anid2004

I was wondering if I could pick your brains a bit!

I’m looking into booking my hotel room soon. I’m not quite sure what neighbourhood I’d like yet as I don’t have a good sense of it, even after reading the guidebook that I have. My two main criteria are:

(1) convenience – the hotel doesn’t have to be right in the heart of the main attractions but quick and easy to get to either by foot or metro. I also like to be in a neighbhourhood that has neighbourhood attractions aside from the main tourist places (local shops, restaurants, cafes)

(2) safety – which is self-explanatory.

I’m debating between hotels in/near
(a) Gran Via – Puerto Del Sol;
(b) the Atocha Train Station
(c) Salamanca-Serano.

I think the Atocha train station is last on my list because I heard it can be unsafe (although I’m still considering it).

Even though my main focus is trying to figure out the neighbourhood, I also ask for comments on the list of hotels below. If you know anything good or bad about any of these, please do share.

A. Gran Via-Peurto Del Sol

Hotel Vincci Via
Intur Palacio San Martin
Hotel Liabeny
Best Western Atlantico

B. Atocha Tran Station

Carlton Hotel
Husa Paseo Del Art

C. Salamanca-Serano

AC Recoletos

MFNYC

near Puerto Del Sol or Plaza Mayor, but not necessarily on the Gran Via (it's a busy road).

If you haven't already, print out Maribel's Madrid guide (maribelsguides.com)

Reading54

I stayed at Husa Paseo Del Art last December for two nights. It's located within the museum triangle, walking distance to the big three museums, and also walking distance to Plaza Mayor.
The hotel is a four-star, nice and clean, I have no complaint. Very nice buffet breakfast, including delicious churros with thick chocolate dip. (You make your own chocolate dip by pouring chocolate powder from a pouch and mixing it with hot water). I could have just eat churros for breakfast.

Fashionista

I stayed on the Gran Via and MFNYC is correct, it is a busy road but that did not bother me particularly.

The two places mentioned I'm sure will be nice being in the old town. I would stay in the city centre, everything is walkable and Madrid is a pleasant place to walk.

I was killing time between finishing one job and starting another and so went to Madrid on my own for the galleries. I felt completely safe walking around and at no time felt threatened. Stay as close to the main attractions as you can and you will be fine.

kanadajin

We stayed at the AC Recoletos in the upscale neighbourhood of Salamanca, and loved it! We could walk to the big 3 museums (Prado, Thyssen, Reina Sofia), 2 min to Retiro Park, as well as to Plaza Mayor by way of the Metropolis building (and others). There is also a subway stop nearby (Retiro is closest), or alternately Serrano (a few blocks away). The Salamanca area is very safe, and has lots of higher-end shops and restaurants.

This hotel is "hip" and modern/contemporary, just be aware that there is only a frosted glass wall between the bathroom and bedroom. Depending on who you are travelling with, this could be an issue.

We enjoyed Madrid much more than we thought we would - a great European capital !

kanadajin

holiday2010

We stayed at Vincci Via 66 in June. Our room was a triple on the 7th floor and was a good size, much larger than at Hotel Opera where we stayed earlier. We had absolutely no problem with street noise. The hotel has a free internet in a room (via ethernet cable, which was provided).It is a quick walk to Puerta del Sol or Metro stop (Plaza Espana) ,we pretty much walked everywhere.

zeppole

Salamanca would be first on my list, Atocha last. I'd be blah about the third choice. It would have to be a super hotel.

I can't speak to your hotel, but like kanadajin, I love staying at least one step out of the tourist triangle and in the upscale neighborhood. Neither the Puerta del Sol nor the Plaza de Mayor attract me. (In fact, I avoid the latter. -- Both, actually!)

You don't need to stay close to the main attractions to be safe in Madrid. The city has gorgeous neighborhoods unknown to tourists. In fact, some of the main attractions of Madrid are in areas I find a bit unsavory at night, if not dangerous, and the tourist attractions are notorious for pickpockets.

Anyway, Salamanca has a lot of style.

zeppole

http://www.softguides.com/madrid_gui...ca-retiro.html

Fashionista

Well it depends what you are there for Zeppole.

My trip was just to haunt the galleries, so being close to them was more important.

It also depends on your budget. I could only press my nose against the shop windows in Salamanca - the air was too ratified for me! The day I went out that way I did wear my Sale purchase Vera Wang and Lulu Guinness sandals though!

Fashionista

That should be rarefied not ratified!!

danon

Don't know the hotel... but Serano-Salamnca area would be my choice: elegant, upscale, safe and not far from museums, Retiro etc.

Fashionista

Isn't perception strange? I felt Salamanca was a little bit too snobby, I really liked the rougher edges of the other parts of the city. Maybe this is a 'life cycle stage' thing and in a few years time will be heading straight for Salamanca myself! haha.

Maybe its just me. Who knows?

danon

fashionista, you may be right about , let's be blunt, the "age thing".
I also like the area near the Opera.... Plaza de Oriente (anything but rough around the edges)
I visited Madrid three times - the last time at the end of April.

jmgocan

I agree with zeppole and danon, my first choice goes to Serrano-Salamaca District too !!
Last time in Madrid, decided to stay a little away from Gran Via, in Paseo Castellana, north of Paseo Recoletos, in fact, it´s the same avenue. Walked to Serrano and Salamanca and enjoy the place, the restaurants and the shops. To go farther we got taxi or subway. Easy to do.

zeppole

I only go to Madrid for the museums and the food, and as was pointed out above, you can walk to the major tourist attraction museums from Salamanca. In addition, there are private museums and other cultural sights in Salamanca, and art galleries. It's not an "age" thing for me. It's a "discovery" thing. Conventional guidebooks herd tourists into the tourist triangle so supposedly they won't get lost. One day in my youth I discovered how nice it is beyond the tourist triangle and how easy it is to get around in Madrid. I am never going back to the tourist triangle!

I think the tourist triangle is just touristy, not raffish. There are other lovely neighborhoods besides Salamanca, but the architecture in Salamanca is so lovely -- the national library is a head spinner -- it would be my first choice off the proposed list.

As for snobby, I was in the museums most of the time, so I didn't notice if I was being looked down on when I walked to and fro.

And as for "rougher edges," you were the one who warned anid2004 to stick close to the tourist atttractions, not me.

(Although anid2004, I will add there that if you are traveling solo, I'm assuming you know Retiro Park needs the same cautions any big ciry urban park brings).

I'm glad anid2004 is getting a variety of points of view and personalities. It gives her more to work with in matching her own sensibility to the right stay.

Fashionista

Oh for god sake...

layanluvstotravel

We stayed at the Husa Paseo Del Arte... I would pick this hotel in a heart beat! Great service, very clean, quiet rooms, great location (close to museums and within walking distance of everything else), metro and the train station are nearby.

nini

We stayed at Hotel Santo Domingo and were happy with the location--and the price--got it on PL for around 100USD. The location was good and the area quiet. Had a little balconey with a view of the palace.

mohun

We stayed at the Hotel Liabeny in June of 2009. It was pretty contemporary and quite clean, but relatively small so it doesn't feel as if you're in a Hilton or Holiday Inn. It's about halfway between the Prado and the Palace and, besides Rick Steves' recommendation, that was a major travel point for us. We are in our 70s and 60s and love to walk so that location and the amenities are were right for us.