Across Madrid Blog

Where to stay in Madrid?

There are many hotels to choose from when you are planning your trip to the Spanish capital, so we have created a list of 'tried and tested' hotels in the city centre which we recommend.

5-STAR HOTELS

Hotel Único

Claudio Coello 67 (nearest metro station: Serrano)

A 19th- century building in a quiet street in the Salamanca neighbourhood, and within walking distance to the National Archaeological Museum, this is a great boutique 5-star hotel.

Hotel Único features a garden, which is a true luxury in this area of the city. Its 44 rooms, with king size beds, contemporary furnishings with wooden panels, together with exquisite bathrooms, offer a warm environment to rest and relax during your stay. This hotel also has an impressive Wellness Suite with beauty treatments available.

Guests can familiarize themselves with the history and other aspects of the city choosing from the wide selection of books on Madrid in the library. This is a family-friendly hotel and if you are travelling with your family, babysitter services can be arranged. Also, this building is accessible for those with mobility issues.

Besides its location and services, what also makes this hotel particularly appealing is its restaurant, run by 2-Michelin star chef Ramón Freixa. The restaurant, which faces the private garden, is open to non-guests for breakfast and for Sunday brunch. The latter is served from 12:30 to 16:00, at the very reasonable price of 45 euros. Breakfast, which includes delicious pastries that follow a traditional recipe from the Freixa family, is served during the week between 7:00 and 11:00 and from 7:30 to 11:30 on Saturdays and Sundays, at a cost of 28 euros. The restaurant can be booked for private meals. You can also book a private gastronomic experience with Ramón Freixa or a wine tasting session. If you want to sample Mediterranean creative food at its best, this is a highly recommended place. What better way to start a visit to the Archaeological Museum than having breakfast here and enjoying an experience that sums up the culinary traditions and the creativity of Iberia?

Hotel Urso

Mejía Lequerica 8 (nearest metro station: Tribunal or Alonso Martinez)

Located within 15 minutes on foot from Gran Vía, the recently-opened Hotel Urso is perfect to relax in its fabulous spa and to enjoy the latest culinary trends. Its innovative concept of a 'pop-up' restaurant offers the opportunity to taste the creative dishes designed by young Spanish chefs every 5 weeks, in a dynamic setting that changes its decor with the arrival of each new cooking team.

This early 20th-century building is a 5-star boutique hotel focused on offering a welcoming, quiet and discreet space to its guests, inviting them to get to know Madrid through the selection of books available in the Hall, and paying homage to the city with the photographs of different areas of Madrid in olden times which decorate its walls. All of this in a wonderful setting which features top-quality materials and craftsmanship and includes the unique breakfast space, which includes a small vertical garden. This hotel is recommended for individual travelers or couples rather than families, and has 4 suites with large private terraces, a real luxury in the centre of Madrid.         

The environmentally-conscious policy of the hotel includes the use of solar energy and 100 % recycled paper. Its commitment to support local economy and small businesses means that the fresh produce for the meals served at the restaurant come from the nearby market, Mercado Barceló.

This hotel is located in the area where some of the events we discuss in our history tour 'Power to the People' took place and its restaurant would be an ideal ending point after our visit to the nearby Museo Nacional del Romanticismo.

4-STAR HOTELS

Petit Palace Lealtad

Antonio Maura 5 (nearest metro station: Banco de España or Retiro)

This 4-star boutique hotel is located 2 minutes away from the Prado Museum and is perfect for families with children. The hotel offers free bicycles to guests, encouraging a healthy way to explore the nearby Retiro Park.

The family-friendly policy of Hotel Petit Palace Lealtad means that they have more family-size rooms than other similar hotels in the city, and they include a fantastic welcome package for children. A healthy breakfast buffet is offered free of charge for children aged 2-12.

Some rooms have space for 5 guests, and one suite has a terrace sun lounge. Also, iPads are available to guests throughout their stay, to help you stay connected with home/work while you are in Madrid.

This hotel offers the possibility to borrow a stroller free of charge from the front desk- a life-saver when you are travelling with young children!

And, if you are travelling with your pet, this hotel is pet-friendly, too.

The décor is modern style, with some traditional local touches such as the un-rendered brick walls.

This hotel is within walking distance of the Prado Museum, so it is perfect for clients booking our Prado for Children or Prado Master Class tour. For other hotels in this chain which are family-friendly, click here.

Room Mate Oscar

Plaza Vazquez de Mella 12 (nearest metro station: Banco de España, Sevilla or Chueca)

This trendy hotel is in the heart of the Chueca neighbourhood, surrounded by designer shops, fashionable bars and hip restaurants, all within 5 minutes of Gran Via and the most commercial shopping area of the city. Its modern, urban-style interior has been designed by Spanish interior architect and decorator Tomás Alía, and this hotel is patronized by young couples and business visitors mainly. It is family friendly, but perhaps the hustle and bustle of this area might be too much for families with young children or babies. They offer 5 different categories of rooms, so there is plenty to choose from.

Breakfast, which is optional, is served in this relaxed and stylishly modern hotel until 12:00.

One of the main attractive points of Room Mate Oscar is its roof swimming pool, which is open until 19:00, and non-guests can use it if desired. Bath robes and towels are available for a fee to non-guests who might want to freshen up in style right in the centre of Madrid. Offering magnificent views of the city, the roof features a bar, which is open to everybody free of charge.

This up-to-date hotel is located near Calle Alcalá, where the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando holds part of the artistic production of Goya, the forefather of modern art.

3-STAR HOTELS

Hotel OneShot 23

Calle del Prado 23 (nearest metro station: Sol or Sevilla)

This small hotel (42 rooms) has an art and photography theme, which permeates its decoration and features the work of different contemporary artists.

Located in the Huertas neighbourhood, Hotel OneShot 23 is ideal for single travelers, couples or corporate business guests. Bathrooms are equipped with fantastic rainshowers. The interiors have been designed by Las2Mercedes, a duo of female decorators hailing from Sevilla. Some of the artwork displayed in on sale, and the hotel offers an optional original experience to its guests such as a photography tour.

This hotel is within walking distance of Puerta del Sol, a perfect location for clients wanting to experience the history and art of Madrid through our Madrid Briefing tour, or explore the culture of Tapas with us.

2-STAR HOTELS

Hostal Persal

Plaza del Ángel 12 (nearest metro station: Sol)

This hotel is just around the corner from Puerta del Sol and it is right in the centre of Huertas, with the busy Plaza de Santa Ana and Huertas street right outside the door.

It is a building dating back to 1871 and its 80 rooms provide the peace and quiet travelers need after work or sightseeing in the city. This is a family friendly hotel which has triple and quadruple rooms, and if a child up to 2 years old needs a cot, it is available free of charge.

Buffet breakfast is optional and costs a very affordable 8 euros, being served 7:30 to 11:00.

Hostal Persal is a family business which has been successfully running for over 30 years, and its welcoming staff will help you throughout your stay. Whilst this is not a luxurious accommodation, it boasts great service and hospitality, and it has been a favourite hotel for visitors interested in the Spanish Civil War attending commemorative events every year in Madrid.  Hostal Persal has also been chosen by groups of students and schools in study trips.

It is located in the area where we explore the history of Madrid during the Spanish Civil War and visit the main sites related to this episode of Spanish history.  Because it is so close to the historical quarter of Madrid, and because of its family-friendly policy, this hotel is also indicated for those clients taking our interactive walking tour for families 'Bear Discovery'.

Across Madrid endorses these hotels as an independent company, and there are no commissions whatsoever involved in our recommendations. We - or our clients - simply have been there and loved these hotels!

© Almudena Cros, August 2015. Please note that this article may be quoted in editorial contexts only, with source and author.