DEPARTURES TRAVEL URBAN DEPARTURES TRAVEL URBAN PRIMER 34 Madrid on the Move Old-school elegance meets youthful charm in the bustling Spanish capital, says Lanie Goodman, who shortlists the city’s new standout hotels. A bright-pink tunnel hallway leading to the Madrid Edition’s sleekly modern lobby; top: inside the new the Royal Collections Gallery in Campo del Moro park LIKE STARS, some travel trends will explode and then fade; others, years later, re-emerge with a pulse of new energy that lights up an Old World atmosphere. And these days, Madrid is unquestionably one of those places where the “then” and the “now” has merged into a supernova destination. Nine decades ago, American expat Ernest Hemingway hailed Madrid as “the most Spanish of all cities, the best to live in, the finest people, month in and month out the finest climate”. Granted, the summer temperatures soar considerably higher than in Hem’s time, but the fun-loving lifestyle of the Madrileños and innovative gastronomic scene is back stronger than ever. However, the writer might not recognise the once-seedy Centro, where he’d order beer and a plate of shrimp, now home to big-name international brands of five-star hotels. “Years ago, if you had asked a local if this would be a luxury neighbourhood – if you’d have a Louis Vuitton next to the Puerta del Sol – they would have said ‘never’,” says Marta Centeno, director of communications at Four Seasons Hotel Madrid. “Over the last few years, the town has done a great job of restoring landmark buildings and cleaning up the area. We’re seeing a new kind of traveller who wouldn’t have considered Madrid before.” FROM TOP: © PATRIMONIO NACIONAL, © THE MADRID EDITION
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