Huge convention city. what are your dates?

The Gift Fair from 12-16th is quite large. But summer sin Madrid are usually total bargains, but there are some decent hotels with OK prices in the Fall, except during Fair weeks.

Is that really true, four times? wow, about 25-33 pct wouldn't surprise me at all as lots of hotels in major cities in Europe and the US give discounts in summer months (especially August) as there are no business clients and nothing much going on.

In major cities, a lot of business for hotels is not based on tourists, and that may well be true in Madrid. It is based on business travelers in some major cities. A lot of people think hotel pricing is always based on tourists, but it isn't (except in resorts or some small places where that is the main revenue). And tourism is actually still fairly good in early Fall in many places in Europe like Italy and Spain. I'm not clear on whether you think things should be cheaper in September because you think tourists only go to Madrid in July and August? I don't think so, and Madrid hotels don't just depend on tourists.

I just checked a Madrid hotel for early October and the rate was very reasonable. Maybe you are looking at a different room category or something?

For example, I was checking the Hotel Intur Palacio San Martin, and their rates for a double are 73 euro in July, 76 euro a night in late August and 113 euro a night end of September. It is higher, of course, as August isn't a desirable time, but not four times the rate!
http://www.hotelpalaciosanmartin.es

mybellarose,

I put a random date of 14th September into booking.com and then arranged by price for a single room with own bathroom.

the cheapest i could find was £30 per night, in what the spanish call a hostal - which is a bit like a pension ie without all the facilities of a hotel, but still generally very clean and pleasant.

so i don't know what you're looking for, or when exactly, but it shouldn't cost a fortune!

Here is the short list of events for September 2012 that will have some impact on hotel rooms.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Madrid - 31/08/2012 to 04/09/2012
International Madrid Fashion Show - 01/09/2012 to 03/09/2012
Expo Reclam Xmas - 05/09/2012 to 06/09/2012
Giftrends Madrid - 12/09/2012 to 16/09/2012
VI Japan Weekend Madrid - 22/09/2012 to 23/09/2012
Modacalzado + Iberpiel 2012 - 22/09/2012 to 24/09/2012
Total Media 2012 - 25/09/2012 to 26/09/2012

I was just going to suggest booking.com
I use it as a reference.When I find an appealing hotel I check the hotel website.Most of the time the hotel's prices are better but once in a while booking.com beats them!Also sometimes booking shows no availability but the hotel does!I have had no luck with venere.com

It's not that Sept is very high - its' that July and August are low season - with the best rates of the year. Spaniards on vacation go to the Atlantic coast to get away from the heat - not to Madrid.

Try this website.

http://www.venere.com/spain/madrid/#

Sort by price, location and type of hotel you want. Read the reviews by previous travelers. It's already set for a date in September.

Stay away from a business hotel.

If you use www.trivago.es or kayak.es you will see that sometimes booking or venere are not the cheapest . Then I always go to the hotel website and see if they have even a better deal hidden in their "promotions".

This travelzoo offer is good until the 16 of september and quite a good deal.

http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/hotels/spain/-89-Luxury-Madrid-Hotel-nr-Prado-Museum-49-Off-1264530/