AC Hotel Aravaca

For this area, I think it’s the best hotel. Prices are decent, the rooms are very clean, and reception is very nice. Some rooms could use a bit of refurbishment in style. Breakfast is quite good, with fresh fruit and a decent choice of cereals and bread. Getting coffee is a little annoying because everyone has to use basically one Nespresso machine. They might want to invest in another option.

We were disappointed with our three-night stay. The hotel feels dated, and we had plumbing problems in our room. We stay at Marriott’s all the time, and this was the first one without coffee in the room. The lobby machine was broken, so staff told us to use the one in the bar. When we did, they got annoyed and charged us 5 euros. Staff were generally rude and condescending, and didn’t acknowledge people coming in. I’d recommend staying somewhere else.

The hotel is in a safe, quiet neighborhood of Aracava, and the 162 bus stops right outside regularly. It takes about 10 minutes to reach the subway, so getting into central Madrid was easy and quick. There’s a Burger King and other restaurants nearby. The staff were pleasant and helpful, and breakfast had a good buffet selection. The lady serving breakfast was especially nice and friendly, always asking if we needed anything before she closed up. Thank you for that. My complaints are that we couldn’t find any English or French channels, which seemed strange for a hotel with travellers from around the world, and breakfast starts later on weekends. Not everyone sleeps in then, especially if they have an excursion. If you need to check out, you have to request a “Grab and Go”. I think management should change that. Otherwise, a good hotel in an excellent location.

The front desk staff were the one good part of our stay. They were very helpful. On our first day, while we were eating a snack and waiting for our room, a waitress in the lobby/common area told us, “if you’re going to eat do it at your room”, and kicked us out. We were the only people sitting there and weren’t bothering anyone. We stayed almost a month, and the service overall wasn’t very good. The rooms weren’t cleaned thoroughly; there was dust under the bed and around the room. The bathrooms were uncomfortable, with a glass door that swung both ways, had no lock, and didn’t close completely, so there was no privacy. The hotel is far from the city. If you’re sightseeing or visiting, you need to plan at least an hour and a half ahead when using public transport, which is the best option. Taxis and Uber are expensive. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have no other choice.