The Best Hotels for Panoramic Views in Madrid, Spain

The rooftops of Madrid’s Gran Via, visible from the fancier rooms at the top of this boutique hotel, form a crash course in the city’s early 20th-century architecture. Elegant art deco and Vienna Secession styles, elaborate neo-plateresque and exotic Moorish revival; they can all be found here. The largest suite has its own Jacuzzi, loungers and a complimentary bottle of Cava, best enjoyed on the glass-walled terrace to take full advantage of the cityscape. There’s plenty to look at downstairs too, with a library in the Lobby Bar and cabinets of antique porcelain in the Las Infantas Restaurant.

From the rooftop terrace at the Generator, the vista stretches across towers and domes, red roofs and urban gardens. The paved space has wire chairs, parasols, sofas and a food truck that serves trendy street fare and well-shaken cocktails, but the view is the big draw, especially when the setting sun turns the skyline gold and lilac. This 1930s power station has been stylishly converted into a big, vibrant hub for travellers with a bar and plenty of nightlife options nearby. The great news is that top views don’t have to come with top price tags. The Generator has dorms as well as affordable private rooms, all of them decked out with immaculate, chic minimalism.

This five-star hotel is a stylish spot close to the Puerta del Sol and Madrid’s Golden Triangle of art galleries (the Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza). As well as a great range of rooms and suites, a Michelin-star restaurant (Cebo) and even its very own art museum, Hotel Urban has an incredible rooftop, complete with bar, pool and sun loungers. Soak up the panoramic views over the city’s rooftops, a great place to spend a relaxed evening as the sun sets.

A boutique design hotel right on the Gran Vía, the busy centre of the city, Dear Hotel’s rooms bring a dose of Scandinavian chic to Madrid with light wood, rich fabrics and stylish accessories. Its rooftop bar and restaurant, Nice to Meet You, has amazing 360-degree views across the city, taking in the Royal Palace, Plaza de España and Madrid’s biggest park, the Casa de Campo. The highlight of the rooftop is its plunge pool, the Sky Pool – what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in views.

Right on Gran Vía, the Principal is a five-star hotel with a seventh-floor roof terrace, the Terraza, that gives guests some picture-perfect views of Madrid. The terrace itself is beautiful, with red parasols and tables surrounded by greenery. The hotel is bursting with other facilities, from the Ático restaurant with a menu of Spanish classics designed by two Michelin-star chef, Ramón Freixa, to its Wellness Suite, where guests can enjoy a sauna and massage.

This design hostel, just off Plaza Mayor, is far removed from most people’s traditional ideas of hostels – stylish, hip and with a cool rooftop bar where guests can enjoy a complimentary drink on arrival. The bar is a great area to hang out, meet fellow travellers or just visit even if you aren’t staying at the hostel. There are a range of social activities available to guests, such as tapas crawls around the city.

The grand, white hotel sitting at the western end of the pretty Plaza de Santa Ana has attracted Madrid’s stylish in-crowd since the days when it was a favourite hangout of some of the country’s most famous bullfighters. Today, its rooftop terrace, Radio, is one of the coolest places in the city to watch the sunset. Its rooms are light and spacious and some suites feature their very own terrace and hot tub.

Visiting Madrid during the summer and need to cool off? This hotel, in Chueca, has a great rooftop pool, where guests can take a refreshing dip for free and non-guests can visit for a morning, afternoon, or full-day (prices from €30). It’s a hidden oasis above the roasting city streets, with views over the Gran Vía and its Telefónica Building – one of Europe’s first skyscrapers when it was built in the 1920s.

These apartments, with their own little kitchens, are ideal for families or those wanting the option of cooking for themselves while in Madrid. Kitchens come with microwaves, fridges, kettles and cooking hubs. Best of all, the apartment hotel has a brilliant secret roof terrace. Open during the summer, the roof terrace has possibly the best views in Madrid over the Royal Palace, which is lit up beautifully at night.