The best hotels in Spain: our selection to celebrate the world champions

Spain is on top of the world. On Sunday night, at the MetLife Stadium in New York, La Roja secured its second world champion star by beating Argentina 1·0 after extra time, thanks to a goal by Ferran Torres in the 106th minute. Sixteen years after the 2010 victory, Spanish football has reclaimed its throne · and from Madrid to Seville, the entire country is celebrating. The perfect opportunity to (re)discover what Spain does best in terms of lifestyle: its exceptional hotels.

From the century-old Madrid palace to the secret fortress in Mallorca, via the legend of Marbella and the most famous pool in the Canaries, here is our selection of the most beautiful hotels in the world champion country. Everything you need to extend the party, five-star style.

A historic victory, a destination at its peak

This final will go down in history books. Undefeated from start to finish, Luis de la Fuente’s Spain stifled the defending champions, Argentina, to the point of taking twenty shots on goal against two. It took until extra time and a flash of brilliance from Ferran Torres, voted man of the match, to break the deadlock. In Madrid, car horns had been blaring since the semi-final win against France: the celebrations promise to be long, from the Plaza de Cibeles to terraces all over the country.

This triumph comes at the perfect time: Spain is already experiencing a record-breaking summer for tourism, on track for nearly one hundred million foreign visitors according to the European Travel Commission. And if the country is winning on the pitch, it has long reigned on another field: that of luxury hospitality. Here is the proof in nine.

1. The Mandarin Oriental Ritz · Madrid

The palace of all Madrid palaces, a stone’s throw from the Prado Museum. Inaugurated in 1910 under the impetus of King Alfonso XIII and completely reborn in 2021 under the Mandarin Oriental banner, the Ritz features 153 rooms and suites, a highly sought-after secret garden, and the Deessa restaurant by chef Quique Dacosta, which holds two Michelin stars. This is where the heart of Madrid’s luxury beats · and undoubtedly where the celebrations will be the most elegant.

• Capacity : 153 rooms and suites
• Dining : Deessa, 2 Michelin stars (Quique Dacosta)
• Official website : mandarinoriental.com

2. The Four Seasons Hotel Madrid

The first Four Seasons in Spain occupies seven historic buildings united into a single golden block, the Centro Canalejas. Opened in 2020 just minutes from the Puerta del Sol, it offers 200 rooms and suites, the largest urban spa in Madrid (1,450 m² over four levels), and the Dani Brasserie rooftop by Andalusian chef Dani García, with views of the city as far as the eye can see. The perfect address to experience Madrid from the sky.

• Capacity : 200 rooms and suites
• Signature : Dani Brasserie rooftop · 1,450 m² spa
• Official website : fourseasons.com/madrid

3. The Mandarin Oriental Barcelona

On the Passeig de Gràcia, between Gaudí and the fashion houses, the Mandarin Oriental is the most sophisticated address in Barcelona. Its 120 rooms and suites designed by Patricia Urquiola, its rooftop with a pool, and its Moments restaurant, which holds a Michelin star under the guidance of the great Carme Ruscalleda, make it a concentrate of Catalan design and gastronomy. The Ciudad Condal at its peak.

• Capacity : 120 rooms and suites
• Dining : Moments, 1 Michelin star
• Official website : mandarinoriental.com

4. The Marbella Club · Andalusia

This is where the legend of Marbella was born. Founded in 1954 by Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe, the Marbella Club invented the Golden Mile and the jet-set version of the Andalusian lifestyle. Today, its 121 rooms and suites and 16 villas stretch across ten hectares of subtropical gardens between sea and mountains, with a legendary beach club and an 18-hole golf course. A piece of the history of the Spanish Riviera, still at the top.

• Capacity : 121 rooms and suites + 16 villas
• Signature : historic beach club · 18-hole golf course
• Official website : marbellaclub.com

5. The Cap Rocat · Mallorca

A 19th-century fortress transformed into one of the most secret refuges in the Mediterranean. Carved into the rock of Cala Blava, facing the bay of Palma, Cap Rocat has only about thirty rooms and suites, including the spectacular Sentinels, former artillery posts turned into suites with private pools. A spa dug underground, a restaurant in the former moats: the anti-seaside Mallorca, in an intimate citadel version.

• Capacity : approximately 30 rooms and suites
• Signature : Sentinel suites with private pool
• Official website : caprocat.com

6. The Hotel Alfonso XIII · Seville

The great Andalusian palace bears the name of the king who inaugurated it in 1929. Built for the Ibero-American Exposition, the Alfonso XIII displays its neo-Mudéjar architecture, its colonnaded patios, and its azulejos in the heart of Seville, a stone’s throw from the Alcazar. Its 148 rooms and suites make it the royal address of Andalusia · literally, since the palace still belongs to the city. The place where the history of Spain is experienced from the inside.

• Capacity : 148 rooms and suites
• Signature : 1929 neo-Mudéjar architecture
• Official website : marriott.com

7. The Hotel Maria Cristina · San Sebastián

The Belle Époque palace of the Basque Country, a stone’s throw from La Concha Bay. Opened in 1912 and designed by Charles Mewès, the architect of the Ritz in Paris and Madrid, the Maria Cristina bears the name of the queen regent who inaugurated it. Its 136 rooms and suites welcome stars of the San Sebastián Film Festival every September · and all year round, gourmets on a pilgrimage to the world capital of Michelin-starred dining.

• Capacity : approximately 136 rooms and suites
• Signature : palace of the San Sebastián festival
• Official website : marriott.com

8. The Six Senses Ibiza

The peaceful side of Ibiza hides at the northern tip of the island, in the bay of Xarraca. Opened in 2021 on eight hectares, the Six Senses cultivates a bohemian-wellness lifestyle: 116 rooms and suites facing the sea, including Cave Suites carved into the cliff, a 1,200 m² spa, and the RoseBar, a longevity club dedicated to biohacking. The White Island, detox and sunset version · light-years away from the clubs of the south coast.

• Capacity : 116 rooms and suites
• Signature : RoseBar longevity · Cave Suites in the cliff
• Official website : sixsenses.com

9. The Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora · Tenerife

This is the Spanish hotel the whole world is talking about: the main setting of the Netflix series « Oasis ». On the west coast of Tenerife, facing the island of La Gomera, the Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora features about 600 rooms, a 2,000 m² spa, and its legendary saltwater infinity pool of about 5,000 m², presented by Meliá as the largest in Europe. Between two swims, you can walk in the footsteps of the series’ heroes · we tell you all about it in our article dedicated to the hotel from « Oasis ».

• Capacity : approximately 600 rooms and suites
• Signature : saltwater infinity pool of about 5,000 m²
• Official website : melia.com

Our perspective

One more star on the jersey, and a reminder to the whole world: Spain doesn’t just dominate football, it excels in the art of hospitality. From the Belle Époque palaces of Madrid and San Sebastián to the island retreats of Mallorca and the Canaries, the world champion country fields a team of hotels worthy of its squad: deep, talented, and spectacular. The hardest part, just like for Luis de la Fuente, will be choosing your starting eleven. And if you are tempted to extend the summer, take a look at our selection of the finest hotels in Europe for summer 2026.