Gran Hotel Inglés, Madrid
Restoring Madrid’s oldest hotel to former glories, Rockwell Group's Madrid studio channels a storied history through a luxuriously contemporary lens. Words: Kristofer Thomas | Photography: © Eric Laignel. Gran Hotel Inglés, Madrid
Madrid: 1886. It is summer in the Spanish capital and Don Agustín Ibarra – a popular local entrepreneur and proprietor of the communal Café Inglés – has purchased a large stone-front house under construction in the city’s literary quarter, Barrio de las Letras, with the intention of not only establishing Madrid’s first hotel, but a new kind of accomodation offer altogether. It will encapsulate an era of immense change; the first to feature a restaurant within its walls, set upon the first street in the city to receive electric lights. As a spiritual successor to Café Inglés, then a central hub for Madrid's creative community, Gran Hotel Inglés sought to combine the aesthetics and comforts of a broadening luxury class with emergent technologies, offering guests the exoticism of lifts, steam-powered heating and a bathroom on each floor along with furnishings Ibarra spared no sacrifice in acquiring from London.
“We researched original newspaper clippings and advertisements from the time of the hotel’s opening, and looked to cultural figures that passed through the hotel for inspiration,” Longoria explains in reference to the wealth of ideas that moulded the studio’s design. "The lounge on the west side of the lobby, for example, has antique bronze mirrors with faded historic images of long-ago guests and famous visitors.” The furnishings that punctuate the Surcomanufactured chevron-floor and continue throughout, were designed bespoke by Rockwell Group, ensuring that even the most inconspicuous pieces tie in to the closely considered theme.
“Furnishings and materials were inspired by the luxury and sophistication of the present with nods to the 1920s,” Longoria notes. “The bar dye features a custom black, gold and calacata tiled pattern inspired by Art Deco geometric motifs; seating is comprised of varying sumptuous materials like velvet and leather – creating a series of relaxed social spaces – whilst chevron wood flooring and custom, hand-tufted wool and silk area rugs add to the sense of comfort. We designed this open layout with multiple groupings for people to convene, have a drink, mingle with locals, or work. It’s a meeting point that offers multiple experiences, from day to night.” At the lobby’s edge, steps lead up to the restaurant, Lobo 8, which occupies the space where one of the first instances of a hotel restaurant once unfolded. Headed up by acclaimed local chef Willy Mora, the menu reinterprets traditional Spanish dishes including Iberian pork cheeks, roasted pigeon, and gazpacho in the context of contemporary fine dining, with Rockwell deploying tables and booths amidst a setting again inspired by English country estates and exclusive members' clubs. The LobByto bar, meanwhile, offers bite-sized takes and cocktails.
“Every single detail, from the feeling of the space to the level of service, has been designed to deliver an individualised and memorable experience,” Longoria muses. “Gran Hotel Inglés has a fascinating heritage and troves of built-in stories. We pored over the rich history of the hotel’s location – and of the iconic hotel itself – to weave allusions to the past into our design concept with clever details.” Five guestroom configurations – deluxe, grand deluxe, superior, executive and premium – line the floors above, wherein the thematic core is expanded upon by way of these clever details and accents. Original decorative mouldings have been reassembled to climb walls and spread across ceilings, as if escaping their own era to remind guests of their presence, whilst a palette of pure white with touches of gold and navy blue creates an elegant feel.
Freestanding bathtubs, all-marble showers and Gessi fittings contribute to spacious, lavish bathrooms, with select configurations allowing guests to throw windows open for views of the skyline or a hidden stone courtyard, whilst, topping the hotel, the majestic Presidential and Royal suites – 93m2 and 125m2 respectively – have been designed to host groups, with additional bedrooms and living areas, kitted out with antique bars and drinks trolleys. “Guestrooms imbue a sense of residential comfort with a contemporary twist on historic detailing,” Longoria reflects. “We emphasised characteristic features of 19th century Madrilenian architecture in a modern way, playing with the classic geometry of the moulding by deconstructing it and extending it across the ceiling.”
For a hotel so clearly indebted to its past, great effort has nonetheless been taken in updating the inner workings to satisfy keen historians and wide-eyed travellers alike. The local expertise of Rockwell Group’s Madrid studio and their commitment to authenticity ensures that the spirit of the building’s past is revealed to guests if they seek it, but is rarely forced upon them, the scheme opting for the fascination of detail as opposed to grand statements. Restoring a cultural icon takes confidence and skill in equal measure, but is a feat handled deftly at Gran Hotel Ingles; tethered to a past which defines it, but looking far ahead when it matters, just as Don Ibarra did, all those years ago.
sources: Sleeper, July-August 2018.
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