Picolo recommends · Hotel in Madrid, Spain
The Principal Madrid
Reception is on the top floor, so your first view of the hotel is Gran Vía stretched out below and the Metrópolis dome at the end of it.
You find the door on a side street, step into a lift and arrive at the top. That is where the hotel really begins: reception, a roof terrace and the whole sweep of Gran Vía below, ending at the domed Metrópolis building.
From up here the traffic turns into a pattern rather than a nuisance. Downstairs, the bedrooms are classic and calm, with dark wood, large beds and the feel of a private members' club.
Picolo’s verdict
Why we chose The Principal Madrid
It is the hotel we would choose for a couple's weekend built around shows and dinners. Gran Vía's theatres are on the doorstep, and you come back to a quiet room and a terrace with one of the best views in the centre.
This is not a family hotel. Space is limited, the mood is grown-up, and the terrace becomes a bar scene at night. If you need room to spread out, look at Only YOU Atocha instead.
What you get
- Roof terrace looking down Gran Vía
- Bar on the terrace
- Classic rooms with large beds
- Discreet side-street entrance
- Reception on the top floor
A day at The Principal Madrid
- Morning
- Coffee on the terrace before Gran Vía fills up.
- Midday
- Shopping along the avenue and in the side streets of Malasaña.
- Afternoon
- A rest in a dark-wood room before the evening.
- Evening
- A show on Gran Vía, then a nightcap above the lights.
Location
Gran Vía, Madrid, Spain
Open in MapsQuestions about The Principal Madrid
What is the view from The Principal Madrid?
The roof terrace looks straight down Gran Vía towards the Metrópolis building, one of the most photographed corners of the city.
Is The Principal Madrid suitable for families?
It is better suited to couples. Rooms are not the largest and the terrace has an adult atmosphere in the evening.
Is The Principal Madrid close to the theatres?
Yes. It sits just off Gran Vía, Madrid's theatre street, so you can walk to most musicals and concerts in a few minutes.
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Updated 6 Nov 2026All articles
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