My Favorite Michelin Key Hotels in Spain
Image courtesy of La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel
The Michelin Key was born in France, and has made its way to Spain. From countryside eco-retreats to urban palaces and boutique gems, the Michelin team has done it again, applying their discerning, expertly honed taste to the country’s best places to stay.
Read on for a few of my favorite Michelin Key hotels in Spain. At the end of each section — three Keys, two Keys and one Key — you’ll also find the remaining Key hotels, all of which merit a visit. When you're ready to jet off, reach out to plan and book your trip.
Three-Key hotels
Five hotels in Spain were bestowed with this enviable honor. Each three-Key property goes above and beyond in every way. They’re destinations in and of themselves.
Matarraña: Torre del Marqués Hotel Spa & Winery
Image courtesy of Torre del Marqués Hotel Spa & Winery
If you love organic wine and a serious locavore approach to fine dining, you’ll love the 18-room Torre del Marqués, a beautifully renovated 18th-century masía in Spain’s Aragon region.
The property is committed to sustainability. It maintains two organic orchards — one for summer, one for winter — plus olive groves and an organic vineyard. (Aragon is famous for its olive oil and wine, after all.) The orchards, vineyard and olive groves are watered solely with collected rainwater, and are cultivated using the hotel’s organic compost.
Sustainability extends beyond growing methods and energy efficiency, (and I love how they’ve eliminated plastics from their manufacturing processes and supply chain). Torres del Marqués hires locally, too, and champions a sustainable approach to supporting the local community. During renovations, the hotel hired a local architect, and building materials were sourced within a 50-mile radius. Any food the property doesn’t produce itself, it sources from sustainable, small local suppliers.
Don’t miss a private picnic in the orchard forest, nor a spa treatment. Luxuriate in the spa’s hot springs area, Turkish bath and sauna before or after a treatment courtesy of Natura Bissé.
Fora Perks:
$50 spa credit, breakfast daily, an upgrade & extended check-in/out whenever possible.
Valladolid: Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine
Image courtesy of Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine
Art lovers will rejoice at this tranquil 30-room retreat, housed in a 12th-century abbey. The hotel is a veritable art gallery, with works from the Renaissance up to the 20th century. Expect pieces from artists including Guardi, Panini, Miró and Palma the Younger, in addition to French tapestries and intricate bargueños, old Spanish desks. The most recent addition to the collection is a sleek metal sculpture from the Spanish artist Eduardo Chillida.
The subterranean Santuario Spa is located in the abbey’s former stables. There’s even a dedicated spa sommelier: Sample wines and try different essential oils before he designs a custom treatment for you.
Sip on varietals from the estate’s winery at all of Abadía Retuerta LeDomaine’s dining outlets, which prioritize local produce, if not ingredients grown in their own vegetable garden. One of the restaurants, Refectorio, boasts both a Michelin Star and a Michelin Green Star, a marker of sustainability.
Fora Perks:
$100 spa credit, complimentary spa sommelier experience when booking any massage ritual treatment, breakfast daily, an upgrade & extended check-in/out whenever possible.
Madrid: Mandarin Oriental Ritz
Image courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Ritz
This Belle Époque palace in Spain’s capital is a study in luxury. Rooms and common spaces are timeless and classic, with ornate details like crystal chandeliers, golden accents and sophisticated furniture — all with a refined modern flair.
The location is prime: Mandarin Oriental Ritz is steps away from the city’s famed Retiro Park and Golden Triangle of Art, a cultural trifecta that includes the Museo del Prado, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museo Nacional.
Unique private experiences abound: watch a soccer match from a VIP area, embark on an eBike tour, take a paella masterclass or explore the city’s gastronomic dynamism firsthand through expert-led market tours and tastings. After a day of exploring, retreat to the hotel’s luxe spa, complete with a white-marble indoor pool.
In the evening, sip a glass of Champagne in the al-fresco El Jardin del Ritz before heading to the two-Michelin-Starred Deessa for an exquisite tasting menu.
Fora Perks:
When you book Mandarin Oriental with a me, you will enjoy exclusive Fan Club preferred partner amenities. I'll be pleased to give you more details.
Two-Key hotels
The 12 two-Key hotels across Spain all have exceptional, thoughtful design and a strong sense of place.
Mallorca: La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel
Image courtesy of La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel
For an intimate, cultural and luxurious island getaway, head to Belmond’s La Residencia. The hotel is one of Fora’s top 10 most-booked hotels in Spain, and Fora's number-one hotel in Mallorca. Meticulously restored 16th- and 17th-century hilltop manors serve as the setting for the elegant, stunning property, which sits amidst ancient olive and citrus groves.
La Residencia is near the artists’ village Deià, in the Tramuntana Mountains (themselves a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Belmond even offers a complimentary art tour, where guests can explore the town, meet local artists and watch them work in their studios. (Guests can also take painting and sculpting classes with the hotel’s resident artist.)
Each of the 71 rooms (which includes a villa), are outfitted with local antiques, artwork and fabrics. In fact, the hotel features work from 85 local artists, plus 33 original Miró paintings. If you’re really a fan of the latter artist, dine amongst his work while enjoying live music and aperitifs in the hotel’s Restaurante Miró. For a fine-dining moment, opt for dinner at El Olivo. The restaurant serves an elevated Mediterranean menu in a 17th-century olive mill.
La Residencia is also family-friendly. Louisa shared that her kids loved the kids’ club, spending most of their time between there and the pool. It’s the place to see and be seen in Mallorca.
Fora Perks:
$90 hotel / resort credit, welcome amenities, breakfast daily & an upgrade whenever possible.
San Sebastián: AKELARRE
Image courtesy of AKELARRE
AKELARRE was originally a restaurant. It opened in 1970; five years later, renowned chef Pedro Subijana came onboard. Today, the restaurant has a coveted three Michelin Stars. AKELARRE has been dedicated to excellence and rigor from the start, so an accommodation option to accompany the culinary destination was a no-brainer.
The modern, sleekly designed hotel overlooks the Bay of Biscay. Interiors incorporate natural materials and a stylishly minimalist aesthetic inspired by their surroundings: wood, stone, clean lines, keen restraint.
AKELARRE is a short drive away from downtown San Sebastián, where additional foodie delights await. (The city has one of the world’s highest per-capita concentrations of Michelin Star.)
Also allow time to relax on the region’s beautiful beaches, as well as in the hotel’s adults-only spa.
Fora Perks:
VIP welcome & breakfast daily.
Madrid: Rosewood Villa Magna
Image courtesy of Rosewood Villa Magna
The Spaniards know their way around art, and this is especially evident at Rosewood Villa Magna, on Madrid’s famed Paseo de la Castellana. The hotel displays over 380 pieces, and the collection is regularly updated. (It’s no wonder Rosewood Villa Magna is one of Fora's top hotels booked in Madrid.)
Upon entering, guests are greeted by a custom, sprawling 3D tableau inspired by the city and the Spanish tailoring of Balenciaga to Oteyza. Artistic surprises can be found throughout the hotel, from the hallways to the rooms themselves.
It’s the perfect place to stay location-wise; the hotel is within walking distance of the trendy Serrano shopping district, the Golden Triangle of Art and numerous bustling bars and restaurants.
The hotel is effortlessly elegant, with a vibrant, contemporary aesthetic and warm residential feel, courtesy of leafy terraces and gardens.
Fora Perks:
$120 food / beverage or spa credit, a welcome amenity, breakfast daily, an upgrade & extended check-in/out whenever possible.
One-Key hotels
Spain’s 80 one-Key hotels are character-driven, welcoming and endearing. All are in a category of their own when compared to other properties with a similar price point.
URSO Hotel & Spa Madrid
Image courtesy of URSO Hotel & Spa
This hip boutique hotel, among Fora’s 10 most-booked hotels in Spain, is dripping with charm. An airy, casual but nonetheless refined aesthetic creates a serene atmosphere: elegant furniture and patterned wallpaper, a modern glass staircase leading to a dining area bedecked with white-tablecloth seating. The balance is perfect.
Don’t miss the spa, where the sleek wooden Water Room houses an even sleeker pool, plus a eucalyptus-scented hammam. Also don’t miss the hotel’s environs. URSO straddles some of Madrid’s liveliest neighborhoods: the youthful Chamberí and the LGBTQ-friendly Chueca.
Fora Perks:
$100 hotel / resort credit, a complimentary Spanish tapa and glass of wine, breakfast daily, an upgrade & extended check-in/out whenever possible.
Santiago de Compostela: A Quinta da Auga Hotel & Spa
Image courtesy of A Quinta da Auga Hotel & Spa
An 18th-century paper mill is the setting for this five-star boutique hotel. It’s the perfect, well-deserved reward after trekking the Camino de Santiago. Expect patterned wallpaper, exposed stone walls, colorful headboards and an overall moody, rustic-chic aesthetic.
The food is not to be missed. The hotel’s Filigrana Restaurant serves traditional, carefully sourced Galician cuisine in elegant environs. Also a must is the spa, where guests can take advantage of a saline flotarium, hydrotherapy circuit and personalized treatments.
Fora Perks:
A welcome amenity, breakfast daily, an upgrade & late check-out whenever possible.
Asturias: CoolRooms Palacio de Luces
Image courtesy of CoolRooms Palacio de Luces
Palacio de Luces feels like a privileged secret. And in many ways, it is. The hotel, a restored 16th-century palace amid sprawling gardens, is a short walk from the charming fishing village of Lastres.
There are 44 spacious rooms, each with a soothing, tranquil aesthetic and ample natural light. Mint-colored walls, velvet upholstered furniture and pale wooden floors only add to the pervasive serenity. Holistic wellbeing is a theme here, and extends both to the spa and restaurants.
Treat your body to contrast showers, a sauna session and a rejuvenating spa treatment incorporating high-end natural products. Palacio de Luces’ restaurants serve organic, locally sourced Asturian cuisine, some of which with a masterful Asian flair. Try Tella for an exquisite, well-sourced culinary experience, and GastroBar La Palmera for a comforting meal highlighting the region’s bounty.
Fora Perks:
Early check-in & late check-out whenever possible.
