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There are plenty of places to see masterpieces in Madrid, but there is only one where you can stay. The Urban Hotel, Madrid's first five-star deluxe boutique lodging, opened in 2005 just up the road from the Prado. Its bold architecture and graceful design allow even business travelers — who might be too busy to ponder Velásquez's Las Meninas or Picasso's Guernica — to relish the city's knack for aesthetic excellence. The Urban's spiraling glass-and-steel structure surrounds a courtyard with a towering alabaster column, and its roof-top pool and bar blend in beautifully with Madrid's varied skyline.

Art is a theme everywhere in the hotel; my room alone had a Buddha statue from the 3rd century B.C. Qin dynasty and a Ming print of two smiling couples. Throughout the Urban, the mix of deep browns, sleek silvers and airy spaces strikes a perfect balance between coolness and warmth. You'll want nothing more than to grab a drink in the aptly named Glass Bar (it's surrounded by glass) or to dine in the elegantly low-key restaurant (try the red tuna tartare). In Madrid, from the art of living to art itself, good taste reigns supreme.

• JEFF ISRAELY
• This Madrid hotel boasts a five-star aesthetic sense