SpainTraveler

Hello. We are 2 couples traveling to Madrid for the first time in ten years, looking for a hotel in a location that will be convenient for several different needs. Which neighborhood would be convenient for shopping and museums, but still offer easy quick inexpensive transportation to Feria de Madrid. One or two of the group need to be able to go there a few days but we don't want to stay in a hotel in that area or near the airport.
Our budget is about 100 euros per double room per night and we see several hotels in the Tryp chain that are in that range. Can anyone recommend any one of those hotels or another nice one at that price or suggest which neighborhood would be most suitable?

Robert2533

I guess the Tryp hotel are fine if you are on a tight budget. You may want to pick one in the Salamanca district to be in the middle of Madrid's best shopping area and still be close to the museums.

SpainTraveler

Aren't the Tryp hotels OK? Many are listed as 4 stars though I realize that the ratings in many European countries refer to the amenities the hotel has (fitness room, for example) not always the quality.
We need to keep the hotels around 100 euros per night so that eliminates the place I stayed in Madrid year ago, the Intercontinental. That was fancier than I usually choose and it's about 200 euros per night for the time we would be traveling.

We don't mind a neigborhood a little farther from the center as long as there are some basic shops for food nearby and one can walk to some sites. We are good city walkers so someplace in a residential area close enough to the Thyssen Bornemisza and other sites is fine if the hotel choices there are better for the money. Thank you.

CathyM

You may consider the Hotel Plaza Mayor or the Hotel Lope de Vega.

Would you consider renting an apartment? With a 200 euro a night budget you could probably find a 2BR/2BA apartment if you were staying 3 or more nights.


http://www.hotellopedevega.com/

http://www.h-plazamayor.com/

Robert2533

The Salamanca district is the best area of the city, more upscale and less touristy, but it can also be expensive.

Anywhere in the Retiro area would be great, and there is a new Petit Palace Savoy Alfonso XII (http://www.hthoteles.com/en/hotel-pe...nso-xii-madrid) that recently opened up in the Retiro, next to the 5-star luxury AC Palacio de Retiro. It should be in your price range.

Forget the apartment if you are only going to be in the city for a few days. Apartments do not have services.

SpainTraveler

We prefer separate hotel rooms at 100 per night rather than apartments, but thank you for the suggestion.

Hotel Lope de Vega is in the right price range, we will look at that one. Hotel Plaza mayor is less expensive but it seems like a budget hotel (2 stars) with mostly single rooms (smoking) available for our stay.

The NH Paseo del Prado is available for about 120 euros. Is that a much better hotel and a good value for the price? How is the location? Is NH a good chain to look at, they have many hotels in Madrid to choose from

SpainTraveler

These suggestions are very helpful
Robert2533, the hotel you suggested looks very nice but is not available for all the dates we need. This hotel from the same group is available. Is this a good choice?

Hotel Petit Palace Art Gallery
C/ Jorge Juan 17 , Madrid

kimhe

I've stayed several times at Hotel Plaza Mayor, relatively basic but clean and fine and excellent location just off majestic Plaza Mayor and very close to both vibrant Plaza Santa Ana and the heart of the city Puerta del Sol. Close to the most famous museums and lots of excellent tapas bars and restaurants in and around Calle Cava Baja just off Plaza Mayor. You will be four minutes away from the best flamenco and jazz clubs/restaurants in town.

Hostal Persal is in my opinion even a better choice. Two minutes from Hotel Plaza Mayor and right off Plaza Santa Ana. Don't be put off by it being a "Hostal", fine standard with all amenities (ensuite bathroom, tv, safe, 24 h desk, fine breakfast buffet, internett etc.). 8,3 out of 10 points from 267 customer reviews on booking.com: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/persalmadrid.en.html
Recommend to make bookings directly on the hotel homepage:
http://www.hostalpersal.com/

About the area:
Plaza Santa Ana: http://www.gomadrid.com/sights/plaza-santa-ana.html
And the Barrio de Las Letras: http://www.barrioletras.com/

Finecheapboxofwine

A couple of springs ago our family stayed at the Petit Palace Art Gallery. I researched and researched and wanted a hotel in a clean/quiet/safe neighborhood and my research didn't let me down in that respect. The neighborhood was pretty quiet in the evenings after the designer shops closed and many families were out with kids and there were a few nicer restaurants on the street by the hotel. The room was clean and big enough for our family of four but I had an issue with the bathroom. The doors were situated right in front of the queen bed...frosted glass doors with not much in the way of sound privacy. Kids had bunk beds tucked around the corner of the main room...youngest child fell out one night as there were no safety rails. Hotel was very close to Retiro Park and we walked to the museums but avoided the park at night. Breakfast was in the darker hotel cellar and one a.m. we skipped that in favor of coffee and bread in the sunny outdoors at a local bar.

Egbert

Stayed at Hostal Macarena in the heart of Plaza Mayor for 100eu per night. It was good.

SpainTraveler

Thank you for all suggestions. We are leaning toward Salamanca if we can get something in that area. Though it has been many years, I recall that we didn't like the Plaza Mayor area very much so We will try to avoid that if possible. The NH hotel chain and some of the Petit Palace hotels seem our best bets, but we will look at all of the ideas here since we value the personal suggestions.
Finecheapboxofwine , your comments about the bathrooms are repeated on Tripadvisor for several of their hotels! It's a boutique hotel trend that I've seen in the U.S. too since space is so limited in some cities. For our group (2 couples) this isn't a major problem. Our priorities are location and the quality of beds, general maintenance and service in the hotel.

chapla

NHPrado is a FABULOUS hotel!
I stayed there a couple of years ago when it was Canarias! liked it better than the Intercontinental!
I love the location,across from the Prado museum and close to the Huertas area!
I love the NH toiletries!
Tryp and Petit Palace are in a much lower class.The Salamanca area is to me very boring unless you are interested in expensive shopping and is quite dead at night.

SpainTraveler

We are still looking for hotels. We can't seem to decide.

The Catalonia chain of hotels seem to be highly rated in Tripadvisor (4*, with hundreds of reviews ) and reasonably priced.

Any information from Fodor's members on these hotels?
Catalonia Atocha Hotel
Catalonia Los Cortes
Catalonia Plaza Mayor
Catalonia Gran Via

Any other suggestions worth investigating?
Thank you so much.

Christina

I was considering some of them also, but I think some of the TA reviews scared me off. And I did not want to be on a big noisy street, which I think some of those are.

I stayed at the Intur Palacio San Martin where I have stayed before. I really like that hotel. It is a 4* and very nice and has a good location that isn't noisy. It is extremely reasonably priced compared to similar level hotels, I don't know why but can't complain. I think I just spent 105 euro a night for a double room (and their rooms are huge) whereas some others I was considering (like Roommate Alicia) were more like 175 euro a night.

BowenLinda

I stayed at the Catalonia Los Cortes in Nov 2011 and enjoyed it for a first visit. It is just down from Plaza Santa Ana and close to the museum area and Retiro Park. My twin room was large, had a lovely, spacious, marble-clad bathroom with a juliet balcony facing the "back" street.