Our Elegant Stay in Madrid with Mr & Mrs Smith
AD {Gifted Trip}
After a stressful few months renovating a house in the Balearics, with our six-month-old daughter in tow, we decided we needed a bit of a pamper; some relaxation and indulgence (life had been very rustic in stormy Menorca with only very basic heating), so we decided to book a few days at the Hotel Totem in Madrid on our way back to the UK.
Located in the elegant and glamorous Barrio of Madrid, Salamanca, the hotel itself is tucked away amongst the beautiful boutiques and chic cafés. The entrance is understated, but as you open the doors you are welcomed by a striking lobby area, leading into a stylish and elegant bar. I was instantly in love with the décor – lots of textures and velvets, and in the bar an overwhelming sense of light and space.
We arrived feeling slightly like Balearic bumpkins (ie a little scruffy around the edges, as we hadn’t really needed to dress up while we were there and also a little damp and cold after all the rain!). Once settled in our lovely room, we quickly warmed up – we had a double aspect, corner suite, which was lovely as it had a lot of light to set up the darker tones of the elegant décor. The rooms are really simple in design – classy and welcoming, but a simple and dark colour palette has been used throughout, giving it a cosy feel.
After a shower and a change of clothes, we felt sparkly and new again and ready to explore the local area around the hotel. Now at this point, I should mention that Patrick grew up in Madrid and his father still lives in the city, so we do know it fairly well, but I had never spent any time in Salamanca and also never really spent time just pottering around the city, as we usually have plans with family/friends, so this was the first time we booked to have a proper ‘mini-break’ in the city.
The hotel was the perfect base from which to potter and explore Salamanca – such an elegant part of the city and close to the Retiro Park, which I think is now up there as one of my favourite parks in the world, certainly competing with Battersea Park in London, which I absolutely adore. I just love watching the world go by in parks, always such a mixture of characters and faces often with quirky pets to match the personalities too!
Back at the hotel we opted for a cosy night in – travelling with a little one changes things slightly, but on this trip, we were more than happy to stay warm and snugly in the room and eat our supper thereafter Lily Rose’s bedtime. The Corner Junior Suite was perfect for a family of three and also perfect for dinner and breakfast in the room, as there was a built-in banquette area as well as a table for two.
We ordered from the room service menu from the hotel restaurant, La Parrilla del Pimiento, helmed by chefs Feliz Guerrero and Andres Amero, serving traditional Spanish fare, but the room service also had some more international options and on the first night we were in need of some comfort food, so both opted for the burger, which didn’t disappoint.
After a very comfortable night’s sleep, we spent another day exploring Madrid – such a beautiful city and the weather was also a welcome change, a chilly temperature with blue skies, perfect for hot chocolates outdoors – so many cafes have lovely blankets and fires on their terraces, so you can still enjoy the blue skies and fresh air, whilst keeping cosy.
On the second night, we headed down to the restaurant for supper and took the little one with us to sleep under the table on her pram top. We soaked up the buzzy atmosphere whilst enjoying delicious Spanish wine and their famous Flores de Alcachofa (fresh artichoke hearts), which didn’t disappoint.
We really enjoyed our stay at the hotel – everything from the design, the beds, the food and the friendly and welcoming staff, delivered exactly what we were looking for from our time away. We felt relaxed, pampered and ready to go home and tackle Christmas by the time we left, having arrived feeling fairly flustered and exhausted! The only thing we would change is to perhaps have a menu and an extra member of staff in the bar area. It’s such a lovely space to spend time but always felt slightly understaffed, as we often had to go in search of someone to order a drink. There wasn’t a cocktail or wine list either, which would have been a nice addition, as we love to browse and try different drinks, but overall a beautiful and very elegant boutique hotel in the most gorgeous part of the city.
This post was in collaboration with Mr & Mrs Smith - we stayed at Hotel Totem for five nights and two of the nights were complimentary in return for our honest opinion, both for the blog and for the Mr & Mrs Smith website.
Photography courtesy of Hotel Totem and Patrick Butler-Madden
