Madrid Hotels Question
 

Hi to All,

I'm looking at Paseo del Prado hotel in Madrid because of its proximity to Prado. Has anyone stayed there? TA has very good reviews. Any others nearby to recommend?

$200 or less if poss but I do realize that in that area it may not be possible.

Thanks, TDu

Hi!
Cannot comment on the hotel you mention, but we usually like any NH.
We prefer the Gran Via zone and we usually like the Maria Elena Palace, a 4 stars hotel or the Regente, a good three stars , y booked Regente for september fot about 90 €.
Enjoy your stay!

Thanks, jelopez33, I'll check out those. Late husband and I stayed at an NH hotel in Monpellier, France and liked it also.

I'm now looking at Hotel Lope de Vega just up the street from del Prado. It's a tad cheaper.

Again, any and all hotels near Prado first-hand advice appreciated. If I am having breathing issues, being a very short walk to my main focus is important so please keep me close!

Can't comment on your hotel either, but we do stay on the Paseo del Prado at the Hotel Mora which is quite acceptable for about 80 or 90€.

We stayed at the Westin palace. It was wonderful. It is above your price, but if you have Starwood points it would be a good time to use them.

I stayed at the Hotel Lope de Vega many years ago (204). Nothing fancy, but it suited my needs very well.

Thanks Bedar, jipper and kja. Paseo and Lope best choices right now.

I googled Maria Elena Palace but it wasn't near Prado. [-X

Westin def in the right place but, yes, over my price. However, in the past I've emailed more expensive hotels directly and asked for a price for a certain number of nights and often get a bit of a break.

Again, any hotel near Prado suggestions appreciated.

The Ritz is directly over the street from the Prado. Haven't stayed there, but had lunch one day and it's very nice.

Hola

You could try your luck on Booking.com.

Ritz also more than I want to spend but thanks, Bokhara2.

worldinabag, I always check online sites--hoping for a first-hand Fodorite recco. Thanks anyhow.

I LOVE the NH Paseo del Prado! I always stayed there when it was the Canarias -it changed owners a couple of years ago!NH hotels are my favorite chain,great toiletries! Go to their website-they have great specials w/ or w/out breakfast (which is a full buffet)! The location is also perfect because it's an easy walk to the other 2 museums and up to the Plaza Mayor, 10 mins.

Thank you, chapla!

Just started reading the DK Spain book and see a Sorolla museum in Madrid. Yippee! Hub and I "discovered" him in a Venice gallery and I fell in love with his "Sewing the Sail". The light seemed to shimmer in this large work--see below:

http://www.joaquin-sorolla-y-bastida.org/

I stayed at the Hotel Vincci Soho on Calle del Prado, just a couple blocks away. It was a great place, and my rate was around 110 euro/night. The address is Calle del Prado 18, 28014, Madrid - you can map it and see the relation to the Museo del Prado. Also, it is a couple blocks from Plaza de Santa Ana, which has some good places to eat and drink.

http://www.vinccihoteles.com/eng/Hot..._match_e_plid_

That looks very good, november_moon. Not very far to walk at all. Many thanks!

The Sorolla museum is his actual house-quite a wonderful feeling to walk through it.It does not get as much recognition nor visitors as it should because it is a little way out but definitely worth the extra effort.You can take bus 27 or a taxi.Thank goodness the Spanish government took over and reopened it as a museum-there was some family scandal and all the money was lost/spent. It's also the only place to buy postcards of his work which is beautifully dispplayed in the house.
Another often overlooked place is the house of Lope de Vega on Calle Cervantes 11!If you have a room in the back of the Vincci Soho hotel you can actually see the back of De Vega's house and the lovely garden!
Both places are free to the public.
IMO the Vincci Soho is nice but the Paseo del Prado is wonderful!

Hundreds of guest reviews for Paseo del Prado, 8,8/10: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/paseo-del-prado.en.html

Hundreds of guest reviews for Vincci Soho, 8,3/10: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/vinccisoho.en.html

another vote for Sorolla museum/ house...

Wonderful to read, chapla, thank you. Also for the heads up about Lope de Vega house. I just read the description in DK that said some of the same fruit trees the author mentioned in 1600's are still there. Some of his furniture as well.

I will def. go there, danon! I can still shiver remembering the piece we saw in Venice. His name wasn't in my art vocabulary until then and I was amazed at his body of work.

Thanks, kimhe and I have looked at some of those, but I am particularly interested Fodorite favorites.

ps-The painting we saw was "Mending the Sail" not the same one as "Sewing..."--I was just browsing through the link (above) and realized this.

OK, reservations made at Paseo del Prado! Thank you all so much for your input.

Off to scout out London hotels now--a separate thread for advice.

I just stayed at Hostal Benamar on San Marco. While it was not one one of the big streets, it was central enough and 30 euro a night.

WOW, lauren. That's a huge difference from the €134 (without breakfast) at Paseo. Please share more info about Hostal amenities.

Well, I did not stay across the street from The Prado. If you want that, you pay top dollar (or top euro).

I found the Hostal Benamar ("hostal" means "hotel" in Spanish; it has nothing to do with a youth hostal--perish the thought) on booking.com. I stayed there twice. The first time when I drove up I thought, "Uh oh, a disaster." It wasn't a disaster. It was nice and just what I wanted.

I am not a big one for dumping big bucks on hotels. The Benamar is a small family run hotel--and Madrid is full of them.

It is on the Calle San Marco and occupies pieces of the building. The check in desk is on the European 2nd floor and there is no elevator. To get in the building, you have to buzz. They buzz back and the door opens. They come down to help with luggage.

Now I paid for a single. You will pay more for two people, but not double. My apprehensions turned into nothing once I saw the room. Very nice. I stayed there twice. The second time I stayed on the ground floor--which I liked because I didn't have to go upstairs. This hotel is not well known, does not have a concierge and certainly does not serve breakfast. It is walking distance from the Grand Via, Plaza Mayor and Royal Palace. It is a 10 minute bus ride or easy Metro ride to the three art galleries (they are clustered in the same place).

This hotel is a real find for those who just want a basic room. It is not one where there is a lot of staff. The rooms I had (I stayed there twice during my recent 7 1/2 week home exchange based trip to France & Spain). I would stay there again. The bed was made up and the room was cleaned every day--for 30 euros per night. What else can I say?

If you want the ambiance of an upscale hotel, you probably would not like the Benamar, but it suited me just fine. Please tell Jose (It's owned by Jose Benamar--hence the name) that I sent you. He gave me a big greeting when I came for 4 nights at the end of the trip. While there is no concierge, he has maps, etc., will direct you to restaurants, the Metro (around the corner at Tribunal) and to bus 37 (easiest way to get to the 3 art galleries.

So that is the scoop on the Hostal Benamar. Jose deserves more business than he has. On the view: He gave me a choice of the street or the courtyard. I prefer quiet even if my view overlooks a lot of drying laundry. It does have those European unit air conditioners/heaters in the rooms.

If I ever return to Madrid, I would stay there again. I do not demand much from hotels. You can always check out the lobbies in the more expensive places (I didn't) or eat in their restaurants. The Ritz serves high tea, but I didn't go. It's right by The Prado as well.

Enjoy Spain!

Lots of hostals are cheap, but I don't understand the point of this one since it isn't near the Prado.

And what is the purpose of asking someone to tell a hotel manager than some person on the internet "sent you". Do you get a kickback? I just don't understand these kind of requests, they sound egotistical.

Whoa, Christina! No need to be unkind.

I asked lauren for more information about Benamar and she kindly responded. I believe the price was so good that she mentioned it even though it isn't near Prado. This is the kind of info that most people find helpful on this forum.

My late husband and I made some wonderful connections at hotels and have often said in recommendations to say we sent them and say to say hello to hoteliers we especially enjoyed.

I am not financially involved with the Benamar. The thing that drives me nuts on Fodors is that every time someone recommends a place he is accused of taking kickbacks or advertising.

I stayed at the Benamar a total of 5 nights. I stayed 1 night when I flew to Madrid from Bordeaux and got in really too late to take the bus to my home exchange in Salamanca on the same day. Then I stayed 4 nights at the end of the trip. So, when I said "twice", I meant twice in the same trip.

Jose was nice to me and I told him I would recommend the place on my website--which I did. If someone goes there on my recommendation, I would just like him to know. It is my way of saying "thank you" to tell others about a good place.

lauren..Thank you for the info about Hotel Benamar. It looks exactly like what we need for our trip to Spain next year. Reviews are great. Thanks again. I appreciate the info.

Michelle_d, it's always nice to hear that one's information helped someone else. That is why most of us post. I doubt Jose would remember me at this point, but I do remember my brief stay at the Benamar with pleasure. Should my travels take me to Madrid again, I would certainly stay there again.

Great thread. Marking for future reference!

Thanks, Nepenthe. Hope your Madrid trip is wonderul. It's a great city.