Petit Palace Arenal

After six days trekking the Via de la Plata, we were tired, and this boutique hotel was just what I needed for our two-night stay. My room was lovely, with a very comfortable bed and a good-sized bathroom. The front desk team and other staff were welcoming, friendly, and knowledgeable. It's a terrific location, just minutes from the metro, opera house, Plaza Mayor, and Cava Baja with its tapas restaurants. I'd highly recommend it to anyone after a relaxing stay in a great spot.

The front desk staff are super kind, and the rooms are a comfortable size. It's very central, with good food spots and shopping nearby. I'd suggest asking for a room with an outside view.

For New Year's Eve, here's a tip: the hotel is 10 meters outside the cordoned-off area. When the queue for Sol forms in the evening, you can wait in the lobby. At about 9 p.m., police move the line into the street by the hotel and close everything down. Once they open the gates, you can just go out and skip roughly 2-4 hours in line. We didn't know this and queued until we realized the line was centered outside our hotel. The police were stressed and businesslike, and not very pleasant at that moment. Follow their instructions. No selfie sticks or glass bottles, and they check bags. The hotel itself was perfect for us. It's a stone's throw from Sol, has 24/7 key-card access, and is staffed around the clock. Service from reception and the kitchen was impeccable. The young woman working on 31/12-2025 was a marvel. Breakfast had plenty of variety for a short stay. We had a clean, quiet room with good beds, a nice bathroom, and windows we could open at night.

Staff were wonderful, and the included breakfast was great. The hotel is close to many of Madrid's scenic highlights, with dining options everywhere, and we walked to almost all our destinations. We took a 15-minute taxi from the train station for 13 euros. The driver couldn't drop us at the hotel because cars weren't allowed there, and pointed us the wrong way despite what Google Maps showed. I ignored her and walked about 400 yards, roughly 130 meters, in the opposite direction to reach the hotel. The building has been retrofitted and is nice. There are stairs with enough space for an elevator, and that's where the elevator is. Rooms are small but pleasant, with lots of power outlets but no USB ports. There's a closet, two small nightstands, and a small desk. The bathroom is small too, but the fixtures are really nice. Check-in was easy. A day or so before arrival, the hotel emailed us through Expedia asking for details, including passport number and phone numbers. I felt a little uneasy but filled it in; the others in our group didn't, and it made check-in very easy.