all subject to availability), and complimentary Wi-Fi.
Service & Facilities
There is a gym and a sauna at the hotel but our favourite place in the hotel is the garden terrace detailed below.
Food & Drink
El Jardín is a wonderful restaurant with an al-fresco feel and French windows overlooking the central garden. The garden terrace has become a private oasis in the midst of the city thanks to its fountains and lush vegetation (no wonder it was one of Ava Gardner’s favorite places when she stayed at the hotel).
Conclusion
If you are looking for a sophisticated hotel in Madrid with an excellent club lounge, look no further. InterContinental Madrid is your best choice.
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