Revulgo

The Michelin Guide revealed the brand new One, Two, and Three Key distinctions for the most outstanding hotels. It includes over 5,000 hotels across the world, and not a single one is simply a room for the night. These are places that significantly add to your experience as a traveler, each vetted and judged excellent in five categories: architecture and interior design, quality and consistency of service, overall personality and character, value for the price, and a significant contribution to the guest experience in a particular setting.
The distinctions in Madrid are:

Three Keys:
Mandarin Oriental Ritz https://www.mandarinoriental.com/en/madrid/hotel-ritz

Two Keys:
Four Seasons Hotel https://www.fourseasons.com/madrid/
Rosewood Villa Magna https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/villa-magna

One Key:
CoolRooms Palacio de Atocha https://coolrooms.com/palaciodeatocha/en/
Gran Hotel Inglés https://www.granhotelingles.com/
Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques https://www.melia.com/en/hotels/spai...ues-gran-melia
Hotel Unico Madrid https://www.unicohotelmadrid.com/en/
Only YOU Boutique Hotel Madrid https://www.onlyyouhotels.com/en/hot...-hotel-madrid/
Only YOU Hotel Atocha https://www.onlyyouhotels.com/en/hot...-hotel-atocha/
Santo Mauro, a Luxury Collection Hotel https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotel...n-hotel-madrid
The Principal Madrid https://www.theprincipalmadridhotel.com/en/
The Westin Palace Madrid https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotel...-palace-madrid
URSO Hotel & Spa Madrid https://hotelurso.com/en/

Maribel

Thanks revulgo,
I received the email about these as well.
What I don’t understand is giving the Only You Atocha the same number of keys as the Only You Boutique, as they’re just not in the same league.

I would have given the Relais Châteaux Orfila 2 keys as well, or at least 1, but alas I’m not a Michelin inspector. I missed my calling.😁

ekscrunchy

Thanks for posting this, Revulgo. I know only one hotel and that was before the Mandarin takeover.

Maribel, do you have any opinion of the Relais Chateaux HERITAGE HOTEL? 46 rooms, in the north.
I've never seen it mentioned here and I'm curious. Maybe people do not like that location (?)
Kitchen supervised by M. Sandoval.

I don't understand the criteria for belonging to RC. Do the hotels ask to join and pay for the branding? Do you think it means much if a hotel is RC?

https://www.relaischateaux.com/us/ho...-madrid-hotel/

Maribel

I do indeed know the Heritage and I have experience with the service. I would never choose the Heritage over the Orfila, and the location on the upper Príncipe de Vergara is no where as convenient.

Other than giving a key to the Only You Atocha directly across from Atocha rail, I think their new keys have been well chosen, except for the glaring omission of the lovely Orfila.

eks, a bit of Hola gossip, Gere and family are staying at the discreet Santo Mauro while their Moraleja mansion is being renovated.

ekscrunchy

WHAT??? Richard Gere? Do tell!

The Santo Mauro was another one I have on my list, but you know I feel as if the Orfilia is home by now.

Do you have an impression of the Santo Mauro? Am I wrong to see the Marriott affiliation as a negative for any hotel?
My sister is sure that the Alfonso in Sevilla has gone down after joining that group since they stayed there for at least a week before and after..
And the Maria Cristina? Do you think that has changed?

ssinny

Glad to hear the love for the Orfila. We are booked there this year and I'm quite excited. Last year we stayed at the Palacio de los Duques, and while we liked it quite a bit, the Orfila looks more our style.

ekscrunchy

The Orfilia is so lovely. Small, so very personalized interaction with the staff. Great location.

Maribel

ekscrunchy,
I do have a very distinct impression of the Santo Mauro, since I lived for the month of May directly across the street and was able to go several times to their bar and their gorgeous outdoor terrace.

We know the owner, Antonio Catalán, and this is his pride and joy. Yes, it´s the same Antonio Catalán who began the NH chain, then created the AC hotel chain, now a Marriott brand. He still maintains control of the AC brand. We've known him for many years as his first AC was our home-away-from home in Pamplona during the Sanfermines for almost 20 years, and his father lived in the hotel (now closed). The Marriott affiliation here at the Santo Mauro is definitely not a negative.

Also while waiting for my "greeter" to receive the keys for my apartment across the street, the lovely doormen showed concern for me after standing for 2 hours and allowed me to use the hotel's Wifi to communicate with my Home Club greeter. They also hailed a taxi for me several times. Very friendly and helpful.

The Santa Mauro attracts a very exclusive clientele: celebrities (Gere, Gwyneth Paltrow, etc), aristocrats (the Marqueses de Cubas had their baby's christening there), members of the Franco family (his granddaughter), Beckman and his family stayed here while house hunting when he played for Real Madrid.....you get the picture. It was exquisitely redecorated a couple of years ago, and it oozes class.

I do think the Alfonso XIII has gone down hill. I went in recently just for a coffee and instead of the lovely coffee service with pastry treats that I was given at the Gran Meliá, for the same price, by the way, I was given just a cup of coffee after trying to flag down a wait person, then again when trying to flag down a wait person for the bill, I never received my change and had to go up to the desk to ask for it. I won´t go back.

My "spy" in Donostia says the same thing.

But the Santo Mauro is just different.

I know you're happy with your Orfila and I would be as well, but the Santo Mauro is very similar in style, but larger.

Maribel

A little bit more about the new Michelin key designation:

The hotel group receiving the most keys throughout Spain----the Relais & Châteaux properties, with 8 hotels earning keys:
Atrio (Cáceres), Akelarre (San Sebastián), Pepe Vieira (Pontevedra), Mas de Torrent (Costa Brava), Faustino Gran (Menorca), Son Brull (Mallorca), A Quinta da Auga (Santiago de Compostela) and Helguera Palacio Boutique (Cantabria).

But Michelin didn't award a key to the two Relais & Châteaux Madrid properties or to its one Barcelona property, the Neri.