Cordovan leather for Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid
The storied five-star Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid hotel has revitalised elements of its interior decoration with painted, gilded and embossed cordovan leather (“leather from Córdoba”) leather hangings, crafted for the walk-in wardrobe of a speciality suite.
An alternative to tapestry, the hangings are manufactured in small panels before being assembled on the wall as a cover.
The first luxury hotel in the Spanish capital, the Mandarin Oriental Ritz was built at the behest of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and ultimately opened in 1910, during the so-called belle époque in Europe.
Situated within Madrid’s renowned Golden Triangle of Art, the hotel is located opposite the Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums and next to Retiro Park, not far from the Madrid Stock Exchange.
Distinguished guests have included Ernest Hemingway and Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and his wife Grace Kelly, who spent their honeymoon in one of the hotel’s suites.
Due to the hotel’s previous unwritten rule to refuse admission to NTR or “Not the Ritz”-type individuals (including film starts, bullfighters, men without a tie and women in trousers), American actor James Stewart was once refused entry. However, having served as a colonel in the US army, Mr Stewart was able to describe himself as such and showed staff his military badge, thus gaining entry.
Image: Rafael Varo Atalaya.
