where we stayed in Madrid

by | Apr 26, 2011 | International Travel, Travel

We initially saw the Hotel Silken Puerta America on VoyagePrive, one of the hotel-deal websites we follow, the day we switched our travel plans from Tokyo to Madrid. And wow! what a choice. This is a hotel that is long on style.

Hotel Silken Puerta America
Eye catching facade!

Each floor in this hotel is unique, the product of a different designer. Rooms are usually not assigned until arrival when you choose from those available. I had done a bit of research beforehand and thought that floors 7 and 10 would be interesting. Fortunately for us, our reservation allowed for a complimentary upgrade, and we were guided up to the 7th floor.

Floor 7 - Ron Arad
Hallways of floor 7

Floor 7 has a very futuristic vibe designed by Ron Arad. Most vertical surfaces were curved, including the door to the hallway. Upon entering the room you are met with a large red acrylic wall that divides the room into bathroom, closet and bedroom. There are no doors!

bathroom
Open bathroom – even the toilet has clear doors

The round bed was surprisingly comfortable and had nice views toward some of the other towers in Madrid. We were on the back side of the hotel which is bit quieter and cooler.

the round bed!
A round bed!

I loved the automation with the lights, TV, curtains, and window were controlled by a remote and a wall panel.

breakfast area
dining area

Breakfast was befitting the rest of the hotel, quite swanky. It was a very nice buffet that included cheeses, eggs, waffles, a range of breads, and so on. Thankfully it was a perk of our reservation, as we would not have paid 27 Euros a piece, but well worth it when included.

One of the highlights of staying in the hotel is checking out the unique designs of the other floors. Here are a few:

Floor 12 - Jean Nouvel
Floor 12 – Jean Nouvel

Floor 4 - Plasma Studio
Floor 4 – Plasma Studio – this photo doesn’t do the floor justice

Floor 8 - Kathrin Findlay
Floor 8 – Kathrin Findlay, a 2001-esque theme

The hotel is a bit far outside the center of Madrid (the metro looks close on the map, but the amount of walking underground is probably double), and the style sometimes gets in the way. For example, in our room, we would have preferred a separate room/real door for the toilet, and the concrete floors were a bit hard on the feet after walking all day. But those are relatively minor, and we could certainly have moved to a different floor if it been a serious bother. Overall, we greatly enjoyed our stay at this uniquely posh hotel, and we would consider it again.

Tagged with: hotels | lodging | Madrid

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