Dobleve

We’re in Madrid often and have figured out the places we like pretty well.  We like the Sol and Chueca neighborhoods of Madrid as places to stay, they are close to great food, museums and other attractions in town.  

Some of our favorite places to stay are:

Hotel Mario and Hotel Laura, both are part of the Room Mate hotel chain (Casa Migueletes which we mentioned in our Granada recommendations is also part of the chain, this is one weird coincidence, we discovered these places when they were independent hotels, they have since joined this marketing group but the quality and feel has remained that of a trendy independent hotel).  Both hotels are located near Sol with easy access to the Metro.  Both also feature modern rooms with funky modern decor; the standard rooms can be quite small but are well equipped, the executive rooms are much bigger for not much more money.  A word of caution on the Laura, some rooms are 2 stories with a clever but steep staircase leading to the bed; if this will cause you trouble be sure to ask for a single-story room.  Like Migueletes, these both also have a great breakfast and friendly staff who speak both Spanish and English.  Expect to pay 80-100€ per night for a standard room, depending on the time of the year.  They have another hotel in Chueca called Hotel Oscar which we have passed by, its in a great location, and we plan to try it on a future trip; I expect you won’t go wrong here either.

Hotel Preciados is a modern hotel near Sol with a polished warm and very modern european feel.  The rooms are very nice, we were lucky enough to be upgraded to a corner room last time we were here, it was huge and very nice to relax in.  The staff is friendly here too and speak English and Spanish, but they are a touch more formal than the staff at the Mario and Laura.  Expect to pay 150-180€ per night for a standard room.

Hostal La Macarena – 913 65 92 21, Cava San Miguel 8.  Around the corder from Plaza Mayor in a cute twisty street (making it a little tricky to find at night) is the La Macarena.  Its not fancy but its not run-down either; its a low to moderately priced hotel that is comfortable, quiet and a great value.  The rooms are nicely sized but the décor and furniture is what you might expect in a lower-priced place – nice, comfortable and durable but not fancy or modern.  Expect to pay 60-70€ per night, you need to call for reservations and its unlikely the receptionist will speak much English but they will be forgiving of your Spanish if you get the words mostly right.  A good guide book probably has the phrases you need in its dictionary.