AC Santo Mauro, Autograph Collection

Famous in recent times as the Beckhams' first residence in Madrid, this exquisite hotel is discreetly hidden away in the embassy-lined streets that separate the Castellana from busy C/Santa Engracia. Out of sight behind tall walls and trees, the elegant and peaceful entrance prepares guests for the experience to come. The 51 rooms, housed in two parts of what was the residence of the Duke of Santo Mauro, are luxuriously decorated, and boast king-size beds and floor-to-ceiling picture windows hung with opulent silk drapes. The old palace library has been converted into a high-class restaurant and former ballrooms are now conference rooms opening on to an immaculately kept garden.