Petit Palace Santa Barbara is located in Plaza de Santa Barbara between the streets of Genoa and Sagasta in the Alonso Martinez area. It is situated at the end of Hortaleza Street in the Chueca neighborhood, near the corner of Gran Via. The area of Alonso Martinez, Malasaña, and Chamberí are well known in Madrid for having lively nightlife, a variety of dining options, bars, terraces and entertainment. Most of the major tourist attractions and monuments are easily accessible from the hotel. Puerta del Sol, the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, Plaza de Espana, Retiro Park, Prado Museum, Reina Sofia Museum, Thyssen-Bomemisza Museum, Cibeles Square and the Royal Opera House are within walking distance. The Paseo de la Castellana, Nacional Court House of Madrid, Plaza de Colon, the National Popular Party Headquarters and the Parish Church of Santa Barbara are also nearby. The Santiago Bernabeu Football Stadium is two kilometers from the hotel. Madrid’s Barajas International Airport is 12 kilometers away, a short subway or taxi ride. Other notable businesses are within a kilometer of the hotel, including Fitch Ratings Espana S.A.U., Grupo Altadis, Mckinsey & Company, Standard & Poor’s, SGAE Sociedad General de Autores y Editores, Moody’s, Audiencia Nacional (National Court of Spain), Moore Stephens Iberica Auditoria S.I., Simmons & Simmons LLP, Cross Road Biotech, GED Iberian Private Equity S.A., Uralita Grupo, The Ministry of the Interior and Justice, The General Council of the Judicial Power and Ing Real Estate.
LWH Top Ten Must See Attractions
Puerta del Sol
Puerta del Sol, Spanish for "Gate of the Sun," is one of the best known and busiest places in Madrid. This square is the center of the radial network of Spanish roads. It contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a New Year. The New Year's celebration has been broadcast live on TV since 1962.
Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor is the principal square in Madrid southwest of Puerta del Sol. Built between 1617 and 1619, and restored in 1790 after a fire, it is in a part of the city known as “Madrid de los Austrias” (the Hapsburg Monarchs having built it - or “Old Madrid”). Notable buildings include Casa de la Panadería, with its fresco decorated façade and Casa de la Carnicería. It is a symbol of Madrid and must not be missed.
Prado Museum
The Prado Museum is a very famous gallery in Madrid and one of the world’s finest. It is situated on the stylish Paseo del Prado, a lovely part of the city just a short walk from Retiro Park. It is next to the Ritz Hotel, the Palace Hotel, the fountain of Neptune and the Stock Exchange. The Museum has the most complete collection of Spanish paintings from the 11th to 18th centuries, and many masterpieces by great universal artists such as El Greco, Velázquez, Goya, Bosch, Tiziano, Van Dyck and Rembrandt. The masterpieces of universal art, such as Velázquez' "Maids of Honour," Goya's "Majas," El Greco's "Nobleman with a Hand on his Chest," Bosch's "Garden of Delights," and Ruben’s "The Three Graces," among other priceless pieces, are all to be admired here.
Retiro Park
Situated behind the Prado Museum, it is the most popular and widely visited park in Madrid. Retiro is also a central meeting point in the city for locals and visitors alike. Roller skating youngsters, older men playing “petanca” (boules), football players and joggers of all ages can be seen. Throughout the nearly 400 years of history, the gardens and the park have witnessed many events, ranging from the celebration of major festivals and theater performances to neglect and destruction in the times of the War of Independence. Some of the park’s most noteworthy features are the lake with a monument to Alfonso XII, the Casa de Velázquez and the Crystal Palace, the Rose Garden and the Parterre, which has one of the oldest trees in Madrid, the Montezuma Cypress.
Thyssen Museum
The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum opened its doors to the public on October 10, 1992 and was acquired by the Spanish state for $350 million in 1993. It is one of the three museums - the Prado and Reina Sofia being the other two - that form the “Golden Art Triangle” of Madrid. Around the time of its opening, the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection was considered one of the finest private art collections in the world. Even today, few other world cities could boast a better collection.
The Fountain of Cibeles
The Fountain of Cibeles is located on the stretch of Madrid commonly called the Paseo de Recoletos. It depicts the Goddess Cibeles, the Greek Goddess of Fertility, who is seen sitting on a chariot, which is being pulled by two lions. On one side of the Fountain of Cibeles is the Paseo de la Recoletosm which heads north to join with the Paseo de la Castellana. On the other side is the Paseo del Prado which heads south towards the Fountain of Neptune in the Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo, and on towards Atocha.
Royal Palace
Madrid’s Royal Palace is the main tourist building in the city. It was built in the 18th century by the order of Philip V, on the site of the old Alcázar fortress, a former Moorish castle. It is the official residence of the King of Spain in the city of Madrid, but it is only used for state ceremonies. King Juan Carlos and the Royal Family do not reside in the Palace, choosing instead the more modest Palacio de la Zarzuela on the outskirts of the city. The Palace is owned by the Spanish State and administered by the Patrimonio Nacional, a public agency of the Ministry of the Presidency. There are several special rooms of note, including the Royal Guards' Room, the Columns Room, the Mirrors Room and the Room of King Charles III as well as paintings by Velázquez, Goya, Rubens and El Greco. It is located on Bailén Street in the western part of downtown Madrid, east of the Manzanares River, and is accessible from the Ópera metro station.
Reina Sofia Museum
The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (MNCARS) is the official name of Spain's national museum of 20th century art. The Reina Sofia Museum was officially inaugurated on September 10, 1992 and is named for Queen Sofia of Spain. It is located near Madrid’s Atocha Train and Metro Stations at the southern end of the “Golden Triangle of Art.” The museum's collections come from the old MEAC (Spanish Museum of Contemporary Art), acquisitions made by the museum itself and works left by Catalonian artists, Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró. Picasso's "Guernica" is among the most significant works to be seen here.
Gran Via Avenue (Calle Gran Via)
Gran Via Avenue, which means "Great Way," is an ornate and upscale shopping street located in central Madrid. It leads from Calle de Alcalá to Plaza de Cibeles and to Plaza de España. The lively street is one of the city's most important shopping areas and includes several hotels and large movie theaters. It is also noted for the grand architecture prevalent among many of its buildings. Today, most of the theaters are being replaced by shopping malls.
Puerta de Alcala
Puerta de Alcala, which means "Alcalá Gate," is a Neo-Classical monument in Madrid’s Plaza de la Independencia ("Independence Square") near the city center. The main entrance to the Parque del Buen Retiro (Retiro Park) is close by. The square is bisected by Alcalá Street, which is the origin of three streets: Alfonso XII, Serrano and Olózaga streets. Its name originates from the old path from Madrid to the nearby town of Alcalá de Henares.
