2 nights in Madrid any hotel recommendations?

[cruisinqt]

We are staying 4 days in Spain before our transatlantic repositioning cruise out of Barcelona. We are staying two nights in Madrid then two nights in Barcelona with a train ride in between. Does anyone have Madrid hotel recommendations? I’m not even sure what area is the best to stay in. I’ve booked Hotel Jazz for our Barcelona stay (it had tons of good reviews here) but there’s not many recommendations here on CC for Madrid (that I can find anyways.) I haven’t booked the train ride between the two stays either so any help there would be greatly appreciated too. 

[tony s]

Try NH hotels. It is a Spain based chain and excellent 

[marazul]

45 minutes ago, tony s said:

Try NH hotels. It is a Spain based chain and excellent 

And join their loyalty program for discounts on all reservations. 

[edinburgher]

but there’s not many recommendations here on CC for Madrid

 

We stayed for 7 nights in Suites Viena, a Sercotel group aparthotel (not a hotel) and were very comfortable.  Also found it convenient for getting around mostly on foot as it is close to the Royal Palce, Temple of Debob and   Plaza de Espana, a good transport hub to arrive from the airport.  They also offered a breakfast options  but there are two supermarkets less than 5 minutes walk from the building.

 

We enjoyed having a sitting area and the small kitchen.

Note that stay  was pre-pandemic so you should check more recent reviews

 

We returned to the airport by taxi as there was a fixed price fare if within a certain distance, which we were.   i don't know if that is still available or not..

Edited April 10, 2023 by edinburgher

[cruisinqt]

9 hours ago, edinburgher said:

We stayed for 7 nights in Suites Viena, a Sercotel group aparthotel (not a hotel) and were very comfortable.  Also found it convenient for getting around mostly on foot as it is close to the Royal Palce, Temple of Debob and   Plaza de Espana

I’ll check them out thanks. So I guess the area to stay in would be near Royal Palce, Temple of Debob, and Plaza De España then. I’ll keep that in mind. 

[cruisinqt]

11 hours ago, tony s said:

Try NH hotels. It is a Spain based chain and excellent 

Great I’ll check them out but what area should I stay in? I’ve never been to Madrid 

[edinburgher]

So I guess the area to stay in would be near Royal Palce, Temple of Debob, and Plaza De España then.

 

Not at all.  Our stay was much longer than yours so we had the luxury of time and our priorities were very different from what yours will be.

 

With only 2 nights in Madrid you will have only 1 or 1 and 1/2 days there (with jetlag?) and will need to maximize your time as  it is far from an ideal amount of time for a European  city, and a capital at that.

 

You said this

what area should I stay in? I’ve never been to Madrid 

 

You need to spend some time reading about Madrid sights and decide which interest you most and their locations and opening days. There are many websites which can help you with information, including Tripadvisor, and once you know which you would like to visit and their locations, you can look for accommodation in the most convenient location, as your time is going to be really restricted and you want to be able to step out of your accommodation and reach your chosen spots in the least amount of time possible.

 

We found Madrid to be an easily walkable city and used public transport for only two one-way journeys  during our stay as we walked everywhere else.

 

City stays do involve lots of personal research to suit your interests and with such time restraints, nobody can help you with that. 

 

Perhaps the HOHO might suit you best and would give you an overview of the city in a relatively short space of time.

Edited April 11, 2023 by edinburgher

[marazul]

11 hours ago, cruisinqt said:

I’ll check them out thanks. So I guess the area to stay in would be near Royal Palce, Temple of Debob, and Plaza De España then. I’ll keep that in mind. 

The Plaza Mayor is the heart of the city.  Look for hotels between El Prado and the Royal Palace. We like the area around the Opera.  But do your research as to what interests you.

[edinburgher]

Would like to point out that you will have the same time constraints in Barcelona as you say you only  have two nights there, and maybe some of that time will be taken up by travelling between Madrid and Barcelona, you do not say.

 

If these will be first time visits to both cities, if it isn't too late(and you would not lose too much financially)  perhaps you might consider spending all four nights in only ONE of the two cities, which would make for a more relaxed and comprehensive visit.

 

Our first visit to Barcelona was for 7 nights, same as for Madrid, and as even that number of days meant we didn't see everything we wanted to, subsequent visits on cruise calls meant we could fill in the gaps.

[cruisinqt]

8 hours ago, edinburgher said:

With only 2 nights in Madrid you will have only 1 or 1 and 1/2 days there (with jetlag?) and will need to maximize your time as  it is far from an ideal amount of time for a European  city,

We would love to stay there longer but not this trip since we are doing a lengthy transatlantic repositioning cruise. Our cruise is out of Barcelona but we are flying into Madrid because it was cheaper and we had heard the train ride to Barcelona is gorgeous. We were interested in seeing the palace, doing some shopping, and trying out tapas at some nice local restaurants. We are foodies so the food is almost as important as the sightseeing. Our flight is an overnight nonstop flight in premium seats so hopefully we won’t be too jet lagged. We will have 2 full days and on the third day we will be getting on the train first thing in the morning. Hopefully we will be able to come back and stay a week in each city but on this trip it’s just not possible. 

[cruisinqt]

3 hours ago, marazul said:

The Plaza Mayor is the heart of the city.  Look for hotels between El Prado and the Royal Palace. We like the area around the Opera.  But do your research as to what interests you.

Great that’s exactly what I was wanting to know. We will be doing a nonstop overnight flight in premium seats so hopefully we won’t be too jet lagged. But we will have two full days there before heading to Barcelona via train early on the third day (I’ve heard the train ride is very scenic). We were interested in the palace, doing some shopping, and trying out some local restaurants. I’ll look for hotels in that area and I’ll research the area around the opera. Thanks. 

[marazul]

2 hours ago, cruisinqt said:

Great that’s exactly what I was wanting to know. We will be doing a nonstop overnight flight in premium seats so hopefully we won’t be too jet lagged. But we will have two full days there before heading to Barcelona via train early on the third day (I’ve heard the train ride is very scenic). We were interested in the palace, doing some shopping, and trying out some local restaurants. I’ll look for hotels in that area and I’ll research the area around the opera. Thanks. 

Good plan.

Don't miss going to the San Miguel Market behind the Plaza Mayor.  It is a foodies paradise.  Much better than La Boqueria in Barcelona, IMO.  Plan on a prolonged lunch sampling from the many different stalls.  The Galician seafood stall is fantastic.  Try the percebes.

[cruisinqt]

7 minutes ago, marazul said:

Good plan.

Don't miss going to the San Miguel Market behind the Plaza Mayor.  It is a foodies paradise.  Much better than La Boqueria in Barcelona, IMO.  Plan on a prolonged lunch sampling from the many different stalls.  The Galician seafood stall is fantastic.  Try the percebes.

My husband and I are very adventurous with food so that sounds perfect thanks for the suggestions