Madrid Hotel Recommendations

teejtc

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Dec 27, 2019
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Would anyone kindly recommend a good place to spend 2 nights at the end of May (for 2 people) in Madrid after our Camino before flying home.

I'm looking for something nice, within walking distance of views and tastes of the city, preferably an airport shuttle (though that's not a deal breaker), and not crazy expensive.

There are a lot of options on Hotels.com (etc...) but I don't know the city at all and really don't know where to start.

Thank you!!

Grace and peace,
Tim
 
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SabsP

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Would anyone kindly recommend a good place to spend 2 nights at the end of May (for 2 people) in Madrid after our Camino before flying home.

I'm looking for something nice, within walking distance of views and tastes of the city, preferably an airport shuttle (though that's not a deal breaker), and not crazy expensive.

There are a lot of options on Hotels.com (etc...) but I don't know the city at all and really don't know where to start.

Thank you!!

Grace and peace,
Tim


I liked this one. Don' t know if this is in your pricerange? If sharing a double it is affordable.
Safe and central.
 
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Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-

peregrina2000

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Would anyone kindly recommend a good place to spend 2 nights at the end of May (for 2 people) in Madrid after our Camino before flying home.

I'm looking for something nice, within walking distance of views and tastes of the city, preferably an airport shuttle (though that's not a deal breaker), and not crazy expensive.

There are a lot of options on Hotels.com (etc...) but I don't know the city at all and really don't know where to start.

Thank you!!

Grace and peace,
Tim
I am sure there are lots of us with lots of recommendations. I am not aware of any in-city hotels that will have an airport shuttle. Cabs are a flat 30 euros, and there are excellent public transportation options. If you get a hotel with an airport shuttle, it is likely to be far from downtown, charmless, and surrounded by high speed traffic with nowhere to walk.

If you could be a bit more specific with what you would like to do, it would narrow things down— would you like to be near

— art museums?

— the historic core (Plaza Mayor, palace)?

— one of the world’s best urban parks (the Retiro)?

— a bit off the tourist track but still central? (I would choose the plaza Alonso Martinez as my favorite in that category, with the Hotel Sardinero being a good mid-range nice hotel).

You are never far from good food in Madrid, so don’t worry about that! Buen camino, Laurie
 

alexwalker

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Jul 1, 2009
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When in Madrid, I stay here:


2 mins. walk to Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol, 15 mins. walk to Atosha station for airport shuttle, central to everything. And fair priced.
 
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Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-

MaryLynn

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Mar 17, 2011
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Would anyone kindly recommend a good place to spend 2 nights at the end of May (for 2 people) in Madrid after our Camino before flying home.

I'm looking for something nice, within walking distance of views and tastes of the city, preferably an airport shuttle (though that's not a deal breaker), and not crazy expensive.

There are a lot of options on Hotels.com (etc...) but I don't know the city at all and really don't know where to start.

Thank you!!

Grace and peace,
Tim
I have always stayed at the Urban Sea Atocha 113, which is coincidentally located on Atocha #113, just a very short walk up Calle Atocha from the Atocha train station. It is a simple, clean, friendly hotel - in the $70-$85/night range
(US $, I assume), and a ~10 minute walk up Calle Atocha to the Cathedral and Plaza Mayor. The staff speak English. There are lots of restaurants and bars, an art museum, and a park in the neighbourhood.
The hotel and the neighbourhood has always felt very safe (I travel alone). I have usually stayed two nights there upon arrival in Spain to get over jetlag and two nights before returning to Canada to make sure I don't miss my flight home. There is a train from the airport to and from the Atocha train station, so it is very easy coming and going. I have never been disappointed. Mary Lynn
 

mikebet

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Sep 26, 2018
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My preference is to stay around the Plaza Mayor. After our Camino in early May, we’re staying at Hostal La Casa de la Plaza. You can find reference to it on booking.com. It’s in a great location and it won’t break the bank.
Agree. And there is that great tapas emporium just by the Plaza Mayor. Hot tip: if you are an early riser you will not fin many restaurants or coffee shops open. However, McDonalds will be open. I'll never turn up my snooty nose at the arches again. When you need that first cup of joe it's a friggin' oasis.
 
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CWBuff

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LOL...yes a lot of suggestions, to be sure
well, for what its worth here is one more
I just booked this for my post-Camino stay (July 2 - 4):
Hotel Madrid II Castillas Calle de la Abada, 7, 28013 Madrid, Spain
ticks off many good points already mentioned before, i.e. near Gran Via, only 100 m. from la Puerta del Sol and the Plaza del Callao, very well connected with metro and bus network of Madrid.
a bit on a high side (and I took the Breakfast included option) but I thought that after full Frances and Finisterre i can "splurge" (especially since my wife will be joining me here)

Good Luck and Buen Camino
 

Glenshiro

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And another one - Hostal Persal is round the corner from Plaza de Santa Ana (lots of restaurants and bars, including one frequented by Hemingway) a short walk to Plaza Mayor and a few minutes from Puerta del Sol (Metro) or Atocha (cercania line C-1 to the airport) stations. Cheap, clean and good value.
 

Chica36

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Nov 8, 2018
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Primitivo
I am sure there are lots of us with lots of recommendations. I am not aware of any in-city hotels that will have an airport shuttle. Cabs are a flat 30 euros, and there are excellent public transportation options. If you get a hotel with an airport shuttle, it is likely to be far from downtown, charmless, and surrounded by high speed traffic with nowhere to walk.

If you could be a bit more specific with what you would like to do, it would narrow things down— would you like to be near

— art museums?

— the historic core (Plaza Mayor, palace)?

— one of the world’s best urban parks (the Retiro)?

— a bit off the tourist track but still central? (I would choose the plaza Alonso Martinez as my favorite in that category, with the Hotel Sardinero being a good mid-range nice hotel).

You are never far from good food in Madrid, so don’t worry about that! Buen camino, Laurie
I would check Booking.com. There are hundreds of hotels in Madrid. We are staying in Meliá Reina Victoria in October which is pretty central. Depends on your budget.
 
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Would anyone kindly recommend a good place to spend 2 nights at the end of May (for 2 people) in Madrid after our Camino before flying home.

I'm looking for something nice, within walking distance of views and tastes of the city, preferably an airport shuttle (though that's not a deal breaker), and not crazy expensive.

There are a lot of options on Hotels.com (etc...) but I don't know the city at all and really don't know where to start.

Thank you!!

Grace and peace,
Tim
Hotel Europa
They support Camino walkers and located perfectly. They let you leave your luggage there if arriving and leaving to start your trip.
 

RRat

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Feb 19, 2017
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Would anyone kindly recommend a good place to spend 2 nights at the end of May (for 2 people) in Madrid after our Camino before flying home.

I'm looking for something nice, within walking distance of views and tastes of the city, preferably an airport shuttle (though that's not a deal breaker), and not crazy expensive.

There are a lot of options on Hotels.com (etc...) but I don't know the city at all and really don't know where to start.

Thank you!!

Grace and peace,
Tim
Before you go, print out the metro map. You now have all of Madrid at your fingertips.
 
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€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.

Hugh Larkin

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Jun 9, 2014
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And another one - Hostal Persal is round the corner from Plaza de Santa Ana (lots of restaurants and bars, including one frequented by Hemingway) a short walk to Plaza Mayor and a few minutes from Puerta del Sol (Metro) or Atocha (cercania line C-1 to the airport) stations. Cheap, clean and good value.
We stayed here in 2018. Nice accommodations. Our nephew’s partner’s parents stay here when visiting Madrid.

Just be aware of pickpockets; lost 20€, and my nephew’s friend lost over $200 in the touristy areas of Madrid.
 

stevepjq

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Dec 31, 2021
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I'm booked into Hostal La Macarena right on Plaza Mayor at the end of my Camino. My wife is meeting me there for a few days before we head off to Andalucía. Very reasonably priced, good reviews and great location. I think the flat fee for taxis to the airport is now 35 euro btw.
 
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Have stayed here several times when I've needed to be in the center of the city. Love it!



Also have stayed here near the beautiful Retiro Park and the Prado Museum. It is a XIX century mansion converted to a lovely hotel. It is within walking distance to the center:

 
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I've been going to Madrid for decades, and I recommend staying near the Puerta del Sol in the heart of the city.

After weeks of albergues, I don't mind staying in a hostel in Madrid. This last October I stayed in Toc Hostel Madrid (reservations on Booking.com), and I really liked the people in the dorm with me (one from Japan, one from Germany, one from the UK--all in the 20s), and me, from the US (in my 60s). The dorms are mixed (8 beds, I think, with a storage locker for each), and the showers are of the change-and-shower-in-the-same-space variety. Bed linens, a duvet, and towels are provided. There's a great kitchen, dining area and lounge with a pool table on an upper floor which all turned into a party zone on the night I was there. It's on Calle Arenal, a really wonderful pedestrian-only street, one that leads from the Puerta del Sol, a major shopping and entertainment area. The Plaza Mayor is a few blocks away in one direction, and the main drag, Gran Via, is a few blocks in another. Chueca, a really cool neighborhood, is just beyond that. I would have stayed a second night, but they were full, so I had to move to another, much less desirable place in a much less desirable location (only advantage was that it was closer to the airport on the metro).

To get to the airport, I take the metro. As of now, it costs €1.50 for the fare and €2.50 for the "Tarjeta Multi," the card used to load metro and the local train ("Cercanias") fares on (which you can keep and reuse on your next camino; it is valid for 10 years), and €3 airport supplement, so, if you use the metro only to get to the airport, you'll pay €7. There are stops at all the terminals, but in between them, there is a stop for "Barajas," but it's the town, not the airport. I think I had to transfer from the red line (Puerta del Sol station) to the gray line, maybe, (lines are indicated by color and number), but it's pretty uncomplicated if you've used subways before.

[Note or aside: If you arrive at Madrid Barajas and plan to take the train to Pamplona, get your ticket at the Renfe office in Terminal 4. The fare gets you all the way from the airport to Pamplona; you don't have to find your own way on the metro or a bus to the train station if you buy your ticket at the airport.]

Note that the metro is a great way to get around Madrid; the maps are easy to follow if you've ever used a subway. It seems to me that announcements are also in English now as well. You can also get to nearby towns on the Cercanias-local trains, and they're cheap; load the fare on the TarjetaMulti.
 

camino07

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And another one - Hostal Persal is round the corner from Plaza de Santa Ana (lots of restaurants and bars, including one frequented by Hemingway) a short walk to Plaza Mayor and a few minutes from Puerta del Sol (Metro) or Atocha (cercania line C-1 to the airport) stations. Cheap, clean and good value.
My favourite place to stay in Madrid.
 
F

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Would anyone kindly recommend a good place to spend 2 nights at the end of May (for 2 people) in Madrid after our Camino before flying home.

I'm looking for something nice, within walking distance of views and tastes of the city, preferably an airport shuttle (though that's not a deal breaker), and not crazy expensive.

There are a lot of options on Hotels.com (etc...) but I don't know the city at all and really don't know where to start.

Thank you!!

Grace and peace,
Tim
i will be spending sn extra day in madrid after my first camino especially to go to museo prado. any recommendation for a hotel super close to the prado with easy shuttle for early flight out next day?
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
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And another one - Hostal Persal is round the corner from Plaza de Santa Ana (lots of restaurants and bars, including one frequented by Hemingway) a short walk to Plaza Mayor and a few minutes from Puerta del Sol (Metro) or Atocha (cercania line C-1 to the airport) stations. Cheap, clean and good value.

We stayed here in 2018. Nice accommodations. Our nephew’s partner’s parents stay here when visiting Madrid.

Hostal Persal is my favorite place to stay in Madrid as well. If you follow them on Twitter and book with them directly via their website they may offer you a discounted rate - be sure to mention the Twitter offer when you book. And they offer a 10% discount if you book three or more nights. Great location, great people, and excellent value.
 
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peregrina2000

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i will be spending sn extra day in madrid after my first camino especially to go to museo prado. any recommendation for a hotel super close to the prado with easy shuttle for early flight out next day?
I don’t think many/any central Madrid hotels have airport shuttles. You have to stay out in no mans land near the airport for that. But I think that the places that qualify as closest to the Prado and convenient to a way to get to the airport would be some of the places recommended near Atocha. In the Atocha train station, you can either catch a bus directly to the airport or take the Cercanías commuter trains.

Places that have been recommended on the forum (I don’t know any of them) as close to Atocha station, which will make them convenient to the Prado as well. The two places are about a km apart.

Hotel Medio Día.
Urban Sea Atocha
Hotel Barrera
Hostal Residencial Fernandez.

Keep in mind that taxis are now a set fee out to the airport, 30€ irrespective of number of passengers.

There are also lots of fancy places in the area if you are looking for a splurge.
 

C clearly

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You might also look at hostales near the Plaza Cibeles, which is another key stop for the express airport bus. This bus is the same bus that starts at Atocha during the day. At night the main stop IS Cibeles. This area is convenient for the museums and sightseeing as well.
 
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peregrina2000

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You might also look at hostales near the Plaza Cibeles, which is another key stop for the express airport bus. This bus is the same bus that starts at Atocha during the day. At night the main stop IS Cibeles. This area is convenient for the museums and sightseeing as well.

Great suggestion.

The Museo del Prado is about halfway between the Plaza Cibeles and Atocha.

And then if you have time you can go up to the top floor of the Cibeles building where the views are fabulous. This ornate building used to be Madrid’s main post office, but the municipal government has taken it over. But public access via stairs or an elevator is available. There is also a café on one of the top floors.
 

Sheesh

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You might also look at hostales near the Plaza Cibeles, which is another key stop for the express airport bus...

I was wondering about this recently, when another forum member wrote that getting the airport bus from Plaza Cibeles is a bit of a "bun fight." I have no firsthand experience with getting the bus from Cibeles but, if one were pressed for time to get to the airport, that could be concerning.

However, Hostal Defina is a short walk from Cibeles and might be of interest to the OP. It has been recommended on the forum by Trecile, and it certainly it is a bargain. I've just booked a night there in October, 32 Euro for single room with private bathroom.
 

C clearly

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getting the airport bus from Plaza Cibeles is a bit of a "bun fight."
Maybe it was just a bad day. When I watched my daughter get on one afternoon in October 2019, it was perfectly civilized and there was plenty of room for everyone. I don't know what it might be like on very busy days or times, and I suppose the queuing discipline might be absent. I don't remember what the procedure was for loading luggage.
 
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CWBuff

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My question might be a little weird in this thread, but can anyone here recommend a decent but very cheap hostel? The options you talk about are gorgeous
Hard to be totally objective (if you will) since everyone's idea of chap and very cheap are still different
perhaps you can give us a budget figure (i.e. XXX euro or USD etc \per night)?

I still content that looking at Booking.com allows you to figure out by yourself what it is that you may like.

Again even price aside - I may like one place and you may not stay there if someone gave you a room for FREE!
 

AlanGuzman

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Although an airport transfer would be convenient, it is not a must as public transportation in Madrid is quite efficient. Madrid has a wide variety of hotels, so you will surely find something that fits your preferences. The last time I visited Madrid was long ago, and I can't recommend a good hotel now. At the moment, I most like to vacation surrounded by nature, so I plan to visit a boutique hotel in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, this year, which I found on JungleVistaHotel.com. The views of nature there are incredible, and the service is good.
 
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