Going to Madrid late November for about 4 nights with a family of four. Would like a hotel that would accomodate us in one room. Would like to keep the nightly rate below E200. Have already done a search and have come up with these possibilities: Aparthotels from espahotels, some of the Utell hotels such as the High Tech Grand Avendia, Petit Plaza Ducal,or High Tech Cliper. Any thoughts?

I think the High Tech Gran Avenida is your best bet. It is brand new and looks very nice. The location is very central and their rate is very reasonable for that family room. Some websites show pictures of it and it looks ample enough to not feel like sardines, which is sometimes the case in family rooms in spanish hotels.

mjs.
I'm familiar with the High Tech chain's family rooms because we saw several at the High Tech Petit Palace Arana in Bilbao. Their brand new Madrid properties , the Gran Avenida, Petit Palace Ducal., Petit Palace Londres and Cliper, among the 9 recently or soon to be opened, are cookie cutter versions of the same, all located around the Gran Vía, not my favorite Madrid location, but kids will love it-it's Broadway!
They offer spacious rooms (sans kitchen), with a double bed or twins for the parents and 2 bunk beds for the kids. And they're also quite reasonable in price. Actually, you can't beat the price.
See hthoteles.com

The Suites Prado in Old Madrid, near the Plaza de Santa Ana, does offer some family suites with either a large open space for beds or separate living room with sofa bed, plus kitchen and bath.
Choose a suite on 4th floor, either #401, 402 or 403, which consist of a very large open space for 2 adults and maybe one child or #203 for a couple with kids, which has 2 separate rooms. See www.suiteprado.com

I've used the Espahotels Aparthotels for 2 weeks to a month in Madrid. They're first class, executive style, with daily maid and concierge service, room service, all the comforts of a hotel, but they're pricier.

Thanks to Oga and Maribel for your kind replies to my query. The High Tech Gran Avendia is E130/night and the Espahotel Granvia is E135/night so both are high in the running. The Avendia appears better located but my memory of Madrid is poor so this might not be the case. The Espahotel Plaza de Espana and Los Jeronimos are both about E220/night. Are these Espa hotels worth the extra $100/night?

mjs,
The Espahotels apartments are basically alike, so the difference in price wouldn't be worth it to me,unless there's a difference in the space-studio vs. 1 bedroom. I wouldn't pay 200 for the Jeronimos or Plaza de Espana when the Gran Via comes in at 135, unless it's a 1 bedroom vs. studio and you have a longer stay.

The High Tech and the Espahotel Gran Via are both in the Gran Via area, Madrid's Broadway, so location is basically the same, except that the High Tech Grand Avenida is on a corner facing a side street closer to the Puerta del Sol and the Espahotel Gran Via closer to the Plaza de Espana, the part of the busy Gran Via I like the least. And High Tech is a brand new property ('03)while the Espahotels have been around for a while. I first rented an apt. with them in '95.

The studios of the Espahotels run small (for 1-2 people), so if you go with the Espahotel Gran Via, for your family of 4, unless your kids are small, you'd want a 1 bedroom.
The Espahotels have a kitchenette, which you may or may not want/need.
The High Tech "family rooms", as Olga says, are ample and have those handy bunk beds for the kids, allowing for more floor space, but no kitchenette.

The Jeronimos location behind the Prado is quieter but also less convenient with kids, as there aren't a plethora of family eateries in that area. On the Gran Via, just outside your door, you have everthing from VIPS to Spanish fast food (Pans) to American fast food to "cafeterias" (coffee shops) like Nebraska to modern but inexpenisve restaurants on nearby side streets that open relatively early (like Finca de Susana on Arlaban 4 and Gloria de Montera on Caballero de Gracia 10).

Hope this helps you to decide.

Thank you again Maribel. I have chosen the High Tech Avendia. The reasons are as follows.
1. Location appears closer to most tourist destinations and shopping and restaurants than the other hotels, even the Esphotel near the Plaza de Espana. This might be especially helpful if it rains which as you know can happen in November.
2. Washer and dryer available at the High Tech. We travel light and my wife loves staying at place when we are overseas so we can do our own laundry.
Dropping clothes off at a nearby laundry for pick up later is a good second choice but we often do not know if something like this is close to our hotel.
3. 24 hour front desk. Coming into Madrid at 2210 and probably leaving early and am not sure if the Esp hotel has a 24 hour front desk.
4. Cancellation policy is 12 noon date of arival for the High Tech but 2 weeks before day of arrival for the Espa with a 3 day stay charge. If something happens close to when we leave or possibly if we decide to leave Madrid sooner due to weather it will cost us over E400 at the Espa.
5. Computer in room hooked to internet at the High tech so I can type, "help Maribel....."
6. The High Tech is new so should be spotless. I think this is also the reason for the great rates.
7. Cost is good at E127 tax included per day. It turns out the Los Jerominos E225/night is for a two bedroom apartment which would be nice but for E100/day difference I would rather have a really nice meal somehwere. Now if the dollar/euro was at 87 cents to the Euro as it was in early 2002 we might have splurged abit but now we are a bit more prudent, especially as we were in New Zealand and Australia for three weeks this summer and need to watch our budget.
The Espa at Gran Via was a close second choice at E145/night with more space and a small kitchen but in the end the High Tech won out.
Now need to find someplace in Seville and Lisbon. Looking forward to the Maribel Madrid Files as I posted a request at your email box. Again thank you Olga and Maribel.

Hi mjs,
Just mailed the info to you this morning; yell, if it doesn't reach you.

Your reasons for choosing the High Tech make really perfect sense (the internet access one gave me a chuckle!) You're so right; the High Tech Madrid hotels are brand new so everything should be nice and fresh. We really liked the one in Bilbao, as has every Fodorite who has stayed there so far. Great bedside lighting, really nice for the price.

Olga can give you better advice than I about Seville family hotels. She mentioned that the Casas de la Judería has a family suite and described it in detail, I think, but I don't know about the price. It may be 210. You can do a search on the Juderia and olga, if she doesn't see this, or just direct a thread tto her about it. She's our fantastic Seville guru.
see www.casasypalacios.com

Regards,
Maribel
The Casas de la Judería has a wonderful location.

Evening, I am interested in the High Tech Gran Avenida also, as there will be 4 of us and some spots I have checked are pretty high for 4 people! I checked their site and rooms come up available as, queen, 2 singles? I am not sure what that means? I entered for 4 people, so is that 2 queen beds? The price is right tho. Also, Maribel, you say this is not your favorite location in Madrid. What would you recomend for only 5 days in Madrid, with 2 teenagers, one who has been there 3 months already? Something near to transportation to go see other towns? Any tips would be great! (Is this High Tech in an area to find little spots for breakfast, coffee, etc? Thanks all!
Bo

bo,
I'm not a big fan of the Gran Vía, but just ignore me, because I don't enjoy staying on Broadway in Manhattan; they're much alike.
Your kids will probably enjoy all the street life and hustle and bustle.

The High Tech family rooms that I've seen have a queen bed for the parents and 2 bunk beds for the kids. But they're spacious enough so that you don't fall all over each other.

Right outside the High Tech Gran Avenida, you'll have lots of eateries; places for breakfast (although the hotel will have a brk. room), coffee shops such as Manila, where you can get a sandwich, salad or complete meal in between traditional Spanish meal hrs., a VIPS, which is kind of a coffee shop + 7/11 type store for a late night meal and many other dining venues. For delectable roast lamb in a typical Castilian tavern setting, there's the Asador de Aranda just a couple of blocks away on Calle Preciados 44.

The reason you can't read the info I sent you is computer incompatibility. It was written on Word x for Mac. So, I'll try to switch it to my Microsoft Word '97 on my work pc and send it along to you, but please be patient. I'm a bit inundated right now.

Many thanks!! I guess I am trying to get things done too fast! When I knew we were going, I thought, plenty of time, and it is fun doing research. Now, being November already, I'm thinking, hmmm, 17 for Thanksgiving, over 50 for the family Xmas thing, superbowl tradition, that's got to be at least 40, oh, yeah, I'm going to Europe! Thanks for being patient with me.
Bo

The 4 people suite at Juderia has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms with a very little foyer and in late November costs 210 Euros plus tax. it is booked already for Nov.28 and 29. You can book it online at www.casasypalacios.com