MADRID, Spain
Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques, next to the Palacio de Oriente and the Teatro Real, recently opened for business. The property is a five-star luxury hotel in the historical and artistic heart of Madrid.
Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques is located in the renovated building that was previously the well-known Hotel Ambassador, on the former site of two important buildings: the convent of Santo Domingo and the palace of the Dukes of Granada de Ega y Villahermosa (art collectors and members of Madrid's intellectual society of the 19th century), whose passion for the paintings of Velázquez led them to donate one of his works, the portrait of Don Diego del Corral y Arellano, to the Museo del Prado.
Among the collection of Leading Hotels of the World, Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques is based on the legacy of works by Diego Velázquez. A total of nine reproductions inspire each of the suites and public spaces. Art has become the essence of this majestic building, in which the modern exists harmoniously with original 19th century features, such as the Isabelline facade, the spectacular central wrought-iron and wooden staircase and the cloister with its glass dome, which is now the hotel lobby. Another major attraction is its Historical Garden, ideal for discovering the avant-garde range of cuisine.
Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques offers two completely different settings in which to enjoy various culinary experiences. In the center of the hotel are the Coroa Gallery Lounge & Gardens, an all-day dining space, where guests can enjoy a menu of Mediterranean specialties inspired by different artistic styles, such as Baroque, Naturalism and Dadaism. Its diners can enjoy creative dishes, trompe l'oeils and refined street food viewed from another perspective, as well as a rich variety of art-inspired cocktails.
Meanwhile, the Franco-Spanish Montmartre 1889 Restaurant & Gardens takes the Paris Exposition Universelle and the district after which it is named as its source of inspiration. Its menu pays homage to the creative process of painters, while offering an exquisite selection of wines to pair up with meals.
The Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques includes five meeting rooms with space for up to 295 seated attendees theatre-style in the combined, 3,600-square-foot Palacio and Opera rooms.
Meliá Hotels International is committed to the luxury segment with the openings of Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques and Gran Meliá de Mar in Spain and the incoming Gran Meliá Nacional Río de Janeiro.
