SUNDAY BRUNCH
One of the best plans for a Sunday morning in the capital. Sundays at Unico are perfect for those looking for a generous breakfast and those who want to eat healthy or have a relaxing weekend meal in the most closely guarded secret garden in the neighbourhood of Salamanca. This brunch starts with a cocktail or detox juice such as strawberry-mint. In summer there’s no lack of refreshing gazpacho and in winter the Sherry consommé to warm the body. The mains? Eggs be...

SUNDAY BRUNCH
One of the best plans for a Sunday morning in the capital. Sundays at Unico are perfect for those looking for a generous breakfast and those who want to eat healthy or have a relaxing weekend meal in the most closely guarded secret garden in the neighbourhood of Salamanca. This brunch starts with a cocktail or detox juice such as strawberry-mint. In summer there’s no lack of refreshing gazpacho and in winter the Sherry consommé to warm the body. The mains? Eggs benedict, the iconic burger with oxtail and foie or lamb shank with an Asian-inspired sauce.

NORMAN FOSTER FOUNDATION MADRID
Perhaps one of the best known contemporary architects on the planet Sir Norman Foster whose work is renowned for its technological innovation is married to Spanish TV personality, Elena Ochoa. This is one of the reasons for the location of his foundation within the grounds of the Duque de Plasencia townhouse in the Almagro neighbourhood of Madrid (the other side of Paseo Castellanos with respect to the hotel). The pavilion building contains his library and an exhibition space, it functions as an investigative centre for the integration of technology with architecture and urban design. Its architectural expression, glass and steel forms a perfect foil to the neo-classical language of the surrounding buildings.

PARQUE DEL RETIRO
The historical gardens and public park that cover 118 hectares constitute one of Madrid’s most important tourist attractions as well as being a favourite amenity for locals. El Retiro is a Bien de Interés Cultural (National Heritage Site) that first opened to the public in 1767 after previously being the sole preserve of the Royal Family. The word retiro meaning to retire in Spanish defines this important urban green space that is nowadays completely enclosed by Madrid’s metropolitan area. The park accommodates numerous architectural set pieces, art galleries, sculptures and landscapes laid out over the 17th and 21st Centuries. A visit here is obligatory for anyone interested in appreciating how the locals enjoy their city.

JARDÍN DEL PARQUE FLORIDO – MUSEO LÁZARO GALDIANO
José Lázaro Galdiano was a Spanish intellectual and collector who in his lifetime amassed over 20,000 book volumes as well as numerous other artefacts. The museum and surrounding gardens that first opened to the public in 1951 display some of these pieces organised over the different floors of the residence that was occupied by José Lázaro Galdiano during his lifetime. The layout of the park which includes 5,000 sq.m. of landscaped gardens follows both the naturalistic English tradition and the more formal French style that was popular in the early years of the 20th Century when the gardens were established.

OPIUM MADRID
Opium Madrid is both a restaurant and club which includes several different spaces as well as privées for private groups. Located just a short taxi ride from the Hotel Único off the Paseo de la Castellana this club is very popular with a local crowd. Opium Madrid (whose twin is located in Barcelona) offers a varied programme of resident and invited Djs with different theme nights including Latin, Funk, Urban, Jungle and House mid week with more commercial dance and house music at the weekends. The décor is futuristic 21stCentury bling featuring latest-technology lighting and sound system to match, the crowd a mix of older and younger.

PRADO MUSEUM
The Prado Museum is one of the most import galleries in the world with a collection of European art spanning from the 12th to the 20th Century. A visit here is almost obligatory for anyone even vaguely interested in art and culture. Only a small fraction of the collected art works are on display at any one time but the sheer scale of the building can be daunting so it’s advisable to decide on the specific works you are interesting in seeing beforehand. The breath of the collection is testament to the legacy of the Habsburg and Bourbon dynasties which between them have ruled Spain from Charles I (1516) up to the present day.

THYSSEN-BORNEMISZA NATIONAL MUSEUM
One of the most significant 20th Century private art collections in Europe has since 1992 been installed in Madrid. The building chosen to accommodate the collection is the Palacio de Villahermosa that forms part of an axis of museums and galleries along the Paseo del Prado. The collection put together by industrialist Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, whose fifth and last wife Carmen Cervera was a former Miss Spain, includes almost 1,000 works of art that date from the 13th to the 20th Century representing the great masters of western culture. The museum building was refurbished especially by Rafael Moneo with subsequent additions to adjacent buildings that house more recent additions to the collection. More information.


SHOPPING

CASTAÑER
Cristina Castañer the owner and designer behind the Castañer brand is best known for her espadrilles, the informal and highly comfortable sandals made with esparto for the soles with a soft upper, usually canvas or cotton fabric. During the 1970s Yves Saint Laurent asked Castañer to add a wedge to the classic espadrille, thus reinventing and converting the wedge espadrille into a high-fashion item. The shop on Claudio Coello, a stones throw from the Único also sells other types of trendy footwear for men and women, bags, hats, foulards and all sorts of other accessories.

ISOLÉE
A meticulous selection of perfumes, cosmetics and fashion for men and women, Isoléé is a multi-brand concept store with branches in Madrid, Barcelona and Marbella. The Claudio Coello shop is designed in an avant-garde style with sculptural display cabinets and shelving and a feature staircase connecting the various levels. The shop that includes 600 sq.m. of retail space also accommodates a Taschen bookshop designed by French architect Philippe Starck, as well as Toscana opticians, Samsung gadgets and Aesop cosmetics. There’s a gourmet shop with over 2,000 products sourced from around the globe including a selection of Spanish products such as olive oils and wines.

LANDER URQUIJO
A men’s tailor shop located right next to the Hotel Único on Claudio Coello. Lander Urquijo is the eponymous tailor, he started his training at 16 years of age in his native Basque country, where he also has a shop. His work is inspired by the reinvention of classic tailoring, bringing tradition and the avant-garde together in timeless cuts that avoid passing fashions, focusing instead on quality raw materials and the skills passed down over the generations. There are four lines, bespoke, made to measure, ready to wear and formal dress wear. Lander Urquijo offers discounts to hotel guests.

LOEWE
Loewe is a luxury Spanish fashion house founded in 1846, based in Madrid. Its origins lie in leather goods, the manufacture of bags and shoes which it continues to make but nowadays Loewe is equally renowned for its couture and accessories collections for men and women, as well as its perfumes. The shop on Serrano, located directly in front of Plaza de Colón is Loewe’s flagship store and includes three floors with 1,000 sq.m. of sales and exhibition space. Filled with light, art and beautiful objects, this is a cross between a shop and an art gallery, an obligatory stop for anyone interested in top-end leather craftsmanship and is curious about Spanish fashion.

WELLNESS
The hotel offers a private room for massages and beauty treatments by Natura Bissé where you will discover the meaning of true wellness. A team of therapists perform made-to-order massages to pamper each guest in the best possible way: by seeking absolute relaxation of body and mind, renewed muscle tone or energy balance.

FITNESS
For the exclusive use of the hotel guests. Equipped by Technogym with:
Treadmills
Stationary bicycles
Profess...

WELLNESS
The hotel offers a private room for massages and beauty treatments by Natura Bissé where you will discover the meaning of true wellness. A team of therapists perform made-to-order massages to pamper each guest in the best possible way: by seeking absolute relaxation of body and mind, renewed muscle tone or energy balance.

FITNESS
For the exclusive use of the hotel guests. Equipped by Technogym with:
Treadmills
Stationary bicycles
Professional elliptical station
Complete set of weight for strengthening body musculature
Balance ball for Pilates exercises
Bench and wall bars
Complimentary bottled water and towels

If you would like to go jogging, ask for a map in the reception area. You will be given several circuit suggestions in nearby Retiro Park. There is also a Personal Trainer service.