Hotel Unico Madrid

In the leafy Calle de Claudio Coello, in Madrid’s chic Salamanca District, is Hotel Único, one of the capital’s most iconic and sought-after boutique properties. Recently this sophisticated hotel unveiled its new guest rooms and suites, remodelled with timeless elegance by designer Maria Santos.

A flagship member of the Unico Hotels Group, the charming Hotel Único offers the quintessential boutique guest experience in the Spanish capital. This is a place to truly feel at home, to relish privacy, as well as discreet and friendly service.

Salamanca District

This is the heart of the city’s Salamanca district, and Único Hotel, once a noble private mansion, epitomises the understated elegance of this 19th residential neighbourhood, originally built with the help of the 1st Marquess of Salamanca.

Today this is the capital’s most upscale and desirable area, where the streets are lined with elegant boutiques, designer stores, galleries, and the most fashionable places to eat and drink.

As a guest, the exclusive experience begins as soon as you arrive in the city and are met by Hotel Único’s limo and whisked into the city centre.

Here you have the city at your feet, yet once inside this calm and private hotel, you can escape the intensity of Madrid. Hotel Único is an elegant and sophisticated home-from-home, values which have driven the design aesthetic of the beautifully remodelled rooms and suites.

New Guest Rooms & Suites

Único Hotel has forty-four rooms and suites overlooking either its walled garden or Claudio Coello Street, and each has a fresh new look and feel, with a welcoming style created by Maria Santos. The designer, originally from Marbella has breathed new life into the guest spaces, with uncomplicated, bespoke furnishings, quality detailing, and fabrics in muted tones and warm beige that invite relaxation.

The high ceilings feature elegant moulding, the walls are lined with linen, and the furniture is in light oak wood. Behind the bed, vintage mirror glass is framed with oak beading, creating a sense of space and light.

Maris Santos has focused on creating versatile spaces that are a delight for leisure travellers as well as business trips. Furniture has been simplified, with the creation of a bespoke integrated piece, which functions as a desk, and a dressing table, as well as storage of the mini bar and coffee machine. A signature easy chair and simple sofa complete a paired back look that is layered with detail and texture.

It’s an ingenious transformation, one that has added a contemporary feel to the guest rooms, while at the same time maintaining the timeless elegance of the property that appeals to its well-healed and discerning guests.

We stayed in a charming room with twin balconies, offering a bird’s eye view over the street. It had a charming, intimate, homey feel.

Guest Experiences

The hotels’ concierge is eager to share their insider tips and can arrange guided tours, book the hottest tables in town, and recommend the coolest bars, whether it’s for a glass of wine at The Library on Serrano Street, or a cocktail and tapa in the super elegant Manero Bar.

Our Único Hotel guest experience was a guided city tour in vintage cars (a romantic convertible Rolls-Royce and a head-turning Cadillac), exploring Madrid’s Art Triangle and World Heritage area including the iconic Retiro Park. The emblematic galleries of Madrid are all close by, including El Prado Museum, the Reina Sofia National Centre of Art, the El Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, and the fascinating MAN (National Archaeological Museum).

Drinks & Dining

The hotel’s salon, library and the English Club-style bar have a captivating, residential feel that embraces you with calm, with the elegance of panelled walls, contemporary furniture, and soft colours. While a contemporary art, and a striking installation by Jacinto Moros that hangs through the stairwell, add dynamism and modern energy.

There’s a charming urban garden too, the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail created by Daniel Cruz, head bartender.

Over an exquisite lunch in the hotel’s 2-star Michelin restaurant by Ramón Freixa, the founder and president of Único Hotels, Pau Guardans i Cambó, explains that there are more enhancements planned. The restaurant will change, and from February 2025 there will be a new, contemporary gastronomic bistro concept, and the design will be again by Maria Santos.

Único Hotel is one of Madrid’s most established and sought-after properties, and these exciting changes set the tone of the years ahead.

Unico Hotels Group

This family-owned hospitality business has properties in Madrid (The Principal Madrid), Catalonia (Mas de Torrent), and Mallorca (The Lodge and Finca Serena).

You can read about The Luxury Editor profile review of Finca Serena here.