Tiny beds in Paradors??
 

My husband and I have a double room reserved in Toledo the first day we arrive from the US into Madrid. After some questioning, the double rooms only have one double bed which is too small for the two of us to sleep in. All the twin bedded rooms are booked.
Therefore, we have decided to just stay in Madrid for couple of days before we go to Seville. Since we will be a bit jet lagged, is there a hotel that would provide quiet and comfortable (4****)place to rest and maybe just stroll around. We will be coming back trhough Madrid at the end of our trip and at that time plan to do Prado, other museums, etc. I have the Villa Real booked for the return trip before we fly out.
Any suggestions for #1-quiet and in a nice area for dining and just being relaxed.

There are a number of excellent choices in the 4-star category, including the Hotel Los Cortes (http://www.hoteles-catalonia.com/hc/inicio.do), and the Vincci Hotels (http://www.vinccihoteles.com/en).

For quiet and comfort, you might also check out the 3-star Hesperia Hermosilla, which is located in the Salamanca district with some great restaurants nearby (http://www.hesperia.es/).

I also recommend you take a look at Maribel's Guide to Madrid (maribelsguides.com) for more information on dining in the city.

Most hotels/inns/B&Bs in Europe have only one double bed in a double room. Twin beds are two singles. Beds in certain parts of Europe, especially in the south, are smaller than you are used to in the US.

Hi kakiebell,
For a 4 star quiet and comfortable place just to rest and take a stroll in a very pretty (and swank) neighborhood, and since you booked the Villa Real for your return, I suggest a hotel in the posh Salamanca quarter (think Manhattan's Upper East Side).

It's generally a quieter neighborhood, especially at night and on weekends, and good dining is plentiful-high end, moderate and also tapas bars (one of my favorites in this quarter being the lively La Taberna de Daniela on General Pardiñas). I have several recos in my guide for this area of town, my former home.

The Hesperia Hermosilla, a converted mansion, has a terrific location (in retail heaven!) and is my favorite moderately priced hotel in this safe and swank quarter, where I choose to stay on my own nickel, but as Robert notes, it's only a 3 star. The superior rooms, however, provide some of the 4 star comforts with their flat screen TV, international channels, free Wi-Fi, great walk in marble showers. But no turn down service, no bathrobes, no slippers, no Molton Brown toiletries, just the Hesperia brand. Also it doesn't have an in-house bar/restaurant, but eateries abound in the immediate vicinity. I have a little review of it in my guide, which I know you've seen.

I would recommend the 4 star Vincci Soma (formerly the Bauzá) but it's a modern design hotel (don't know if you care for that look), and rooms face busy Calle Goya further up (but windows are double glazed). It has nice top floor rooms with private terraces, which would be relaxing. You can read a Fodor's guest review (from cpc_sydney) of it under Hotel Bauzá, which I find accurate.


I also really like the classic elegance of the Wellington on beautiful Calle Veláquez, across from Retiro Park, which has a garden and pool (outdoor). But it's a 5 star, although rooms can often be had here for 4 star prices, just like the 5 star Villa Real-for certain periods.
This is a favorite of some of the top matadors during May's Feria de San Isidro. If the price were right for your dates, this is the one I would choose, to get your trip started on a very classy note. This would be the Salamanca quarter equivalent to the Villa Real in its style and comfort level, I think.

Thank you again Maribel. The Wellington was one that I was interested in. It gets great reviews on trip advisor. For this leg of the trip I am not looking for roof top bars and disco dancing, ha!! The Hesperia also looks interesting. Salamanaca seems to be the ticket.

kakiebell,
I think you'll enjoy it-gorgeous buildings, close proximity to Retiro park, metro and bus stops nearby, yet no need for "extra vigilance"-this is a very elegant shopping and residential neighborhood that gives visitors a very nice first impression of the city.

We have stayed at the Wellington, which was a lovely hotel in an upscale area. But our room was over the bar, and we were badly affected by smoke. The hotel was fully booked, so we were unable to move.

Wouldn't a double room normally have just one double bed?

What did you expect? TWO double beds?

Why is one double bed not big enough?

A double bed is the equivalent of two crib size mattresses width wise. Not really comfortable for two adults.

I was not going to dignify this stupid bickering about a bed size but it might help someone else. A double bed at the Parador is 140 cm
wide which is 4 ft. 12 in. wide.
That give each adult 2 ft. 6 inches.

The whole issue is really when you pay 250 Euro for a hotel and you have to exchange it with American dollars ($375), you should get what you want. If you want to sleep on a double bed, then by all means, that is your choice. That is why there are so many thousands of hotels and choices in the world. Isn't it great that we can make these decisions?

No need to be hostile.

Thanks again Maribel. I think you get it, ha.

I think we were just trying to point out that a single double bed is normal in Europe, and that a twin room has two single beds, which may if you are lucky be 3 ft wide. We were not trying to be nasty - at least I wasn't and I don't think the others were.
140 cm (55ins) is a fairly normal in many countries. You may find wider beds (160 or 180 cm) if you are lucky but they are rare.

Indeed, a "double bed" in European hotels and B&Bs can be anywhere from:

1) a US full-size equivalent (~140cm)
2) a US queen-size equivalent (~160cm)
3) 2 twin pushed together = US king equivalent (~180cm)

For us at least, sharing a full size bed is uncomfortable and we usually have a poor night's sleep. We are happy with either 2) or 3).

In our most recent trip to France & Belgium, we stayed at 5 hotels + B&Bs. These are all 3* or below. Only 1 place we stayed at has the 140cm mattress. Everywhere else we got the 160cm and one place we had 2 twins pushed together to make a king.

Hotel chains, like the AC Hotels, have been replacing double with king beds, at least in its 4 and 5-star properties.

Hi kakibell,
I do "get it" O:) because I travel often in Spain and France with a couple who just cannot sleep in a standard full size bed, 140 cm. They have no problem with two twins pushed together, but when a twin room isn't available at a particular hotel, we book at another with available twin so that they can sleep comfortably. They trust me to do the planning and hotel bookings, so I want them to be happy (and not sleep deprived!) with the arrangements I've made for them.