Crisol Vía Castellana

I had a great night's sleep in a spacious room on the top floor, with a lovely view over Plaza Castellana and the mountains. The beds were large and comfortable, and the staff were friendly and always ready to help. I stayed at Cristol Via Castellana for four nights over Christmas. Getting around was easy. I arrived by train from the airport at Chamartin station, about a 10-minute walk away, or one bus or metro stop from the hotel. The efficient bus and metro network made it convenient to reach anywhere in Madrid. I didn't try the breakfast or restaurant. Apart from the dining area, there isn't a gym, sauna, pool, or other such feature. I'd strongly recommend it if you want a safe, reliable place away from the busy city center streets.

I booked the day before and heard nothing from the hotel. When I arrived, they told me my room had been canceled because of some kind of system error, but gave no explanation. The whole city was booked, so I was stranded. The woman at reception had a terrible attitude, didn't apologize, and acted like it wasn't her problem. Horrendous service and no customer care at all. If €400 a night gets you this in Madrid, I'd stay away.

We had a good, clean, spacious room. We took bus 27 from the railway station. It was about 22 stops to our hotel, and we got off by the Botanical gardens after a 10-minute walk to the stop. In the lobby, we were greeted by an overflowing rubbish bin, which we complained about.

At 250 EUR per night, this was one of the worst hotels I've stayed in for the price. The only thing I liked was the breakfast orange juice. The place is very outdated and badly needs a refresh, check-in took over 15 minutes, and the breakfast buffet was poor, with low-quality food and even worse coffee. The shower kept switching from scalding hot to freezing cold on its own.