Hotel Montera Madrid, Curio Collection by Hilton

Character and identity

A love letter to Madrid set just off Gran Vía, this 93-room property (including eight suites) is the city's first Curio Collection address and channels the local saying "De Madrid al cielo" through interiors by Lázaro Rosa-Violán. Reception sits unusually on the ninth floor, where a constellation of salons, terraces and restaurants opens onto rooftop views. Expect ornate mouldings against modern art, carved wood beside sleek finishes, and recurring nods to matador culture. La Braserí serves Spanish tapas and Mediterranean plates beneath a painted ceiling of constellations and Madrid icons; El Cielo de Montera is the open-air pool and tapas lounge above.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The defining pleasure here is the ninth-floor world: reception, salons, terraces, pool and restaurants all stacked above the Gran Vía rooftops, with interiors that feel genuinely Madrileño rather than generic luxury. Book a suite for the freestanding tub and balcony, and aim for spring or early autumn when the retractable rooftops open and the terraces come into their own.