Inside Madrid's Most Exciting New Hotel — With Exceptional Design and Restaurants

Joe Thomas/Courtesy of The Madrid EDITION

Central Madrid — steps away from Plaza Mayor — is now home to the newest pearl in the collection of Edition Hotels; a necklace of sophisticated, party-prone properties that wraps around the planet from New York to Shanghai. Its Spanish-capital location is the best one yet, offering an unprecedented look at Marriott's playbook as it rapidly expands Ian Schrager's brand: to go, full-throttle, in the opposite direction of its competitors.

Nikolas Koenig/Courtesy of The Madrid EDITION

While the other big names in hospitality take a stab at downtown luxury using architectural nods to the past, the Edition seeks to become a part of a destination's future with its signature palette of clamshell whites and bouclé creams — thoughtful minimalism — plus winky nods to its surrounds, like mod headboards in the 200 rooms and suites that echo the shape of the porticos outside.

And, unlike the other industry players trying out private club membership models (think: Chateau Marmont or Casa Cipriani), Schrager — who famously founded Studio 54 — is leaning hard into an "all are welcome" mantra, cultivating desirability, not exclusivity within the Editions' four walls.

Joe Thomas/Courtesy of The Madrid EDITION

From left: Joe Thomas; Nikolas Koenig, Courtesy of The Madrid EDITION

The price of a cocktail is all it costs to gain access to the Madrid flagship's two supper-club restaurants, both of which eschew jamón ibérico in favor of international flavors. The first, Jerónimo, is the latest iteration of chef Enrique Olvera's imaginative Mexican fare that put Cosme in New York and Pujol in Mexico City on the culinary map. Upstairs, on the fourth floor, Oroya offers flavors from another corner of the Latin world — Peruvian fish dishes and Pisco-forward beverages by chef Diego Muñoz. In good weather, enjoy your ceviche out on the slatted terrace where the signature skyline of church spires, TV antennas, and terra cotta tiles is reflected in the city's largest rooftop pool — designed, like the rest of the hotel, for hotel guests and Madrileños in equal measure.

Nikolas Koenig/Courtesy of The Madrid EDITION

You will, however, be seduced long before reaching the rooftop — the entrance boasts an architectural flourish that's poised to be the next iconic backdrop on every influencer's 'gram: a stairwell that swirls like a Nike swoosh, leading guests up to the lounge lofted above. It's well worth a glimpse, even if you're not calling the property home while in town, but fair warning: once you start collecting Edition editions, you'll want to visit them all.