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I'll be the first to admit that, when booking a long weekend in Europe, where I stay is often an afterthought — the result of a last-minute booking that I'm guaranteed to reframe as a ‘good deal’. But 48 hours under the BRACH Madrid roof and I'm converted: destined for a life of opulent weekend jaunts that recharge the soul… and shrink the contents of the joint bank account (sorry boyf).
I'm advocating for regular doses of luxury; something BRACH Madrid delivers in an understated manner. Not once did we feel out of place in our jeans or jumpers, which mirrored the knitted Lacoste uniform of the team.
The designer, Philippe Starck, chose to skip the predictable combination of marble and cream, widely considered to symbolise ‘you’ve escaped’. Instead, this unique member of the Evok Collection — its first outside France — almost swaddles you on entry, the combination of burnt reds, mango-wood furnishings and leather fittings coalescing to create a cosy, obviously Spanish retreat.
Instinctively, I thought ‘70s. But Starck says it shares his vision of the 1920s and 30s — and I guess that’s somewhat evident in the Art Deco details decorating the bed linen and bathroom ceramics.
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Yet, during my stay, I was taken to various points in time. Ascending the staircase, admiring its Romanesque railings, I couldn't ignore the fact that this seven-story building had a history far longer than mine.
Then it was onto the early 1900s, courtesy of the well-worn leather boxing gloves and accompanying photos decorating our media unit. There's no need to visit one of Madrid's many, many museums, thanks to the hotel's collection of artefacts decorating each space.
And heading down to the breakfast nook, come co-working space and restaurant, the banker's lamps brought me right back to Starck’s favoured decade.
Most notable, though, was the quiet — a tranquillity that, in my experience, usually only exists within the walls of a spa. But the space wasn't stale and lacking any sort of atmosphere; BRACH was merely a sanctuary compared to the bustle outside.
Located almost halfway down the Gran Via — a meeting point for all Madrid dwellers, both long and short-term, wanting to shop, eat and rarely sleep — it's an ideal location for those wanting to immerse themselves in the heart of Spain. For context, you're a mere 18-minute walk from the Royal Palace Madrid and the iconic opera house known as Teatro Real.
And despite its central position, our room felt like anything but a transient home. The 30sqm of our Deluxe abode felt generous, housing a queen-size bed, private bar and a washroom sure to be all over Pinterest soon.
On the plane, we had vowed to spend as little time motionless as possible, wanting to know all that Madrid had to offer in late winter/early spring. However, with relaxed spaces upstairs primed for chilling, a rooftop bar and a restaurant powered by an in-house pâtissier, we had little excuse to move far.
I can be a little dubious when it comes to a hotel restaurant. Some venues see it as a means to an end, rather than an opportunity to show flair. BRACH fell firmly into the latter camp, dishing up tapas that rivalled only that of one other venue (Tasca Celso y Manolo is also a must).
The Cecina Croquettes were worthy winners of the Hotel Tapa Tour 2025, while the Baba ghanoush, made tableside, was a talking point for our entire trip. And while the Crispy Prawns aren't traditionally Spanish, they were perfectly paired with a basil mayonnaise I've tried to replicate multiple times since.
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Personally, I'd hunker down on the hotel's sharing plates, make a quick stop at the Raw Bar for the Crispy Seabass Tacos and then head straight to dessert, where you'll be greeted with a tray of the day's pastry offerings — everything from traditional flan to chocolate eclairs and flaky pastry you'd think would only be available at the hotel's sister venue, BRACH Paris.
But its early morning offerings are worth public acclaim, too. Taking a Scandinavian approach, your server will ask you to build a breakfast plate with a protein, yogurt and coffee of your choice. As a keen explorer, this was the ideal fuel ahead of a day hitting 20,000+ steps.
The only other pull away from our bedroom, though? La Capsule Wellness, which was (delightfully) near empty in February. More than a mere few treatment rooms, the space housed a length-friendly pool, a hyperbaric oxygenation chamber, an ice bath and an infrared sauna, all of which complemented our mission to leave the weekend feeling less weary and run-down than before.
Pitched to its potential guests as a ‘perfectly poetic private home’, rather than a pitstop for the nomadic, I'd say this is the place to stay if you're prioritising a soul-shift over sightseeing. But I'll also gladly admit BRACH Madrid has warped my perspective on the city break, previously seeing them as a nice-to-have bonus rather than a genuine contender for our annual big trip. Barcelona next?
Save when you book a stay at BRACH Madrid with these Booking.com discount codes and Expedia promo codes. The Evok Collection will also open two more properties in 2027, BRACH Rome and Nolinski Golf de Saint-Tropez.
