Hostal Dulcinea

The rooms are tiny, but they’ve been nicely renovated and were spotless. I also appreciated having a refrigerator in the room, which isn’t common in many hostales, along with being able to book online reliably. It’s in a great central spot in Madrid, and the restaurant next door, Casa Merani, serves excellent coffee and affordable breakfast and lunch.

The Prado and Puerto del Sol were both walkable, with plenty of bars and restaurants nearby. Getting there was easy on the airport shuttle bus, and there’s an elevator for luggage. I was looking for a central, good-value place as a solo traveler, and this worked out really well. The owners were friendly throughout, even when flight delays made me arrive late, and they let me leave my bags before my evening flight home. My room was basic and looked onto the inner courtyard, but it was quiet at night and the shutters made it completely dark. The air conditioning and shower were great for a Madrid summer. There’s no breakfast, which didn’t bother me, and there’s a Starbucks just around the corner if you want one. I’d recommend staying here.

A clean, decent-sized room with comfortable beds and a roomy bathroom. The shower had strong water pressure and stayed at a consistent temperature. There was a fridge and kettle in the room, everything had been sanitized, and the owners were helpful. The location is excellent.

It’s near the Prado, about a five-minute walk, with lots of bars and restaurants close by. The staff were really friendly and helpful, and the rooms were tidy and very clean, with modern bathrooms and air conditioning. The quality impressed me a lot. It feels more like a four-star hotel than a typical hostel, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Madrid.