Hotel Orfila, Madrid, Spain

This is a discreet location in a residential street in Chamberi, a wealthy area close to the city centre; an ideal spot if you want to combine shopping and sightseeing as it's less than a ten-minute walk to the upmarket street of Calle Serrano, while the Retiro park and Prado museum are about 20-minutes away. Alonso Martinez metro station is just three minutes' walk.

By plane: direct flights to Madrid from London (2 hours 20 minutes), Manchester (2 hours 40 minutes) and Edinburgh (2 hours 45 minutes). The hotel is a 20-minute drive from the airport. Parking costs €21 per day. Book flights to Madrid.

The hotel is set in a grand townhouse that dates back to the 19th-century and was the birthplace of Tsaritsa Margarita of the former Bulgarian royal family. Plenty of period features remain and others have been added such as 18th and 19th century oil paintings, trompe l'oeil frescoes in the courtyard garden and reupholstered antique furniture.

Facilities are limited but the service is exceptional, with staff going above and beyond to make your stay as easy as possible. Names and preferences are remembered and extra pillows or coffee pods are brought when you need them. Comfortable airport transfers can be booked in advance for an extra charge.

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Garden
• Terrace
• On-site parking
• Free Wi-Fi

This is a genuine boutique hotel with just 32 rooms, 12 of which are suites (with dressing rooms). All rooms are styled with period furniture and colourful bespoke wallpaper and have coffee machines, minibars and spa baths; the quietest rooms look over the garden.

Room types: Standard Room, Superior Room, Junior Suite, Deluxe Suite, Family Suite

Key amenities: ensuite bathroom with toiletries, hairdryer, seating area, docking station, TV, free Wi-Fi

The hotel's menus are overseen by Mario Sandoval, who has two Michelin stars at his nearby Coque restaurant. Jardín de Orfila is a popular place with discerning locals who come to enjoy a table on the terrace in summer. À la carte is complemented by a tasting menu, which is a real gallop through fine Spanish cuisine.

El Jardín: terrace restaurant, fine dining. Dishes include suckling pig, venison wellington and wild turbot. All-day dining, open daily. Evening set menus from €70.