BrantfordMark
Google
I must admit that I was a bit uneasy about calling the hotel to make a reservation instead of clicking on a booking link or having email correspondence. There was no need for concern. This is a REAL hotel with caring, helpful staff perfectly located in Madrid for sightseeing.||||The key is the owner, Señor Correa. He bought a pallacio 44 years ago and renovated it into a 43 unit hotel. Then he populated it with a breathtaking assortment of antique furniture and ORIGINAL paintings spanning the 17-20th centuries. Some of the furniture actually belonged to kings and queens of Spain. He even has a piece from Napoleon III. This man genuinely cares about his guests and makes every effort to serve them. He speaks Spanish, French and English, but only works there in the mornings. The rest of his staff speak Spanish, so if you don't you'll have to call quite early for North America (we got up at 4am) to make our reservation.||||Mr. Correa has a wealth of knowledge about the city and is more than willing to help with travel plans. There is a breakfast room downstairs with an open access computer and free breakfast rolls. Nothing special about the pastries, but gratis, the cappuchino machine often requires exact change, but works well.||||Our room was clean and the maid tidied it every day, replacing spent supplies. There was a nice bar fridge that was just fine for storing groceries from the nearby Dia market. MANY good places to eat surrounding the hotel. It is also surrounded by bars and clubs, so it can be noisy - especially on weekends. I'd suggest a room not facing the square and earplugs.||||The wifi was pretty good in the hotel, but our wing was dead. I'm a computer guy, so I informed the owner of the specifics just before we left. Honestly, it just wasn't a big deal to us to walk into the lobby or break room to check emails.||||The two double beds in our room were smaller than their North American counterparts, so we shoved the beds together. Very tall folks might find them too short. Storage and outlets were well thought out. The batheoom was clean and well appointed, though compact. It appears they use a different plumbing standard for drains (no traps), so there is a faint odor of sewer gas if you don't plug the tub or sink drains.||||Recommended. A genuine bargain at about 45€ per night.