Located in Madrid’s city centre close to the Puerta del Sol, this palatial hotel is the first Four Seasons Hotel in Spain. A landmark in Madrid, with its instantly recognisable ornate bell tower and copper cupola, the spectacular premises were originally constructed as El Palacio de la Equitativa between 1887 and 1891 by the Spanish architect José Grases Riera, famously becoming the headquarters of Banesto from 1920 to 2004. WORDS JAMES SINCLAIR PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FOUR SEASONS MADRID
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n 2012 the building was declared a cultural heritage monument and, following several years of extensive renovations, the Four Seasons Madrid finally opened last year. It is the largest and most expensive hotel in the city’s history, with suites costing up to €12.000 per night. Furthermore, the top two floors of the edifice contain 22 private luxury residences, where owners enjoy access to all hotel services, allegedly priced at €2.4M upwards.
The reconstruction project, featuring meticulous restoration at a cost of €530M, eventually encompassed the Palace of La Equitativa and six smaller adjacent buildings to create an even larger complex that not only includes the hotel, but also the luxury shopping mall Galería Canalejas, converted from the similarly impressive Banco Hispano Americano, with many prestigious Spanish and international brands present. ›
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