Only You Atocha

Steps away from Madrid’s lush Retiro Park and the city’s main Atocha train station, and within walking distance of the Prado Museum, this industrial-chic boutique hotel is a stylish and local-feeling base for sightseeing and mingling in Madrid.

The glassed-in courtyard, now a lounge and library, is a fun hangout, and you’ll meet plenty of locals at the 7th-floor Septima restaurant and bar – which has arguably the best views of any Madrid hotel (a cocktail here at sunset is a must).

Rooms are a mix of trendy exposed and painted brick and polished woods, with flashes of pretty Spanish tiling. Premium ones overlook the city skyline, while others face the courtyard – and all are well soundproofed.

It’s a great hotel for anyone who wants to feel the pulse of this contemporary city.