Motel One Madrid Plaza de Espana

"My son had taken his family to Paris last year and discovered the joys of walking almost everywhere and taking convenient European trains as needed. He booked this hotel to achieve those goals. Mission accomplished. Motel One is not remotely a motel. It's a very nice hotel. The exterior looks very austere, almost like an office building. The elevator, bedroom and bathroom were very modern, but the corridors and stairwell hinted that were remodeled from a much older building. In the hallway, stained glass windows and late 19th/early 20th century tile and stone flooring, bannisters, trim around those windows and doors all suggested a longer history. I loved the mix of convenient, comfortable rooms with the preservation of historical elements. The hotel is close to the Plaza de Espana, the Temple of Debod, the Royal Palace, the Campo del Moro and the western terminus of the Gran Via. The neighborhood is full of restaurants and coffee shops and even a grocery chain, Dia. The room had a fridge so buying groceries made sense. But we walked to Cafe Viena twice for breakfast coffee and pastries. Walking around was a great way to get a feel for Madrid. There was so much non-tourism detail to see. I was disappointed to learn only after the last session that a conference open to the public at the Museo Cerralbo had been underway all weekend. We both were disappointed that the Templo de Debod now requires advance booking. Only 15 people at a time may enter the temple itself. The grounds and the overlook around the temple are open to the public and free. My son suggested the overlook would be a good place to view the sun setting over the city. A map view doesn't show that, but go there and see for yourself. It's lovely. Motel One had interesting views, too. We were on the fifth floor and that was high enough to get a perspective on the business side of Madrid. Our stay was very short, and what we did see suggested a couple of weeks in Madrid would be fun if there's a second trip."

"This hotel is in a really good location to explore Madrid centre on foot it’s about 10/15 minute walk to Madrid Palace and 5/10 minutes to Gran Via. We had a special twin room, which was a very good size with comfy beds & very clean. There is no tea or coffee making facilities or iron in the room, but that’s not a massive issue. It’s just something I usually like. Comfy beds are very quiet for a city centre hotel. Hotel staff are very polite and helpful. The breakfast choice is good, brass, ham, cheese, cereal, fruit, tea, coffee, juices etc with gluten-free and vegan options, including yoghurts, breads milks. The USB chargers in the room were not powerful enough to charge my phone but I had a plug adaptor so would recommend bringing one. I would stay here again if I’m lucky enough to return to Madrid."

"Excellent option. I booked direct with the hotel and it was significantly cheaper than booking.com Room was large and bright. No coffee machine in room. They are trying to offer good quality at very good price. So certain frills are missing. The bed was massive and extremely comfortable as were the pillows. I usually stay in airbnb when in Madrid. But will stay here in future visits. The location is also unbeatable. Can't wait to stay here again "