Palacio Tirso de Molina - THE ARC COLLECTION

For the price, the stay fell well short of what was advertised. Our washing machine had no dryer, and there wasn't even a fan for drying clothes. Housekeeping was very limited, mostly making the bed and occasionally loading the dishwasher. There were lots of flies on the ground floor, which made me question how well the place was maintained. The gym and pool were listed as facilities, but the pool was closed for renovations, and the open gym was dusty, with white particles and plaster debris from the work. It didn't feel pleasant or safe to use. The air conditioning barely worked, and there was almost no air circulation in the rooms. Towels weren't replaced unless we requested it and paid an extra fee, which felt unreasonable given the room rates. Wi-Fi was consistently slow and unreliable, and staff were generally unhelpful when we raised issues. Their service felt indifferent rather than accommodating.

It was easy to walk to most places from this centrally located apartment-style hotel. The space was modern, clean, and cute, and the staff were amazing and very accommodating. I loved it.

The apartment itself was large and nice, with a living room, kitchen and dining area, bedroom, lots of wardrobe space, and a good-sized bathroom. It was fairly well located, within walking distance of Plaza Mayor and the museums. Still, it wasn't fully equipped. There was no cooking oil, paper towel, cling wrap, or aluminum foil, and we couldn't find instructions for the kitchen appliances, aircon/heater, or washing machine. Laundry pods had to be requested at reception. There were no clothes pegs, full-length mirror, or standard news channels. The washer came with a foldable drying rack, but no dryer. Towels weren't changed for free. The fee was €5 or €7 depending on who you asked, as even reception staff weren't always sure. The park just outside had rowdy people hanging around, smoking and making a lot of noise most nights. Police came by almost nightly to check on them and quiet things down. Reception is up a long flight of stairs, so you'll have to carry your luggage. Only one person works the small 24-hour desk, and if they're called away, you have to wait. We waited about 30 minutes to check in after someone ahead of us asked to change rooms. It was hard to judge the service, since nobody was there when we came and went most of the time. There's a 24/7 Carrefour across the park, which works well as a cab pickup and drop-off point.

We were there with our two kiddos and had an awesome stay. The apartment had tons of space and even a washing machine. The bathrooms came with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion, which isn't something we've found in many places. It's a fantastic "hotel" in a great location. There's a pretty flower market and some cafes in the park outside, along with a fair number of bums. But that's city living.