Hen parties can be a tricky to organise and difficult to get right. Everyone has their own ideas of where it should be, and what activities should be done.
Disclosure: This is where I should say no strippers were involved, so if you were hoping to see some well-hung guys with well-oiled torsos, I’m sorry to disappoint, you won’t find them here – but hold on, that doesn’t mean you should stop reading!
In true fashion, most of the decisions were left up to the bridesmaids, so all I needed to do was pack enough clothes for a long weekend. Some of the games I wouldn’t have personally chosen myself nor for the bride, while others such as the Flamenco class I absolutely loved.
I usually travel really, really light, but given that this was a hen party, I threw in a pair of heels and a few more flimsy dresses than usual.
I was more than happy to hear Madrid had been chosen for the hen party, a few ideas had been thrown in the air, but Madrid appeared to be one of the few European places where none of us had been before. Well, this wasn’t exactly true, one of the girls has been to Madrid on a business trip but said it didn’t count because she saw little of the city outside of meetings.
The bride-to-be was my good friend Harriet, it wasn’t our first time away together; we’ve explored the romantic city of Prague, been sick on a boat ride in Kos together, and travelled around the States on the Greyhound back in the summer of 2008. Needless to say she’s a good travel partner, and those are the kind of friends you hold on to!
Our hotel in Madrid
All eight of us stayed at Melia Madrid Princesa. It’s a large 5-star hotel, but its clever design and cosy atmosphere makes it feel more like like a boutique hotel.
I’d definitely recommend staying here if you’re travelling in a larger group. I shared a Grand Premium Room with Ruchi, who was the Maid of Honour, and Chehraz, who was another bridesmaid.
I’m ashamed to say we didn’t even make use of the hot tub in our room, despite swooning over it when we arrived. The rooms had a modern and clean finish, and the Henry Mooresque sculptures in the room were a stylish touch. It’s the sort of room best suited for couples because there are a few areas of exposed glass where some people would prefer privacy, including a large window from the bedroom overlooking the hot tub – oou la la!
Hen party antics
We all met each other through Harriet so this hen party was a good reason to give something back to the bride-to-be. I think hen parties are as much a celebration of getting married as they are about female bonding and being silly.
And yes, we drunk cocktails from an obligatory penis straw.
For us Brits, apparently a hen party isn’t a hen party without drinking from a penis straw.
In the spirit of a hen party, we played a deck of ‘Dare Cards’.
Unluckily for Harriet, she had to walk around Madrid donning a moustache for 60 minutes.
Organising a private flamenco class
A highlight of the trip was a flamenco class, a surprise which we kept from Harriet.
No prior experience is needed to partake, and because of this, expect your first introduction to be hysterically bad! I learnt that flamenco is all about the arms and hands – the devil really is in the detail.
I won’t give any names away but some of us took longer to get the moves than others…. Let’s just say her talents lie elsewhere haha.
This is something I’d definitely recommend for a girlie weekend.
Treats & Foodie Fun
One of the best things about Madrid is its diverse culinary offerings. It’s all about the lively atmosphere of its markets, tapas bars, and traditional restaurants.
Madrid is synonymous with tapas culture which is perfect when travelling in a group – it’s all about sharing small plates and tasting new flavours.
I couldn’t get enough of the gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp).
Enjoying Madrid's cultural offerings
The initial thing I found surprising about Madrid was how different it is to Barcelona.
Where Barcelona kind of meanders at a relaxing pace, Madrid appears to beat harder with more people and more skyscrapers. Where Barcelona resides by the sea, Madrid is slap bang in the middle of Spain.
It’s silly that I expected them to be similar as I wouldn’t expect major cities in England to have the same vibe or appearance.
The thing I liked most about Madrid is that there is always something to see and do, just like London, Paris and Berlin.
There’s still so much I need to see, specifically the museums, it’s astonishing just how many art galleries this city wears across its skin. It was a shame to miss so many of them but I was happy to squeeze in time to visit the world famous Prado, and come face to face with Goya’s masterpiece, Saturn devouring his Son, one of my all-time favourite pieces of art.
So would I recommend Madrid for a hen party?
Absolutely!
There’s an abundance of nightlife, and plenty of things to do through the day. If you want to go shopping, visit museums, relax in a picturesque garden, or enjoy cocktails on a rooftop bar, then you can do all that in Madrid.
The hen party itself was amazing, the bridesmaids did a super job organising everything to ensure Harriet would enjoy herself. During the trip there was a high emphasis on food, and rightly so, you don’t come to Spain’s capital and expect to lose weight. We indulged at any given opportunity, especially as we had tapas and drinks included in the price at our hotel.
Check out the amazing wall garden at CaixaForum.
Exploring the ground of the beautiful Parque del Buen Retiro, which translates to Park of Pleasant Retreat’.
For more things to do in Madrid read: Top 24 Things to See and Do in Madrid – City Guide
General information
Accommodation: We stayed at the 5* Melia Madrid Princesa, it’s the perfect choice for a touch of luxury whilst celebrating.
Tours: If you’re looking for more things to do in Madrid, get inspiration from these pre-bookable tours.
Are you planning a hen party in Madrid?
If you still haven’t made up your mind, you might also find my blog about a hen party in Edinburgh that I went on useful.
13 Responses
Lovely blog Shing! I see there are the obligatory food photos….. x
Food aplenty! What’s a celebration without it? 😀
This was awesome, Shing! Ya know, I actually have a great deal of life experience. But, now in two days I’ve learned two new girl words/phrases. On Sunday it was “girl boner” and now today is hen party! I had to Google it for it’s traditional meaning. What is your term for a bachelor party ha, ha?! That hotel looks like it must be gorgeous and of course I will always zone in on food pics! Wow, taking just taking off to Madrid for a hen party…my gal friends here in the States would be drooling with envy! 🙂
Haha, oh dear Mike, those women were corrupting you!! Ahhhh it’s so surprising that the term ‘hen party’ hasn’t made itself known across the pond, I should write ‘bachelorette party’ in brackets at the beginning of the post for my US readers 🙂
Well, you went to one of my favourite cities in the world, lucky girl! This looks awesome, but I don’t think I could have gone around with a penned on stache all day. Also, love that girl’s long red skirt. I want.
Haha I had respect for Harriet who donned the stache, don’t think I would have! Ooou I was eyeing up her skirt too Colleen, it’s the perfect travel skirt – doesn’t need to be ironed, respectful length for Muslim countries or visiting churches in Europe, and it can be worn casually or dressed up!
Oooooo girls just wanna have fun! 😀 Lovely dresses, wonderful food and a lot of fun – Madrid has definitely welcomed you with open arms, huh? Wish I could join you! x
Oh it did Agness, definitely want to go back and enjoy more of its offerings, as well as indulging in more food mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm 🙂
I remember you sniggered when I said most of my European travels were on stag dos. Eleven at last count, but running out of single friends now, so the blog is struggling for content!
Haha I never sniggered Richard!!! I’ve always thought it was cool how you’ve probably become an enclopedia of beer as a result. Waaaaa what a shame, I’m in the opposite situation, most of mine are single or yet to marry – I’ll sacrifice a few to you for the sake of your blog!
hi there,
i see this was a few years ago but your blog sounds the exact same vibe we’re looking for, we’re going on a hen party in Madrid in July and I was wondering if you can recall who you booked for the flamenco class? thanks in advance Christina
Hi ! Your article is very interesting and highlights well the heart-warming side of Madrid ! I celebrated the hen party of one of my friends there a few months ago, it was awesome !! Madrid has a lot to offer and is a very good destination for a hen party. As we didn’t know well the place, we contracted an agency to help us with the organisation. They were very welcoming and gave us a lot of advice. Eventually, among everything we did, we booked a bollywood dance class (http://www.thefunplan.fr/voyage/atelier-bollywood-madrid/) to make our bodies moving and to have fun all together. We laughed so much, we passed an amazing moment. I highly recommend this agency which is really present and ready to listen if you don’t know well the city. I can’t wait for the next hen party to come !
Thanks for sharing your blog and an excellent picture.