Directly opposite Madrid’s Puerta de Alcalá and the edge of Retiro Park, Hospes Puerta de Alcalá occupies a stately 19th-century building on Plaza de la Independencia. High ceilings, wrought-iron balconies and original architectural details sit beside contemporary rooms in cream, taupe and dark timber. Malvar restaurant and its pavement terrace bring the square into the hotel’s social life, serving Spanish and Mediterranean dishes throughout the day. Beneath the historic shell, Bodyna Spa includes treatment rooms, a small indoor pool, sauna and hammam, creating a markedly quieter layer below one of Madrid’s most recognisable urban settings.