Review of Casa de Madrid, by Jo Hathaway

Casa de Madrid is well named: this boutique hotel is on the Calle Arrieta, but with no sign on the door outside, no passing custom, and no clue from the outside that it is anything other than a private dwelling, you feel more like the house-guest of a wealthy Spanish relative, than a hotel-user.

There is no 'reception' at this boutique hotel, only a huge antique desk as you come in from the parquet staircase that takes you up to the first floor. You will be greeted either by Miosotis or Raquel, the managers, both of whom present themselves with gracious smiles and easy courtesy, whose pleasure it seems to provide and arrange all you need while you are there - from a light lunch to football tickets to a guide around the finest tapas venues of Madrid.

What makes Casa de Madrid one of the most unique boutique hotels in Europe is how much it feels like home. It achieves this with sincerity as Casa de Madrid actually still is home to its owner, Marta Medina, whose idea, patience and attention to detail led to the restoration of this 18th-century space to the spacious and airy apartment it had once been. Everything is as comfortable as a home should be - while I was there, the owner padded from thick rugs to wooden floor in her bare feet - but the service is as aware and efficient as you imagine the staffing of an aristocratic Spanish 'casa' should be.

Casa de Madrid is a boutique hotel both of distinction and relaxation. A sense both of bohemian comfort and old-money confidence arises from a space filled with antique furniture, acres of sofa and soft chairs, sculptures, books and beds piled with layers of soft quilts, pillows and embroidered linen. The walls are dressed with murals, pictures and photographs, and punctuated by stained glass windows and packed bookcases. Nothing in the house feels as though it is there for show, rather it is there for pleasure: the harpsichord in the living room seems more often-played than ornamental.

Casa de Madrid is not a place to wonder at a design statement. It is a classic, and its design is classical, from the Claudia Montefiore frescos to the original fireplaces, windows and balconies. The rooms here are all distinct, and gently-themed. Air conditioning and internet access have snuck in for the modern visitor, but checking your email feels a bit crude in a place like this and you may feel more inclined to read an old hardback poetry book, or dip your ink pen and catch up on your correspondence.

But Casa de Madrid is a luxury boutique hotel - two rooms have Jacuzzis, there is a mini-bar, there are complimentary nuts and toiletries, and you fill in a form the night before your chosen newspaper and breakfast is delivered to your room, or served in the main salon, at the time you appoint. But wine is free in the small, cosy library, and incense sticks are not usual boutique hotel room provisions.