That a hotel is an emblematic place for a city is a strange thing and somehow representative of our time. An element whose access is forbidden to those who live in the city becomes an icon. The Hotel ME Madrid Reina Victoria is just that.
Or it has been. For decades it has acquired that status that allowed it to be considered as something more than an accommodation: a symbol of avant-garde, culture and collective memory. This August it has temporarily closed, marking the end of an era and the beginning of a profound transformation. But not before getting rid of all its furniture.
The historic building, managed since 2006 by Meliá Hotels International, will be taken over by the Accor hotel group under The Hoxton brand, following the acquisition of the property by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). This will be the Hoxton brand’s first foray into Madrid, following its landing in Barcelona, and will entail a one-year comprehensive refurbishment with an investment of more than 25 million euros.
From a palace and bullfighters’ hotel to the acquisition of an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund.
The current hotel stands on the remains of the Palace of the Counts of Montijo and Teba, a place linked to aristocratic episodes of 19th-century Madrid life. In 1920, the architect Jesús Carrasco-Muñoz y Encina renovated the building, giving rise to its recognizable white façade in the modernist style. It was in 1923 when it opened as a hotel, and since then it has been linked to multiple cultural landmarks.
Known as the hotel of the bullfighters, for being the place where the matadors dressed up before going to Las Ventas, it was also the epicenter of Madrid’s nightlife in recent years thanks to spaces such as Radio Rooftop or the now-closed Ana la Santa restaurant.
During its most recent years, under the ME by Meliá brand, the hotel became yet another representation of the contemporary luxury that spreads through the streets of Madrid, making the city a place that belongs more to the tourist than to the locals.
The closure also marks the farewell of this brand in the capital, although the company is already working on its return with new projects such as Zel Madrid, scheduled for 2026 in Gran Vía.
A liquidation with history: more than 10,000 designer pieces on sale
As part of the renovation process, all the hotel’s furniture will be sold in a large liquidation open to the public on September 5, 6 and 7. The event, organized by the hotel sustainability startup ECO-ONE, will take place on the street floor of the hotel itself, but unlike what was initially announced, it will be necessary to purchase a ticket through its website to gain access. You can get them at this link.
There will be exhibited more than 10,000 pieces -from beds with box spring for 100 €, to Eames-type armchairs for 60 € or lamps inspired by Achille Castiglioni designs for 40 €- arranged in environments that simulate complete rooms. A way to give a second life to luxury furniture, promoting the circular economy and allowing attendees to take furniture with them.
Small products can be taken away on the same day, while large furniture will be collected on September 9 and 10 or sent to a home address in Madrid. All this makes this sale a unique experience, in which design, sustainability and memory meet for the last time in one of the most emblematic hotels in the city.
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