Picolo recommends · Hotel in Madrid, Spain
Gran Hotel Inglés
A dark, glowing art deco bar on one of the liveliest little streets in Madrid, with Plaza de Santa Ana just round the corner.
Push open the door on Calle Echegaray and the street noise drops away. The lobby is low-lit, full of curved deco furniture and polished wood, and the bar invites you to settle in with a vermouth before dinner.
Las Letras is the old writers' quarter, named for the authors who once lived here, and today it is packed with tapas bars and small squares. The Prado and the Paseo del Prado lie at the bottom of the hill.
Picolo’s verdict
Why we chose Gran Hotel Inglés
We picked it as the best first-timer's base in Madrid. The rooms are roomy for the city, the hotel is small enough to know your face, and dinner is a matter of choosing which bar to step into.
Calle Echegaray is loud on Friday and Saturday nights. If you sleep lightly, ask for a room on an upper floor, or consider a quieter neighbourhood such as Chamberí instead.
What you get
- Art deco bar in the lobby
- Rooms generous by Madrid standards
- Some rooms with balconies
- Small hotel with personal service
- Tapas bars on the doorstep
A day at Gran Hotel Inglés
- Morning
- Coffee and churros in a café on Plaza de Santa Ana.
- Midday
- A walk downhill to the Prado for Velázquez and Goya.
- Afternoon
- A siesta behind the shutters while the street rests.
- Evening
- Vermouth in the deco bar, then tapas a few doors away.
Location
Barrio de las Letras, Madrid, Spain
Open in MapsQuestions about Gran Hotel Inglés
Where is Gran Hotel Inglés in Madrid?
It is on Calle Echegaray in the Barrio de las Letras, a short stroll from Plaza de Santa Ana and a downhill walk from the Prado.
Is Gran Hotel Inglés noisy at night?
The street is busy late at weekends. Rooms higher up are quieter, so mention it when you book if you are a light sleeper.
Is Gran Hotel Inglés good for a first trip to Madrid?
Yes. It puts you in the middle of the tapas district with the big museums close by, which makes it easy to see a lot on foot.
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Updated 6 Nov 2026All articles
How Picolo chooses
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