March 2005 Article                      

Two Hotel Gems in Southern Europe

Ritz Madrid
Lapa Palace

The Hotel Ritz Madrid opened in 1908 in the presence of King Alfonso XIII and is certainly designed to make its guests feel like royalty.  The Lapa Palace in Lisbon has hosted Catherine Deneuve, Cher, and Sting, a testimony to their impeccable taste.  Just looking at photos of the two hotels warms you with their luxury and sunny southern European colors.

Ritz Madrid
Near the Prado in the heart of city, the Hotel Ritz Madrid is an oasis of luxury.

It was inspired by King Alfonso XIII’s desire to build a luxury hotel to rival the Ritz in Paris.  Today the hotel shares with its Paris and London counterparts a reputation as one of the original grand luxury hotels in Europe. Oscar de la Renta in a loving tribute said “There is something very special about it.  It feels like home to me.” 

Ideally located, the hotel is steps away from Madrid’s three most important museums, the nearly 150-year-old theatre devoted to the Spanish operetta, and the city’s finest park with wonderful gardens.

The Hotel Ritz has 137 bedrooms and 30 suites. Each has been individually designed with unique hand-made carpets, embroidered bed linen and antique furniture, combined with the latest technology of Internet connections and cable television.  Bathrooms are appointed in marble with gilded accessories.

The hotel fitness centre is equipped with treadmills, step machines, rowing machines, static bicycles, free weights, and weight training equipment. Guests can also enjoy saunas, massages, sunbeds and facials.

There are five Salons available for meetings at the Hotel Ritz, ranging from small and stylish to grand and imposing, as well as the elegant gardens of the hotel, perfect for larger receptions during the warmer months. 

Banquets and theater-style meetings can be held for from 30 to 290 guests.  For receptions, the Ritz can accommodate from 60 to 450 indoors, and up to 600 in its gardens.

Hotel Ritz Madrid Basics:
Meeting sizes up to 290
Banquet sizes up to 600
Breakout rooms: 4
Guestrooms: 157
Amenities: Restaurants, bars, spa

Lapa Palace
Built in 1870 as the private residence of the Count of Valença, the Lapa Palace is right on the city centre, set on a hill overlooking Lisbon’s Tagus River, amid tranquil gardens dotted with ornamental fountains and streams.  The setting is so peaceful, it’s hard to imagine wanting to leave, yet the nearby offerings are exceptionally attractive for meetings and incentives. 

Just a short distance away are five golf courses, tennis courts, horse riding and white sandy beaches. Enticing activities include wine tours, sailing from Belem to Cascais, hot air ballooning, and a day spent with eagles and hawks.

The hotel offers 109 guestrooms, most with balcony and fantastic views of the gardens and/or city and river. Lapa Palace’s magnificent interiors, decorated in a traditional Portuguese style, feature marble stucco, carved wood and richly patterned azulejos (tiles).

On-site fitness and pampering includes indoor and outdoor pools, fully equipped gymnasium, sauna, Turkish steam bath, and solarium.  Seafood and Portuguese specialties highlight the restaurant’s menu, where dining is available indoors and out. The Rio Tejo bar and the Pavilion encourage relaxation.  Lapa Palace also features a cooking school for those who want to return home with new skills.

The hotel offers a full range of business services including: High-speed broadband connection in all rooms and suites, a business center open 24 hours a day free of charge, secretarial and translation services on request, fully equipped meeting office including PC with fast internet access and high capacity printer and photocopy machine for business meetings up to 10 persons, six additional meeting rooms all providing high speed broadband access, and a fully equipped auditorium with the capacity for up to 100 people.

Lapa Palace, Lisbon Basics:
Meeting sizes up to 250
Banquets up to 200
Guestrooms: 109
Amenities: Restaurants, bars, spa, pools
 

For more information on these Orient-Express properties, contact your Krisam representative or e-mail newsletter@theeventinsider.com.