anyone know anything at all about these hotels? thank you for any info.

If you stay in any Western type hotel, you are not getting the full experience. European hotels are nice & give you a new perspective.

We stayed at the Hotel Atlantico, on the Grand Via, last May. We did not know it was owned by Best Western until we got there. It was very nice and in a great location.

i have looked at all the website (hotelsearch.com) etc. and found that they do not list them as best westerns . <BR>many thanks for all your replies it is very helpful.

Many of the Best Westerns in Madrid (Carlos V, Atlantico) were not originally Best Westerns but were bought by the company in recent years. So, though they may not have as much charm as a small independent hotel, they are not at all cookie cutter chain hotels. I stayed at the Atlantico in April, and it was lovely. It's on the Gran Via and right in the middle of everything. This means crowds on the street sometimes, but it's also very easy to get to everything. If you're a walker, you can even walk to the Prado, etc., though it's not a short walk. The windows are double glazed, so the noise is minimal. Haven't stayed at the Carlos V, but it looked very nice from the outside, and it's right on a pedestrian walk on the way to the Plaza del Sol.

Any experience with the Best Western Villa Barajas Airport hotel in Madrid? We are staying there the first night upon arrival in Madrid as well as the last night before departing.

Ben, we've stayed at some very charming Best Western hotels in Europe so we thought the Best Western Villa Barajas Airport hotel would be a good bet. We were very disappointed. It wasn't in a great area and the rooms were very small and dark (we asked to change to a room in the back of the hotel). I'd definately stayed at a nicer (more expensive) Madrid airport hotel if I could do it over again.

If you're looking round for alternatives, avoid the Alameda hotel near Madrid airport at all costs. Despite its "4-star" rating, it has to be one of the worst places I've stayed in. Aircon doesn't work properly, furnishings are well past their best, breakfast terrible and the air is thick with stale cigarette smoke.