Palacio de los Duques, a Gran Meliá Hotel - The Leading Hotels of the World

Folded into a restored 16th-century ducal palace on Cuesta Santo Domingo, the Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques keeps original carved stone archways and frescoed ceilings alongside a central garden courtyard where the outdoor pool sits largely hidden from street view.

The spa runs a steam room, hot tub, and relaxation lounge; the restaurant operates with special-diet menus on request and delivers breakfast directly to rooms. Live music rotates through the bar on selected evenings, a detail absent from most five-star competitors a block away on Gran Vía.

The address places guests 300 metres from the Convento de la Encarnación and a ten-minute walk from the Prado axis. The Opera metro stop is immediately below on the hill.