Exe Convention Plaza Madrid

If you know in advance that you’ll need a cab to get around, the hotel is fine, unless you’re here for an event at the hotel. It’s not near much, including our offices, but that’s easy to check on a map beforehand. My room was comfortable, though the walls didn’t block sound well, something I’ve often found in Spain. Reception was very friendly when I checked in late at night. The bar closes at 23:00, which is a shame.

The hotel made a better base for Madrid than a full four-star leisure stay. It’s in a safe area, even at night, with a direct metro or bus ride of around 45 minutes to the city centre. Free public parking nearby was a big plus. The breakfast was fresh and varied, with both general and local choices, and weekend service ran later. Day staff were friendly, attentive, and efficient. The air conditioning worked well with no restrictions, which was a welcome surprise. The standard room, once we got the right one, was clean and a decent size, with a comfortable bed and renovated shower. The minibar was well stocked, but pricey, and you couldn’t check the prices beforehand, which felt a bit like a trap. Our first night was a letdown because we were mistakenly put in a poorly maintained twin room. On the second night they fixed it by moving us to a proper queen bed in a standard room. On-site parking costs €18 a day, which seems steep when free parking is available nearby. The bathroom tries for a modern look, but the semi-transparent door doesn’t block sound or smells, which can be awkward with the open-plan layout. It feels geared toward business guests and events, with lots of meeting rooms but no proper guest bar or lounge where you can relax during the day. I didn’t use the gym, but from outside it looked very basic. With the good breakfast, quiet surroundings, and public transport, it’s a solid value if you’re not expecting luxury. The service was generally good and the corrected room met expectations, but design issues and the lack of a proper bar keep it from feeling like a full four-star experience.

The room wasn’t huge, but it was cosy, and they made sure our request for a bathtub was met. They also left a lovely surprise for my belated birthday celebration during our late November stay. It’s a 15-minute walk to the metro, then under half an hour into central Madrid, and there’s a good supermarket 10 minutes away. The only downsides were some corridor noise around 9am on Saturday, maybe from cleaners, and not being able to figure out the heating. The hot bath made that less of an issue. I’d come back.

Worst hotel I’ve stayed in. They put me in a ground floor room while a disco party was going until 4 a.m. There was no kettle or water on the floor, and no air conditioning.