A hotel worth a splurge in Madrid’s own Rodeo Drive

The hotel

Hotel Unico, Madrid, Spain

Check-in

It could be argued, though let’s not overdo it, that a city like Madrid has more right to the use of the term “Rodeo Drive” than Los Angeles itself, even with the latter’s Spanish roots. The word “rodeo” is derived, after all, from the Spanish, via Latin, and meaning “round-up”. But hold your horses, this is a review and not a dictionary excerpt, which leads us to this classy five-star, boutique-style bolthole. You’ll find it amid Salamanca district – or the Golden Mile as it’s known to Madrilenians – the Spanish capital’s most exclusive neighbourhoods as well as its designer-label epicentre.

The look

Posh Barrio de Salamanca is a new neighbourhood by Spanish standards, and feels like it in comparison to the rest of magnificent Madrid. It was developed in the second half of the 19th century as part of an expansion scheme commissioned by Queen Isabella II. The hotel – part of the eponymous and upscale Unico Hotels brand which has properties elsewhere in Spain as well as in Mexico and soon Jamaica – is housed in an elegant, whitewashed 19th-century erstwhile palace. It lies on Claudio Coello Street, named after a 17th century Spanish painter of the Madrid baroque school, which is lined with stately apartment and office building facades. The contrasting interior is much more contemporary in style as typified by a striking ruby red steel and glass sculptural ribbon which dominates the central white marble stairwell.

The room

Despite its somewhat aristocratic locale, there’s nothing particularly ostentatious about Hotel Unico, which is underscored by the restrained design of the attractive and functional rooms. Your reviewer’s more than agreeable, light-filled 25-square-metre digs overlooks Claudio Coello Street and is infused with blond woods and compact joinery complemented by a relaxed overall pale-hued palette. The room features a comfortable desk space, hypoallergenic pillows and mod cons such as a Nespresso machine, tea supplies and a decent kettle.

Food + drink

Hotel Unico’s in-house bistro El Patio de Claudio serves Spanish cuisine in a gorgeous indoor and outdoor space overlooking a small manicured garden. For something more relaxed try the cosy, convivial and clubby English-style bar serving various tapas. For a taste of local Madrid life don’t miss the nearby Mercado de la Paz. This historic and unpretentious municipal market is the perfect spot for affordable tapas at one of its several restaurants interspersed with fresh food stalls. The small, centrally located coffee bar is recommended for a post-prandial copybook antipodean-style flat white.

Out + about

Historically, an ordered residential area favoured by the city’s elite (think Toorak or Double Bay), in recent decades Salamanca has emerged as a thriving diplomatic, financial, retail enclave with some of Madrid’s leading department stores a stroll from Hotel Unico. While the barrio’s long on sophistication, it’s comparatively short on compelling sights though all of Madrid’s key attractions – such as the popular Museo Prado and the somewhat less patronised Museo Reina Sofia (home of Picasso’s Guernica masterpiece) – are a hassle-free metro or taxi ride away.

The verdict

For the guest willing to splash some cash in Madrid’s most moneyed ’hood, the sophisticated Hotel Unico offers an entirely different perspective of the capital well away, but not too far removed, from the tourist throngs.

The essentials

Rooms from $735 (low season). 67 Claudio Coello Street, Madrid, Spain. Phone: +34 91 781 01 73. See slh.com; vikingcruises.com.au

Our score out of five

★★★★

Highlight

On arrival, grab a printed copy of Hotel Unico’s excellent and complimentary compendium of the best things to do and see in Madrid.

Lowlight

My in-room television was fixed to an inaudibly low-volume level, presumably so as to not disturb neighbours through thin walls, and couldn’t be altered by hotel staff. Pack a book.

The writer stayed as a guest Hotel Unico and Small Luxury Hotels and travelled courtesy of Viking Cruises.