Hotel Francisco I

Breakfast was excellent, generous, and offered lots of choice. The rooms were clean and modern, and the staff were helpful, friendly, and polite, with great customer service overall. The hotel overlooks a pedestrian street but is still easy to reach from the main road. It’s a lovely place, well located for visiting Madrid’s main attractions, and good value for money. I’d recommend it to anyone.

The rooms were extremely noisy. We could clearly hear people talking in the hallway and sounds from other rooms, which made it hard to rest, especially with our small child. The whole experience fell far below what I expected from the hotel’s rating, and I definitely wouldn’t choose it again. We had booked a Superior Double Room for three nights, but when we arrived at around 2:00 AM, we were shocked to be given a windowless room for disabled guests, with a bathroom layout and medical-style equipment all over the place. It wasn’t what we expected or paid for. I went to reception to explain, but the woman at the desk was extremely rude and unhelpful. She said our options were to pay extra for a suite or take a room with a smaller bed, with no refund. Her English was very poor, and it was so hard to communicate that we were still discussing it at nearly 4:00 AM. We were travelling as a family with our two-year-old. Exhausted, with no real alternative, we had to accept the smaller room without a refund. It was a terrible start to our first night in Madrid. Be very careful when choosing a room. Honestly, I’d recommend not paying before you’ve seen it. We were very disappointed.

We had no downside at all, and couldn’t recommend the hotel more highly. Francisco I Boutique Hotel is small and high quality throughout, with lovely attention to detail. Some places call themselves boutique, but this one really felt like a boutique hotel. The location was outstanding, just a 4-5 minute walk to the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, and Puerto del Sol. Emilio at reception took great care of us beforehand and at check-in. We were in room 607, a top-floor room with a terrace. The breakfast room and breakfast were outstanding, with fresh, quality produce beautifully presented, plus fantastic poached eggs on request. Jovie, Daren, and Anthony were always happy, helpful, and polite. And a special thank you to Jovie for noticing my injured hand and bringing ice packs when needed. We also recommend Tio Free Walking Tours. Nic was excellent. What a fantastic stay in Madrid and at the hotel. Thanks, all. Nigel & Liz Stonier

The glass bathroom door wasn’t to my taste, and there was noise both outside and inside the hotel. Still, it was a pleasant stay and great value for the money, and I’d choose it again. The location was excellent, the staff were friendly and polite and quick to help, especially at reception. The rooms were clean, with daily housekeeping, and breakfast was tasty with plenty of variety.