Hotel Chamartin the One

The front desk staff were patient and very helpful, the buffet had a good range of food, and being above the metro made airport access easy. But for the nightly price, the room quality and cleaning were very poor. In room 316, the key cards wouldn’t work during our entire two-night stay, despite several attempts and even changing the batteries. Soiled towels were left on the floor, and the room cleaner asked us to reuse them. I had to call reception for fresh towels, and even then the cleaner seemed reluctant to provide clean ones. On one occasion, the door was left unlocked after cleaning. They provide bottled water only on the first night, so keep that in mind for a longer stay. It felt like the hotel was cutting corners everywhere. Definitely not a four-star experience.

The room was quiet, and even on the second floor I couldn’t hear the trains. It was large, and the heating worked very well. Reception staff were kind and helpful. The breakfast was quite good, especially the pan-fried eggs, and the scrambled eggs were among the best. The hotel sits right above Chamartín station. There’s no parking at the hotel, but a car park is five minutes away.

The service was good, and we were able to get into our clean, tidy room early. It’s a useful location if you need a train, since this is a major hub, though coming in from the airport light rail, we had trouble finding the entrance. Renovations meant the back door was being used as the main entrance, with no sign to point it out. For some reason it was propped open day and night, and the lobby felt very cold, as did the weather outside. There was nowhere to get a drink in the lobby except the full-service restaurant.

The second-floor cafe and cozy bar were a welcome spot on a cold, rainy day, especially with the nearby train restaurants torn up. I was starving and had an Americana burger with bacon and eggs, house fries, and chocolate helado. Everything was delicious, and they served it quickly since I had a train to catch. The staff were friendly and the place felt inviting. We’ve passed through Charmartin station many times, and The One is a fantastic hotel to stay at too.