Akeah Hotel Gran Via

The location is the big plus: close to the sights but in a less touristy area, with a metro station across the street. The hotel has a beautiful design, and our room was quiet with a very comfortable bed. Mana and Claudia made check-in friendly and easy. We stayed three nights and would come back when we're in Madrid.

The location is good, but the way a serious security concern was handled left me feeling unsafe and ignored. While I was in my room, someone opened the door even though the DO NOT DISTURB sign was clearly up. I called out, and the person ran off without answering. I don't believe it was housekeeping, since they shouldn't enter a room marked Do Not Disturb, and running away made it even more alarming. I reported it right away after Claudia texted to ask how my stay was going. She said she would look into it, but I never heard back. When I later spoke to her at the front desk, she was cold and dismissive. She said I would have to file a lawsuit to review camera footage. A guest shouldn't need legal action to get basic transparency after something that could be a security breach. She also pointed out that a key card is needed to access the floors, which didn't address the fact that someone had opened my room door. I got no proper explanation, follow-up, or apology. The service seemed to depend on who I dealt with. The gentleman at the front desk when I arrived was professional and welcoming, and helped me so well that I upgraded my room. The later response was completely different. I can't recommend the hotel. Nice rooms and a good location don't make up for this, and I was lucky to be in the room when it happened. Others might not be. I also want to be specific: I'd heard rumors that native individuals from Madrid are racists, and based on how Claudia treated me, I think she is one of them.

Our room was clean and very neat, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Alicia welcomed us warmly and was happy to let us check in before 3 p.m., so we could get into the room early.

The location is good for city attractions, and the place was clean and reasonably priced. But the room is tiny, maybe 3-4 square meters for the entry area, with the bed and only about 60 cm around it. The rest of the rectangular space is split between a WC with sink of roughly 2 square meters and a shower of about 1 square meter. You step straight out of the shower into the entry area. The bathroom gets light from the bed area through a glass wall, so turning on the WC light lights up the bed too. At least you can't see someone using the toilet from the bed. The layout has a very intimate Japanese feel and is probably better suited to one person. There was a coffee machine on the small desk with just one pod for two people. You have to buy any more at reception. Also, the two bartenders don't speak English, which seems odd for a hotel in central Madrid. A mixed experience.