Catalonia Atocha

We spent our mornings and evenings out exploring, then relaxed at the hotel in the afternoons. It felt like a nice little oasis in the city, with a rooftop pool and bar, sun terrace, spa services, an indoor relaxation pool for an extra charge, and a rain shower in the room. The breakfast was excellent, with lots of choices and Spanish favorites like tortilla or churros with melted chocolate. Both the hotel and rooms were very clean, and the staff were friendly and helpful.

We had a wonderful stay with our 8-month-old daughter. The staff were attentive and always happy to help, and we really enjoyed the breakfast, both the service and the food selection. We forgot her swimming costume, but reception was very helpful and sent it back to us. We’ll be back!

The rooms were clean and the staff pleasant, but I wouldn’t call this a 4-star hotel. It’s a great 2-star hotel. The staff weren’t especially knowledgeable, for example, they had no idea about the hot tub listed on the website. Our first room had a loud, broken heater, but they quickly found us another. Breakfast was mediocre for the high price, even by hotel standards, and the bathroom doors offer very little privacy.

The location was the best part for me: right by the train and an easy walk to Plaza Mayor. But for what we paid, I expected more, and I’ll look elsewhere when I’m back in Madrid. The hotel felt closer to a 2-3 star place than a luxury one, and when problems came up, there wasn’t much urgency in sorting them out. One morning there was no warm water for showers. Another day, after our room had been cleaned, we came back to find no towels at all, not even the used ones. We called down and were told towels would be brought up, then waited 20 minutes without an update and had to call again several times. We weren’t rushing to an evening reservation, but waiting around after a long day was still frustrating and uncomfortable. The next day, our safe had a problem and it took three more calls to get help. We didn’t include breakfast in our stay, so I can’t comment on it. The rooftop menu was very limited, with only three items, including a burger and Caesar salad.