Checking into The Palace Hotel, Madrid – a destination for top-tier meetings and events

PA Life had a pleasure of staying at The Palace Hotel, Madrid, which joined The Luxury Collection in 2025, after the completion of extensive renovations. The five-star hotel sets the standard in Madrid for luxury hospitality and accommodation, and it’s easy to see why it’s been the favourite of discerning guests since its opening in 1912, and now appeals to high-end international travellers as well as top-tier corporate meetings and events…

Upon arrival to the beautiful property, located at the Plaza de las Cortes in the center of the city, we were welcomed by Paloma Garcia, Director of  Marketing and Communications at The Palace Hotel and her colleagues from the Marriott team who were our wonderful hosts during 24-hour stay. Paloma guided us on a tour of the the classically beautiful spaces, and the incredible art and decor. It was fascinating to learn about the colourful history of the many dignitaries and stars who’ve stayed there since it opened in 1912. Today the hotel is the perfect destination for top-tier MICE, other business and bleisure requirements.

Our tour of the hotel started at the grand entrance and foyer, designed to lead guests easily to all the key areas of the hotel, including the famous La Cúpula Restaurant & Bar – the city’s favoured destination for glamorous socialising under the stunning stained-glass dome. It certainly was a memorable setting for our aperitifs of La Villa Rojo Vermouth. And when in Madrid, the tapas served with the drink is called gilda – olives and anchovies in a small bite-size skewer. The refreshing red vermouth and gilda is also served during the daily ‘epicurean hour’ at 1pm, perfect before lunch. Guests are invited to join in for a glass, enjoyed with ice and slices of orange.

Meeting and event spaces at The Palace, Madrid

All the meeting rooms, and event spaces at The Palace Hotel, Madrid are carefully designed to reflect the character of renowned personalities linked to the hotel’s illustrious history. The design is a clever blend of  timeless elegance with links to the past of the hotel and its guests.

The Palace is a great choice when you need to impress your executives and other delegates at high-end meetings and events.

There are 20 unique spaces, covering over 3,700 square meters in total. These range from the majestic Neptuno ballroom, to the refined intimacy of the Hemingway room. Another one of the former salons, now a beautiful meeting room, is named after Julio Camba, who lived at the hotel for the last 16 years of his life. Keeping the heritage alive by naming the event spaces after significant artists, landmarks and guests is a great way to tell the story of its vibrant past.

The Palace has the largest collection of event spaces in central Madrid, giving meeting and event organisers a great canvas for plan almost anything; from a small meeting to a grand gala dinner for up to 500 guests. The spaces offer plenty of flexibility should you need to combine or divide any of the rooms.

Natural light floods to the rooms, and beautiful decor is the hallmark of the property, with fabulous chandeliers, marble and stylish furnishings beautify the entire property.

It’s easy to see why The Palace, Madrid is regarded as premier venue for luxury hospitality in the Spanish capital. The property has also been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest within the Landscape of Light, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That’s a remarkable recognition of it’s value as a heritage property, not just in Spain but also globally.

➡️ See more about the meeting and event space at The Palace Hotel, Madrid.

Exploring the rich history of Madrid, and world’s best live flamenco venue

After the learning of culture and history of the hotel, it was time for us to experience some live culture. Madrid has a great art and music scene, and is proud to stage some of the best flamenco shows in Spain. Perhaps even par to Seville and Andalusia, the birthplace of flamenco. We were taken to what’s regarded as the world’s best flamenco tablao, a venue dedicated to live flamenco – Corral de la Moreria. It’s also a fantastic restaurant dating back to 1956. We enjoyed a delicious 3-course modern Spanish menu and excellent wines in this intimate setting, located close to the royal palace in the historic quarter of the city.

The flamenco show at Corral de la Moreria is a fantastic cultural evening in Madrid and we would highly recommend this for Executive Assistants and Personal Assistants as an addition to your itineraries when planning an event in Madrid.

The following morning we joined a very knowledgeable City of Madrid guide on a walking tour. The two-hour walk took us through the literary quarter, into the historic heart of the city. Some of the highlights were the large imposing squares such as Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol, important cultural hubs of the city still today. Mercado de San Miguel, the well-known food hall has an abundance of local delicacies from fresh calamari and paella to anything you could possibly wish to sample as tapas with your glass of wine or beer. A stylish, but a rather crowded spot for lunch. Worth a visit and a great place to buy foodie gifts to take home too.  

Grand Premium Room

Elegant luxury bedrooms and suites at The Palace, Madrid

We stayed at one of the 35 sq meter, specious Premium Neptuno rooms which overlooks the Neptuno Fountain in the middle of Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo (often called Plaza de Neptuno). The views were amazing, day and night, and the location is unbeatable, just a few minutes walk from the Prado Museum too.

Where to eat and drink at The Palace

You will be well looked after here should you choose to eat at the hotel. The Palace, Madrid has spent over a century at the heart of Madrid’s gourmet scene and are master’s of refined hospitality so why go elsewhere when you have redefined luxury dining right here.

Open throughout the day, La Cúpula Restaurant & Bar, well-known for its imposing stained-glass dome, is a social hub both for hotel guests and locals alike. La Cúpula is also where breakfast is served, making it easily the most impressive room to start you day. The delicious buffet really included everything one could want, with the thinnest slices of the best quality Jamon Iberico, fresh fruit, a lot of cooked vegetables too, and fantastic coffee of course.

During the evening, the 27 Club is the place an more intimate bar and a great place to savour culture, great cocktails and wines.

Wellness & Gym

There is a exclusive 24-hour accessible fitness area with a well-equipped gym, with natural light,  should the guests wish to keep up with their fitness programme. Guests can also enjoy a wide selection of body, facial, hair and beauty treatments during their stay.

For more Mariott Hotel reviews,  you can read about Sheraton and Marriott Frankfurt Airport Hotels and London Marriott County Hall.