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NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding Hotel Review, Madrid

Kitted out with technology beyond your geekiest dreams, the Eurobuilding is a hotel of the future -- but still abides by classic European hospitality rules.

The Space: With tourist visits up five per cent from 2013, Madrid is on everyone’s list of destinations to watch this year. The newly-refurbed Eurobuilding is jumping on this trend, offering modern Iberian décor with multiple bars and restaurants, and a concierge falling over themselves to assist you.

The sweet, sweet view (NH Collection Eurobuilding)
The sweet, sweet view (NH Collection Eurobuilding)

The Vibe: The building’s signature feature is a complex, ever-changing light display performed by the largest 3D LED display in Europe. Sit on the lobby sofas, face the sky, and watch as a peacock becomes the solar system, then the ocean. With a gym so beautiful you’ll want to go home and redecorate, and a spa/wellness centre too zen out after your flight, there’s a lot of entertainment just within the hotel’s four walls.

Click the video to sample the LED show:

The Rooms: “Standard suite” means beautiful views that don’t skimp on the toiletries (complementary hand cream; how is that not a thing everywhere?). The small number of technology suites house mind-blowing amenities, including tables that charge your phone by conduction, and bathroom projector TVs you can connect to your phone or tablet. The top end rooms get you access to the brand new VIP floor, which is kitted better than an Etihad airport lounge.

The Premiere Suite (NH Collection)
The Premiere Suite (NH Collection)

The Brag: Ask for a “premium with terrace” room and enjoy the THREE balconies for a truly panoramic view of the city.

The Instagram Shot:

Was this my fourth, or fifth? (Yahoo/Charlotte Lait)
Was this my fourth, or fifth? (Yahoo/Charlotte Lait)

The Hits:

Today’s hottest food trends are all about simple grub, with a reasonable price tag and ingredient names you’ve actually heard of. But when you’re offered hibiscus flowers atop thinner-than-wafer lobster carpaccio you’d be nuts to decline.

Responsible for these heavenly floral morsels is David Muñoz of DiverXO, Madrid’s only three Michelin star restaurant (and the city’s first in twenty years) that lives in the hotel.

Thank you, DiverXO. Just... thank you. (Yahoo/Charlotte Lait)
Thank you, DiverXO. Just... thank you. (Yahoo/Charlotte Lait)

 

Dining at DiverXO is to enter Muñoz’s deepest imagination; butterflies spill over the walls, giant silver ants crawl up the steps to greet you. Cartoon pigs with wings burst through the walls; “My father always said, if someone told me pigs could fly I would believe them, so fantastic was my imagination,” Muñoz told me. If believing his dream is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

In between courses, servers hold spoons up to your mouth to sample a flavor from the kitchen, or pop a mystery treat in your mouth.

Mixologist Diego Cabrera mixes morning juices. (Yahoo/Charlotte Lait)
Mixologist Diego Cabrera mixes morning juices. (Yahoo/Charlotte Lait)

The other gentlemen you need to get acquainted with is Diego Cabrera, the in-house mixologist with a cheeky smile and a real way with gin. His team of eight are always creating and changing menus, and Cabrera travels all over the world for inspiration. A chili, cognac and orange peel cocktail, served in a double test tube, was the most unique drink I’ve every tried. I challenge you to not feel sexy drinking the skull-shaped glass filled with vodka, cucumber, and notes of citrus.

The Misses:

The rooms are kitted out with all the best luxuries, but the glass bathroom doors left little to be desired. If you’re booking for a romantic getaway with a new lover, or having a cheeky sleepover with a local, you may ask them to wait in the hallway while you do your, er, business.

The Deets and Damage: Premium rooms with a terrace start from €189 (£139) for one person including breakfast, based on a flexible fare. For more information call +44 (0)203 49 98 271 or email bookings@nh-hotels.com. Visit their website at www.nh-hotels.com.