Unlike the Puerta de Alcalá, the ostentatious neoclassical gate to the city that it overlooks, Casa Faraona’s tall red-brick building is anything but showy. You’ll be hard pressed, in fact, to find the sign – this place feels more private members’ club than hotel. Those in the know enter via the cobbled passage that hides discreetly behind a ‘hedge’ of kerbside restaurants. The elevator then transports you to eight spacious rooms or suites where unashamed luxury combines with whimsical design. Expect serious amounts of glistening bathroom marble, saunas (in most of the rooms), and lashings of contemporary art. Celebrities, couples and business folk alike love this exclusive hideaway.
Casa Faraona’s other selling point is its location. This really is the pulsating heart of Madrid, with Calle Serrano (the city’s smartest shopping street), the Prado art museum, and the Retiro park all just minutes away. But if you’re not in the mood for venturing out, there’s plenty to busy you on site; Faraona’s three restaurants offer different cuisines, including traditional Spanish in the tavern-style Patio de Leones. There’s a beautiful spa with its own café. And at night, a feet-stomping Flamenco show which transports you to the edgy bars of Andalucia.
Highs
- Just minutes from Madrid’s smartest shopping in the exclusive Salamanca neighbourhood, and close to attractions including the Retiro Park, the Prado Museum and the Royal Palace
- Luxuriously stylish rooms with ever-changing art to stimulate the senses
- We found the service both professional and friendly
- Having three restaurants (one Spanish, one Mediterranean, one Asian) on site means you don’t need to worry about where to eat, and if you’re staying several nights, you can sample different cuisines
- The large room sizes, unusual for a central urban location: even the smallest room is big
Lows
- You may hear bar or traffic noise from some of the rooms, but light sleepers can request rooms overlooking an internal courtyard, and windows are sound-proofed
- There is no reception lobby other than the courtyard that’s open to the elements. But advance check-in means checking in is swift and easy
Best time to go
Our top tips
Wondering how Faraona got its name? Faraona means a female pharaoh and one restaurant is called Ramses, one of ancient Egypt’s most celebrated pharaohs. This is because the owner’s name happens to be Ramses. Spot portraits of him on the tiles in the Flamenco bar and in the Patio de Leones. La Faraona was also the nickname of the famous singer and dancer Lola Flores, whom you also see depicted on the tiles and menus. We said it was whimsical!
- Luxury Residences
- 8 residences
- Restaurant and bar (open daily); walk to restaurants
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Laundry Service
Rooms
Styled by French interior design studio Jouin Manku, residences blend contemporary and traditional, with Rousseau-esque painted headboards, lavish leather Chesterfield sofas, and exposed red-brick walls recalling the building’s Spanish roots. Art is beamed onto the 65cm TV screens – choose your collection – and there are whimsical decorative touches throughout such as typewriters and mock vintage record players. Oatmeal marble bathrooms, with Eight & Bob toiletries, are predictably plush.
All but two residences are suites, five with saunas. Residences nos. 1 and 5 are the smallest but feel large by most city hotel standards – and there are plenty of larger ones if you fancy more space. Three have kitchens, with Lavazza coffee machines. We stayed in No. 4, a Residence with Puerta de Alcalá views, which has its own lounge, kitchen, and two bathrooms. Upstairs, suites get even larger, with one, the Penthouse Residence, set up for private entertaining, with an extensive cooking area, a full-sized bar, and a giant TV for film screenings. There’s even an outdoor sauna and roof terrace, also with fabulous views over the Puerta de Alcalá. Gorgeously intimate Room 7, with its freestanding bath, can connect to the Penthouse Residence (no. 8) if wished.
Features include:
- Air conditioning
- Bathrobes
- Bluetooth sound system
- Central heating
- Coffee / tea making
- Cots available
- Hairdryer
- Iron
- Minibar
- Radio
- Safe box
- Satellite TV
- Toiletries
- WiFi
Eating
Casual dining is the vibe here and you have three restaurants on site to choose from, two offering al fresco dining out on the pavement, with heaters and sheepskin-lined chairs to keep you cosy if it gets chilly.
We loved the Patio de Leones, a “typical” Spanish tavern whose interior is lined with hand-painted blue and white tiles depicting a playful mix of fanciful and real people, including the owners. Food, served 8am until 2am, is traditional Spanish fare, the standout being Cinco Jotas cured Iberico ham, which you see being artfully sliced. For mains there’s tortilla española, seafood fideuà (pasta paella) and beef tenderloin, although we went for a lighter grilled octopus served with paprika mashed potato. Breakfast – including eggs cooked any which way, or pan con tomate – is served here too.
Other dining options are Ramses serving Mediterranean cuisine, and Lady Bongo, offering fusion Asian-Latin American cuisine. All the restaurants offer room service too.
Features include:
- Bar
- Breakfast
- Restaurant
- Restaurants nearby
Activities
- Hit the designer stores and luxury jewellers on Madrid’s “Golden Mile” around Calle Serrano and Ortega y Gasset
- Revel in art in Madrid’s galleries. Enjoy masterpieces by El Greco and Goya in the Prado, contemporary art (including Picasso’s Guernica) in the Reina Sofía museum, and European masterpieces in the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum
- Jog in the Retiro park, hire a rowing boat on its vast lake, or people-watch while ambling its tree-lined avenues
- Head to Casa Faraona’s intimate flamenco bar – dancers change every week. Sip a fino sherry as you watch, and afterwards, enjoy tapas or dinner in the tiled Andalusian-style bar
- Book a treatment in the hotel’s Six Harmonies spa, then detox with one of its freshly made juices or join a pilates or yoga class (bookable in advance)
- See historical sites from Puerta del Sol to the Royal Palace (the largest royal palace in Western Europe) and the Plaza Mayor, Madrid’s 17th-century grand central square
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Historical sites
- Museums / galleries
- Nightlife
- Pilates
- Shopping / markets
- Spa treatments
- Well being
- Yoga
Kids
This feels like an adult place to stay. However, cots are available for all the rooms, and extra beds can be added to a couple. And you're in a very central location, handy for all sights.
Best for:
Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)
Family friendly accommodation:
The two Superior Residences (nos. 2 and 6) can have an extra bed added for families of three. There's also the option of the swanky Duplex Penthouse with Terrace, a combination of 1 Penthouse Residence with 1 Residence with Puerto de Alcala Residence, which gives you two bedrooms, two living rooms and two bathrooms, one of which has a tub.
Cots Available, Extra Beds Available
Distances:
- Airport: 15 minutes
- Shops: 2 minutes
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
Casa Faraona is centrally located in Madrid's prestigious Salamanca district, facing Retiro Park, and next to the Puerta de Alcalá landmark.
By Air:
Madrid Barajas is the main international airport.
From the Airport
A taxi is the easiest way to get to and from the airport. Alternatively, jump on the 203 bus and alight at La Plaza de Cibeles, which is a five-minute walk to the hotel; the journey is around 35 mins in total. The tube is possible too, but involves several changes, so the bus is far easier and just as quick. The nearest underground station is Retiro, a three-minute walk.
By Train:
You can travel to Madrid on high-speed trains – see Seat 61 for details. The main Atocha railway station is nearest.
By Car:
If you’re travelling by car, remember that traffic can grind to a halt during the 2 rush-hour periods, from 7.30-9.30, morning and evening. We don't recommend hiring a car as Madrid is hectic and parking is expensive. But if you do, see our car rental recommendations. The nearest car parking is Serrano/Retiro public car park.
Airports:
- Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport 13.2 km MAD
Other:
- Beach 367.0 km
- Shops 0.2 km
- Restaurant 0.1 km
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Our guests' ratings...
Based on 1 independent review from i-escape guests