Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid

Super great hotel to stay. Very nice smile at the front desk and concierge. MO is still my favorest stay choice with no doubt.

Very nice hotel, located in the central of Madrid, just next to the museo prado, service is very good.

Very good service and nice decorations Tea time food was so so

Here’s a draft - Paella Masterclass with Chef Oliver Menendez As an adventure Bill and Pamela booked us all onto the Paella Masterclass in the stunning gardens of the Ritz Mandarin Oriental. Our class was delayed due to the weather and we were rebooked to 1645 which was actually a better time for us. On arrival we were taken through the gardens to the outside kitchen and introduced to Chef Oliver Menendez. Oliver introduced himself and the concept of what our two hour Masterclass would be. Oliver settled very quickly and took us on an exceptional culinary journey into the heart of Valencian paella and then onto black rice and lobster paella. Oliver described the ingredients and spent some time explaining the background and work that goes into making the stock and the simple but so tasty sofrito. While sitting at the bar of the kitchen watching and listening to Oliver we were provided with tastings of three different sherrys all from Jerez-Xérès in the south west of Spain. Our first was a Tio Pepe - Palomino Fino Sherry which was quite dry but went down well in the sun. La Guita - Manzanilla was dry, light, fresh and salty. A very popular sherry which I can understand why! Lastly we sampled Antique Palo Cortado by Fernando de Castilla. This was an experience as it was cloudy and carmel in colour with citrus fruit notes. Not one I’d have chosen due to its appearance but actually very nice. Chef Oliver then demonstrated his craft and exceptional skills and cooked two Valencian paellas on the large induction hobs in the garden kitchen. Taking the time to talk us through every step and paying particular attention to the final act of essentially caramelising the bomba rice. Then it was tasting time. Just magnificent. Oliver made it look simple and as he said a great food for socialising and sharing with friends. Next was the black rice with squid and fresh lobster. Oliver again expertly cooked two pans with his final act siphoning some paprika and garlic mayonnaise emulsion into the lobster shell before flambying the dish. Different and salty in comparison to the Valencian paella but delicious. Certainly the best black rice paella I’ve ever tasted. Our red wine we had to accompany our paella was Heredad de Uruena, a Santo Syrah 2016 wine from Castilla y León. Again a new experience and absolutely perfect for paella. One for the notepad to seek out in the future! We finished up this unforgettable masterclass with a delightful dessert of whipped yoghurt, parma violet ice cream, honeycomb popping candy and edible flowers. Not forgetting our exclusive recipe cards and stylish Ritz aprons this was an experience to remember. The two hours passed in what seemed like minutes, it’s offered every Saturday and Sunday and is not to be missed. Thanks to birthday boy Chef Oliver’s humour and knowledge it was a true highlight of our trip. Thanks Chef Oliver Menendez we arrived strangers and left feeling like family, we certainly hope to me

I had an incredible experience at the Mandarin Oriental that left me with unforgettable memories. Upon arrival, David and Massimo at the reception greeted me with warm smiles and made the check-in process a breeze. Their preparation made everything seamless. I also engaged with Concierge Anahi, who provided valuable information about a tour I was interested in. Thanks to her proactive service, she managed to secure my booking! I truly appreciate her attention to detail, as well as Zoubida's assistance. I can't forget to mention the breakfast team. They ensured my family and I started our days off right, delivering excellent service and even sharing local breakfast traditions. We thoroughly enjoyed their hospitality. Lastly, I fell in love with the hotel’s swimming pool. Thank you, Victoria, for the warm introduction and ensuring I didn’t miss any highlights in the area. I highly recommend everyone experience this hotel and its fantastic facilities at least once in their lifetime!

I have stayed in many of the best hotels in the world; The Ritz in Madrid is superb, and must rank among the very finest of all. Room was quiet and luxurious, the staff took very good care of us, the building was everything that a top hotel should be! "Putting on the Ritz" is s saying for the best, and the hotel lived up that motto.