"Despite its many virtues, the Spanish capital has never been replete with top-notch hotels; but in the last five years, the Madrid's best hotels have improved beyond recognition. But even in the face of tough competition from big-name luxury brands, the new EDITION is plainly the cherry on the cake—or the prawn on the paella. The drama of the building—cunningly repurposed from a boxy modern former bank HQ on the old-town Plaza de Celenque—begins with the ornate 18th-century granite doorway by Pedro de Rivera (one of the few historic elements remaining from the original site) and continues into a vast spiral staircase in pearly-white stone, curving spectacularly upwards like a giant seashell. The public spaces have a low-lit calm but go all-out for contrast: An antique tapestry hangs behind an all-white pool table lined with electric-blue baize, and you might find a minimalist bench artfully draped with a traditional Spanish shawl. On the ground floor, chef Enrique Olvera disembarks from Mexico City with a restaurant (Jerónimo) that eschews fancy fine dining for a streamlined modern interpretation of traditional Mexican cuisine; if budgetary restrictions apply, an evening in the EDITION’s rooftop wonderland would be a great way of catching the hotel’s hedonistic vibe. —Paul Richardson" - Lauren Burvill
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