Madrid, Spain: Hotel & Motel Planning Guide

When to Visit Madrid, Spain

You'll get the best hotel rates during the winter months when tourism numbers are lower. If you're hoping to save a few dollars and enjoy Madrid without the crowds, consider visiting between November and February. Although the weather can get chilly this time of year, you can bundle up as you tour the streets and stop for coffee.

Many people visit Madrid during the summer to experience the abundant festivals and outdoor activities. Temperatures can climb into the high 90s and above, however, so prepare to drink plenty of water and wear sunscreen. You may have to face crowds when you visit popular visitor destinations, so consider planning each part of your itinerary carefully.

However, you'll get the best of both worlds if you choose fall or spring for your Madrid vacation or business trip. The milder weather will make walking through the city more bearable, and you won't have to compete with as many other visitors when standing in line for tourist attractions. Additionally, several Spanish festivals take place in spring and autumn, so you won't miss out on the festivities.

Best Discounts in Madrid, Spain

If you're hoping to take advantage of discounts at hotels in Madrid, look for franchise establishments, such as the Hilton Madrid Airport Hotel or Marriott's AC Hotel Avenida de America. These venues often offer discounts for senior citizens and AAA and AARP members.

You might also get a special rate for large groups if you book all the rooms at the same time. Additionally, the AC Hotel Avenida de America offers an early-bird discount. Booking in advance could remove up to 15 percent off your total bill.

Best Value Options in Madrid, Spain

You can save money on your hotel stay without sacrificing the amenities you most expect. At the Hotel Zenit Abeba, for example, room rates start at US$96 per night. Rooms feature upholstered headboards, free Wi-Fi access, designer linens, and flat screen televisions. Additionally, you can take advantage of the free parking and the on-site gym, plus the many restaurants and shopping venues in the Barrio de Salamanca neighborhood.

The Vincci Soho offers another high-value choice. Rooms cost between US$96 and US$159 per night for four-star accommodations. Enormous bathrooms accented by natural stone and hardwood floors in the suites create a luxurious atmosphere at a bargain price. Grab a cup of coffee and a pastry at the Lounge Bar or sip a cocktail at the Terrace Bar. You'll also find an on-site restaurant and opportunities for parking discounts.

You may also like the TRYP Madrid Centro Hotel, a thoroughly modern option with generous room and suite sizes and a fully equipped on-site gym. The rooms feature pastel color palettes that invite you to rest and relax when you return from a long day of sightseeing.

Nightly rates average around US$100 per night, so you won't blow your vacation budget on lodging. This TRYP hotel offers special amenities such as ironing services, a gift shop, access to babysitters (for an extra charge), and plasma televisions.

If you're willing to pay a little more per night, book your stay at the Petit Palace Londres, which has developed a reputation as an excellent choice for both business and leisure travelers. Rates range from US$100 to US$200 per night, depending on the size of the room or suite. Many guests appreciate the Internet Corner—a furnished space that's geared toward smartphone, tablet, and laptop use with free Wi-Fi, printers, and fax machines.

Where to Find the Best Tapas in Madrid, Spain

Tapas bars are venues that serve small appetizers, such as meatballs and sauce, chorizo sausage, and fried shrimp. These bars encourage conversation and allow you to sample many delicacies of Spanish cuisine without filling up on one entrée.

Malaspina has become one of the most popular tapas bars in Madrid. Although this establishment follows the tapas tradition of serving appetizers, its portions are larger than what you would find in most tapas bars. It's a great place to meet locals and to people-watch through the venue's front windows.

Hotel Casa Gonzalez offers another option if you're looking for an authentic tapas bar. It specializes in meat-and-cheese appetizers, so try the ham or chorizo with a rich choice of cheeses. If you're looking for a tapas bar that also offers an extensive wine collection, don't miss La Venencia. It exudes a slightly more upscale vibe, so consider dressing up for the occasion. Sample any of the dishes they serve with olives, as these plates often garner the most positive reviews.

Madrid, Spain, offers European charm and a variety of hotel options to suit your needs. After you settle in, take time to explore the local architecture, museums, and fountains that have made Madrid such an iconic European destination.

Madrid, Spain summarized

Madrid has enticed travelers to sample its cultural riches. Many leave with an enamored look on their faces, caught in the rapture after knowing its people and the Spanish culture. You can't actually blame them, after seeing the glorious attributes of this fine city. Earning the adoration of the art world is the Golden Triangle of museums in Madrid. The path called Museum Mile includes the impressive Museo del Prado dating back to more than 200 years and is home to Spanish masters like El Greco and Goya. Western art as early as the 13th century is laid out in a staggering collection housed inside the neo-classical Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. Picasso, Dali and Miro are among the showcase of legends in the collection of Reina Sofia Museum. You must not forget the Royal Palace, home of the Spanish royal family, for a look at the lavish Baroque architecture. Sense the passionate spirit of the Spanish people through leisure activities like watching bullfights at Plaza de Toros and enrolling for dance class at the city's treasured flamenco school. Wind down to a leisurely break in Plaza Mayor's cafés and watch the world of Madrileños unraveling before your eyes.

'Till the time I reached Madrid, I have never seen such life. Even New York, though much larger in size and spirit, seemed like a spittle in front Madrid's liveliness. And those, late nights at cafes. I have been there long enough to write about it for 50 years. I wouldn't mind doing that.
Ernest Hemingway, regarded by many as the finest American writer of all time, spent a few years of his life in Madrid, but loved the city more than any other city. He wasn't the only one. Madrid has enough charms to take in unsuspecting tourists and turn them into lifelong admirers who keep coming back on and on, in a hope that one day they will get to know their beloved city a little better, a little closer. 

Among all European cities that can boast of being cultural hubs for their respective regions, Madrid is probably the most beautiful one, even more beautiful than Paris itself, in the opinion of a few. Well, that contest can wait for some other day, for right now, the aim of this write up is to allow readers who are thinking of making a trip to Madrid in near future get some basic information about the hospitality industry in Madrid. 

Cheap Hotels in Madrid 

Being the capital of Spain, Madrid has all sorts of hotel and resort businesses lined up for prospective visitors. Madrid is not just a darling of tourists, many visitors who are on personal or official business also keep arriving in Madrid in steady streams. 

To cater visitors who do not wish to (or do not have means to) spend exorbitant room tariffs in expensive Madrid hotels, there are more than 50 cheap hotels. 

The thing about cheap hotels that tourists must keep in mind is that even though they might not provide you with the best amenities like in-house spas or swimming pools, they will be comfortable enough for you to get a good night's sleep when you are all worked up from a long day of sightseeing and outing in Madrid. 

Hotel Regina, as many Madrid veterans would concur, is among the most popular budget hotels in Madrid that provide an agreeable and comfortable stay to their guests. 

Praktik Metropol is a popular chain of affordable hotel units that exclusively operates in Spain, and has over 500 affordable rooms available in Madrid. Hotel Europa is a similarly priced hotel that can fulfil your need of a short and comfortable stay without any hiccups. 

Lavish Hotel Experience in Madrid 

Being a city that celebrates beauty, it wouldn't and shouldn't come as a surprise that Madrid hosts over four dozen luxury hotel and resort businesses that regularly attract tourists and businessmen from all walks of life, as long as they are willing to pay the heavy checks at the end of their stay. 

Among all these luxury hotels in Madrid, the name that stands out head and shoulders above the rest is that of Hotel Orfila. Located just a tad away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Madrid, Hotel Orfila provides a sanctuary of peace and luxury amidst the anarchy of sounds that downtown Madrid is all about. 

Along with Hotel Orfila, two other reputable names that must be mentioned are Catalonia Las Cortes and Hotel Preciados. Known for their excellent architecture and innately beautiful interior decor, both these entrants have remarkable fine restaurants to back their claims, as well! 

What Not to Miss When in Madrid?

Madrid is a potpourri of old and new. Ancient castles and new age theme parks, both stand tall in the vicinity of each other, presenting a clear evidence of being relevant. 

When in Madrid, however, first timers are likely to get flustered regarding sightseeing, only through the problem of the plenty, if not through anything else. 

Royal Palace of Madrid is one place that you cannot exclude from your itinerary regardless of the fact whether you have been there or not. It's that kind of a place which keeps tourists attracted towards it, through its majestically grand architecture, eye pleasing designs and an overall sense of grandeur. 

Football fans need not be told where to go when in Madrid. Santiago Bernabeu is nothing short of a holy place worth the worship for all the fans of Real Madrid FC, the team which is also lovingly known around the world as Los Blancos. 

History buffs can straight head to Sorolla Museum, most famous for its collection of artefacts and items from the colonial heydays of Spain, when Latin America was a prominent dominion. National Archaeological Museum, located not too far away from Sorolla Museum, is also a place that can keep history enthusiasts rooted to their spots. 

Hotels Near Madrid Airport 

Madrid International Airport is the busiest airport in Spain and among top ten busiest airports in all of Europe. 

Because of heavy domestic and international traffic it handles, it is quite obvious that most tourists who visit Madrid are likely to use it as a prospective port of entry into the city. Located at a distance of about 15 km (approximately), the Madrid International Airport is easily accessible from Madrid. Because of this short distance, looking for Madrid hotels that are exclusively nearby the airport becomes an exercise in redundancy and futility. 

Local Transportation in Madrid 

Getting around from one place to another (one sight to another, more like) in Madrid is not really a tough task, especially if you have even the most rudimentary understanding of Spanish language. 

Even if you are not at all versed in Spanish, you won't have much difficulties in asking your way around to locals, as English is spoken quite commonly in Madrid. Buses and trains in Madrid are in abundance and they run with frequencies that are good enough for most people. 

If public transport isn't really your thing, you may choose to rent a car with a chauffeur to take you around various sights scattered around the city. That, however, will cost you a lot more than what using public transport will.