Amy Adejokun
Section editor
The El Prado hotel is a small establishment ideally located in the 'Barrio de las Letras', the literary district of Madrid. An unpretentious, but likeable and warm place, where the wine theme, which is present almost everywhere in the hotel, brings a welcome original touch. A perfect base for going off to discover the richness of the city.
El Prado - © EASYVOYAGE
El Prado - © EASYVOYAGE
In the 'Barrio de las Letras', the literary heart of Madrid, on the Calle Prado, between the Plaza de Santa Ana and las Cortes, and a stone's throw away from the Paseo del Prado and the museums of El Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen Bornemisza. The Retiro Park and tapas bars of the Calle de Huertas are also nearby. The closest underground station is Sevilla (line 2). The Madrid-Barajas airport is 7.5 mi away; allow for 25 minutes to get there.
Fitted with a pale parquet floor, the rooms of El Prado Hotel do not have any particular decoration, a picture or whatever, but they are reasonably well equipped. They have individual and discreet air-conditioning, a mini-bar, a free safe with an electronic code, a telephone, wireless internet connection and a flat screen satellite television with 15 channels. A double room, an armchair and a desk complete the ensemble, enlivened by some practical utensils such as a shoehorn or something to wax your shoes with.
The granite bathroom consists of a bath fitted with a handle and a flexible shower head, hospitality products, a hairdryer, a toilet, a bidet, a shaving and tooth-brushing kit, a large mirror taking up the length of the wall, tissues, a sponge and a comb, and all this brightened up with a pot plant. The bedrooms on the 6th and 7th floors benefit from a large balcony with stunning views. They also have a green carpet, a round table and a chair.
The El Prado Hotel, whose name evokes the prestigious eponymous museum which is nearby, is a small establishment of 7 floors housing 48 rooms. Built in 1998, the hotel benefited from a renovation in 2003. It is part of the HCT Group (Hoteles Culturales Tematicos), which also includes the Lope de Vega Hotel, located a little further away. The wine theme can be found on every floor, each devoted to a wine-producing region of Spain (Catalonia, Navarre, Aragon, the Basque Country, Valencia, Extremadura and La Rioja) with framed photographs of the vineyards. You can relax in the Prensa del vino lounge with its library, its basket of apples and its big plasma screen.
The restaurant service is limited to breakfast only, served from 7:30 am to 11:30 am (and from 8:00 am to 11:30 am at the weekend) in the form of a buffet. Breakfast is taken in a room much like a cafeteria, equipped with a large flat screen television, and able to hold up to 40 guests.
Two computers are available in the reception area to surf the internet for free. The whole of the hotel benefits from free wireless connection. On every floor you will find a basket of apples and sweets for you to pick from free of charge. Wine enthusiasts will not miss the opportunity to inform themselves on Spanish wines, due to the photographs and explanations that pepper the walls of the establishment.
Accommodation Advice
Only the rooms on the 6th and 7th floors benefit from a large balcony: where you can enjoy beautiful views. The hotel includes two superior rooms, located on the 7th and last floor. Our favourite is room 407, with its special blue-coloured decoration that includes a very nice blue leather armchair. Every room is equipped with a CD player.
spa, Turkish bath
Bell'albergo. Ottima posizione. Vicinissimo al centro. Abbiamo visitato i monumenti piu' importanti sempre girando a piedi
Bello, pulito, le stanze hanno il parquet e sono grandi. Bagni nuovissimi e colazione molto abbandonante. Ci ritornerei di sicuro
Nessuno.
In the very heart of Madrid, half-way between the Peurta del Sol, the Gran Via, the Neptune Fountain and Plaza Santa Ana, the Astuias hotel is a modest establishment with 175 guest rooms and a restaurant that offers a different menu every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Complete renovations are set to take place in 2011 or 2012, with the aim of obtaining a 4th star. Nevertheless, during our visit, a renovation of the various varieties of guest rooms was not part of the programme and, as it is, some of them are more modern than others.
The Régina is a small, unpretentious hotel ideally located at the heart of Madrid, near the Puerta del Sol Square. It is worth noting that it has a restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, which is rather unusual in small city hotels. An inexpensive hotel which makes an ideal base for exploring the main monuments and places of interest in Madrid.
Nestled in the heart of the barrio de las Metras, the literary area of Madrid, the Urban hotel is an ultra stylish and luxurious establishment. You will be surprised by this boutique hotel's combination of modernity and style with its collection of art objects on presentation all over the hotel. It is a genuine museum-hotel which will please art enthusiasts and fans of originality. Gastronomy, swimming pool, panoramic terrace and sports hall are all part of the package at this fashionable hotel.
The Tryp Atocha is an elegant hotel housed in a lovely historical building on Calle Atocha. It is an ideal base from which to explore the city. A central hotel suitable for athletic types, culture enthusiasts and families.
The Petit Palace Alcala Torre is a small luxury establishment offering excellent service, starting with a computer and free internet access in all the rooms. Housed in an old 1920's building reminiscent of a Chicago sky-scraper, the hotel enjoys an ideal location a stone's throw away from the Puerta del Sol and the Gran Via, right in the centre of Madrid. Revamped to combine 'old-style' with more cutting edge styles, this trendy hotel has a panoramic restaurant with fine views of Madrid.
Nestled in the heart of the barrio de las Letras, the literary district of Madrid, the Real Villa Hotel is an elegant, admirably decorated establishment. A modern boutique hotel where art is never very far away. It boasts a collection of 'objets d'art' dotted here and there throughout the hotel, including, notably, objects from Greek and Roman Antiquity. An upscale hotel ideally located in the heart of Madrid.
With its eclectic style and eccentric atmosphere, the ME Madrid is one of the most avant-garde hotels in the Spanish capital. Belonging to the Sol Meliá chain, it serves a cosmopolitan clientele of business travellers and tourists. The establishment is located in downtown Madrid on one of the city's busiest squares, where you will find a number of nighttime entertainment venues and a rich variety of gastronomic offerings. Some of the hotel's highlights include guest rooms equipped with the latest technology, a musical atmosphere with tropical scents in each corner, a dynamic staff, and a wonderful rooftop terrace where you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the city. The ME Madrid is reminiscent of a New York hotel, particularly because of the atmosphere found in its restaurant and the terrace, where the Gerber Group regularly organises VIP events.
Ideally located in the heart of an area populated by museums and near to Retiro Park, Westin Palace is the mythical hotel of the capital, a real palace which was originally intended to accommodate some of the world's great people. A luxury establishment which is full of history, with faultless comforts and top-notch gastronomy.
Ideally located in the heart of an area populated by museums and near to Retiro Park, Westin Palace is the mythical hotel of the capital, a real palace which was originally intended to accommodate some of the world's great people. A luxury establishment which is full of history, with faultless comforts and top-notch gastronomy.
Nestled in the heart of the barrio de las Metras, the literary area of Madrid, the Urban hotel is an ultra stylish and luxurious establishment. You will be surprised by this boutique hotel's combination of modernity and style with its collection of art objects on presentation all over the hotel. It is a genuine museum-hotel which will please art enthusiasts and fans of originality. Gastronomy, swimming pool, panoramic terrace and sports hall are all part of the package at this fashionable hotel.
The Gran Meliá Fénix has been famous for many years for its status as the hotel where The Beatles stayed in Madrid. Once part of the Tryp hotel brand, it is today the benchmark of the Sol Meliá chain in the Spanish capital. It is a luxurious establishment occupying a privileged location at the heart of the city, and offers rooms that are both comfortable and stylish, and incorporate the very latest technological features. You are sure to be won over by the presence of a jacuzzi in some of the guest rooms, and the views over Plaza de Colón.
This is a truly original, almost museum-like hotel. Each floor was created by a different internationally-renowned architect, Jean Nouvel bagging the 12th and top floor. Basically, this is 12 hotels in one! The Silken Puerta America is the only hotel of its kind in the world and really should be tried at least once for a truly original experience, even 12 times to try all the different concepts! An upmarket establishment which is rather expensive and caters for a business clientele, located near the airport but away from the town centre.
A member of the Spanish AC Hotels Group, the Palacio del Retiro is a high luxury hotel, full of charm, from the early 20th century and listed as a historic monument. This true little palace of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World Group is a haven of peace and tranquillity. A secret hotel, loaded with history, with such comfort and charm that couples on the lookout for culture and romanticism will be delighted to find so close to the magnificent Retiro park.
Nestled in the heart of the barrio de las Letras, the literary district of Madrid, the Real Villa Hotel is an elegant, admirably decorated establishment. A modern boutique hotel where art is never very far away. It boasts a collection of 'objets d'art' dotted here and there throughout the hotel, including, notably, objects from Greek and Roman Antiquity. An upscale hotel ideally located in the heart of Madrid.
With its eclectic style and eccentric atmosphere, the ME Madrid is one of the most avant-garde hotels in the Spanish capital. Belonging to the Sol Meliá chain, it serves a cosmopolitan clientele of business travellers and tourists. The establishment is located in downtown Madrid on one of the city's busiest squares, where you will find a number of nighttime entertainment venues and a rich variety of gastronomic offerings. Some of the hotel's highlights include guest rooms equipped with the latest technology, a musical atmosphere with tropical scents in each corner, a dynamic staff, and a wonderful rooftop terrace where you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the city. The ME Madrid is reminiscent of a New York hotel, particularly because of the atmosphere found in its restaurant and the terrace, where the Gerber Group regularly organises VIP events.
An iconic luxury hotel in Madrid, the Wellington can also be described as a bullfighting establishment because of the many bullfighters and bullfighting events it has hosted since it opened in the 1950s. It is located in one of the most glamorous streets of Madrid, with comfortable rooms and, more recently, two gourmet restaurants, one of which has a Michelin star. Although located in an historical building, the Wellington is a high-class hotel that has adapted to modern times. All of the rooms were renovated in 2010.