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ME Madrid Reina Victoria
Madrid, Spain · ME by Meliá · Core Luxury
This 1923 grand hotel on Plaza de Santa Ana, in Madrid's literary quarter, was once the address of choice for bullfighters and film stars: Ernest Hemingway and Ava Gardner both stayed here, and the matador Manolete kept a standing reservation in room 406. Melia relaunched it in 2007 as the first hotel under its design-led ME brand, pairing the preserved 1920s facade with a contemporary interior by Keith Hobbs.
- 212 rooms
- Opened 1923
- Neighborhood: Puerta del Sol / Plaza de Celenque
- Rooms from 236 sq ft (22 m²)
- Architect: Jesus Carrasco y Encina
- Interiors: Keith Hobbs; United Designers
About ME Madrid Reina Victoria
- Opened in 1923 as the Gran Hotel Reina Victoria, named for Queen Victoria Eugenia, consort of King Alfonso XIII.
- Ernest Hemingway and Ava Gardner were among its storied guests, and matador Manolete traditionally stayed in room 406.
- Relaunched in 2007 as the ME Madrid Reina Victoria, becoming the first hotel under Melia's design-led ME brand.
- Entry-level rooms start at 236 sq ft (22 m²).
History
The building on Plaza de Santa Ana, in the heart of Madrid's literary quarter between Puerta del Sol and the Prado, was constructed around 1919 and opened in 1923 as the Gran Hotel Reina Victoria, named in honour of Victoria Eugenia, queen consort of King Alfonso XIII. Designed in the elaborate early-20th-century style of the period, it quickly became one of the city's most celebrated addresses, favoured by bullfighters, writers and film stars.
Over the following decades the Reina Victoria drew a storied roster of guests, most famously Ernest Hemingway and Ava Gardner, and the matador Manolete, who traditionally stayed in room 406. Its close association with the bullfighting world earned it a lasting place in Madrid folklore.
In 2007 the historic hotel was relaunched as the ME Madrid Reina Victoria, becoming the first hotel under Melia's design-led ME brand. The transformation paired the preserved early-1920s facade with a contemporary interior redesign, adding a rooftop terrace and repositioning the property as a lifestyle destination while retaining its landmark status on Plaza de Santa Ana.
The setting
ME Madrid Reina Victoria puts guests in Sol, Madrid. Stay on Sol-Celenque to walk everywhere. This is the densest luxury stack in the city, loud on purpose. 15-minute walk to Royal Palace of Madrid.
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