AC Madrid Airport

When I checked in, everyone at the front desk was so welcoming and friendly, and they helped me with everything. I even left my coat behind, and the staff went out of their way to help me sort it out. The service was amazing. Perfect!

I wish I’d read these reviews before booking. Our experience matched several of the complaints others have raised about the location, service, and state of the building. The hotel seemed not to care about the people staying there. The area looked poor: abandoned buildings, squatters, and heaps, even truckloads, of garbage. We had to walk past it to reach a nearby hotel restaurant for dinner. At check-in, a rather unfriendly customer service person said the restaurant only served dinner late, after 8 p.m., because “Spaniards eat late.” We’d spent two weeks in central Madrid beforehand and had no trouble eating before 8. Most of the guests we saw at night having drinks, where the server was unfriendly, and in the morning were Americans, with a few Germans. We didn’t see any Spaniards. Most of the room lights didn’t work. When I checked the bedside lights, both bulbs had been unscrewed, and the only other lamp, on the desk, was unplugged. It definitely seemed like a “cost control measure.” The air conditioning was either on and very cold or off. Adjusting the thermostat made no difference. I have status, though less than I used to, but we were put in a room at the end of the hall. The emergency exit door was open, and the housekeeping staff room was just beyond our wall, so we could hear someone banging around. The hallway there looked as if it hadn’t been maintained in decades, beaten up, filthy, with rusted metal...

The room was huge and pleasant, and the staff and shuttle drivers were great. For the shuttle, look for the yellow Centauro one, which leaves often. The hotel is in an industrial district, so it’s really only a good fit if you need to be near the Madrid airport. I slept well for the night.

The hotel is pretty nice and quite close to Barajas Airport, though getting downtown takes about a 20-minute taxi ride. Cleanliness was good, and the food was good too. They offer a “satisfied meal” for breakfast. On Saturday and Sunday the chef was missing, so we only had sandwiches for the rest of the day. There’s a small, clean gym, but some of the fitness equipment wasn’t working. Would we come back? Yes!