Hostal Cervantes

The two brothers who run this place are caring, personable and attentive to details. They communicate well, are always willing to help, and give useful advice about what to do and how to avoid tourist traps. Their service keeps me and my family coming back whenever we're in Madrdid. The place is ultra clean, comfortable and quiet, a good place to rest in a loud city. I love staying here in the heart of Spain and will keep giving them my business when I visit Madrid from New York.

We had a private room with a double bed, a single bed and a bathroom. It wasn't very large, but worked perfectly for resting between outings around Madrid. Everything was clean, and there was a TV, bedside tables, a desk and some shelves. The room and bathroom both had good lighting; the shower was roomy with great pressure. The AC was there, though it only kept the temperature around 25°C. Our host was friendly and left us alone, and even let us check in two hours early. We'd definitely stay again.

The location is really good, near attractions like museums, tapas bars and the botanical garden, as well as metro and bus stations and a local market. The price felt fair for what we got. The place is simple, the bed was comfy and the room temperature was fine. It was cleaned every day, including fresh towels, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Highly recommended.

If you're after somewhere somewhat cheap and cheerful, this fits the bill. Our late arrival was fine, and the night manager greeted us pleasantly despite speaking little or no English. The room was clean and neat, though small, with two single beds instead of what our travel-weary faces had hoped for in a twin room. The AC was set to a comfortable 24 degrees. The location is pretty good, close to Madrid's train station. The old elevator is around 1928 vintage, with busted doors you had to bang shut in different combinations to get it moving. In the bathroom, the floor was deadly slippery when wet. Getting past the shower screen bolted onto the tub felt like doing Warrior Pose and then One legged Crane Pose. The mixer tap sat at knee height on the side of the bath, so turning around could bump it from comfortable to freezing or scalding hot. I was hopping around and nearly slipped to my death. The bathroom was so tiny that the loo roll was in the cupboard above the cistern, making you bend backwards like a praying mantis to reach it. The single bed was only marginally better than a camp bunk. I slept a solid 1.3 hours, waking whenever I moved or tried to roll over because I was afraid of falling onto the floor. In the morning, the window was bolted shut, seemingly seized that way since 1970. Through a small crack of daylight, I could see a clothesline and the next building's inner courtyard.