When Jaime Hayon was given the 1957 Torre de Madrid — a Francoist-era skyscraper once titled Europe's tallest concrete structure — he responded with an interior so playfully surreal it functions as a corrective to the building's authoritarian origins. Every surface carries his signature: ceramic creatures on shelves, hand-painted tiles in unexpected corridors, furniture assuming organic shapes that refuse the tower's rectilinear geometry. The indoor pool, set high with Gran Via views, is one of Madrid's most dramatic swimming experiences. Rooms facing Gran Via frame the avenue's neon-and-stone theatricality in floor-to-ceiling glass. A design hotel in the fullest sense — the design is not decoration but argument.
Location
Plaza de España, Madrid
Insider Intel
A Gran Via-facing room for the avenue views in floor-to-ceiling glass — the neon at night is extraordinary. The indoor pool for the experience of swimming inside a 1957 skyscraper. Hayon's details reward slow exploration: the ceramics, the tiles, the furniture. The lobby alone is worth twenty minutes of attention.
Year-round. The indoor pool removes seasonal dependency. The Plaza de España location overlooks the recently renovated square and the beginning of Gran Via. Evening for the neon views from upper floors.
Plaza de España 18. Plaza de España metro (Lines 2, 3, 10), directly adjacent. Rooms from EUR 170. Jaime Hayon designed every detail — the 1957 Torre de Madrid skyscraper is the canvas, his surrealist sensibility is the paint. Indoor pool with views. The plaza was renovated in 2021 and is now pedestrian-friendly. Gran Via shopping and nightlife is a two-minute walk.