I just booked a flight to Spain for mid-May. Will be spending 5 nights in Madrid, 4 nights in Seville, 3 nights in San Sebastian, and 1 night Bilbao.

Would appreciate hotel recommendations for Madrid. Prefer smaller, more typically European hotel. Not looking to spend more than $150/night.

Also, need recommendations for Seville & Bilbao. If anyone knows La Casa del Maestro in Seville, please let me know--I saw the website & it looked nice--I'm not familiar with the layout of the city so don't know if the location is a good one.

Also, any suggestions on a day trip to Jerez from Seville?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Is that $150/night including tax? The La Casa del Maestro is a well located Rusticae property and could be out of your budget range in high season depending on which rooms are still available.

There are a number of 4-star hotels in Madrid within you budget range, and a few in Bilbao, depending on where in the city you want to stay. You can check out the 5-star Sheraton Bilbao Hotel to see what specials they are offering in May.

My favorite Hotel in San Sebastien is the hotel des Londres y ingletterra but I think 150 may be a bit too low, the advantage is your right on the boardwalk. For Bilbao I like the Melia Arenal, which I think 150 might be OK, you have a great view of the Guggenheim and just adjacent to plaza arenal. But for a real Spanish experiance try the Paradors, these are renovated castles,churches and historic monuments and provide a sumptuous authentic Spanish experience with a budget. you can visit www.parador.es

Also I think you are Spending a bit too long in Madrid, outside of the Prado museum and the plaza mayor its afterall a big city, even Seville maybe a night in Cadiz by the beach rather than 4 in Seville. You should also check which festivals are going on during your visit, they are wild and beyond any North American holiday, like five fourth of July's wrapped up in ten firecrackers doused in gasoline and you still wouldn't come close to even the most docile Fiesta.

Also if you like red wine you could take a pit stop and stay at a winery in Rioja near Logrono.

Either way Spain is great and you will have a great time

I stayed at both the Hotel Atlantico (a Best Western) on the Gran Via and the Hotel Plaza Mayor near the Plaza Mayor on my trip. I would reccommend either - I thought the Plaza Mayor location was better, but the Hotel Atlantico was a little comfier. I think I paid between 55 and 70 euros for singles at both.

Hotel Plaza Mayor. Great location; easy walk to the Royal Palace, Prado, and the Plaza Mayor. A safe location for walking ai the evening. We stayed in the hotel's "penthouse" when it was new in '04. Delightful!

For San Sebastian try the Hotel Niza:
http://www.hotelniza.com/
Ask for a room over looking the beach.

Check out bancotel.com, solmelia.com, and petrabrax.com for good hotel deal. Also might check out paradores.es but not sure how those will work with your plans.