Sol and the historic centre
Puerta del Sol, the Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace within a short walk. The most central base, and busy day and night.
Sources and further reading · Sol and the historic centre
Spain
Hotels in Madrid
Madrid’s historic centre is walkable and its metro reaches the rest of the city quickly. Choose between the busy heart around Sol, the elegant streets of Salamanca, or the bars and small shops of Malasaña.
This guide helps you choose an area. Hotel prices and availability are checked when you search with dates and guests.
Get to know the area before choosing a hotel
Salamanca
Wide streets, elegant buildings and shopping, next to the Retiro park. Calmer than the centre and well connected by metro.
Sources and further reading · SalamancaMalasaña
Bars, cafés and independent shops in lively streets north of Gran Vía. Young and animated, especially in the evening.
Sources and further reading · MalasañaGetting in from the airport
Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas (MAD)
Metro line 8 runs from the airport into the city, commuter trains run from Terminal 4, and the Airport Express bus runs to the centre. Check which terminal your airline uses.
Before choosing your address
- Madrid eats late and stays up late. In the centre, ask for an interior room if street noise matters.
- Summers are hot: check that the room has air conditioning.
- The Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen are close together; a hotel between Sol and the Paseo del Prado puts all three on foot.
Worth reading before you book
How to choose a hotel: what to check before you book
The right hotel is not the grandest on the list; it is the one that fits the days you planned. Five checks, in this order.
What you pay at the hotel: taxes, fees and the deposit
The booking closed at one price and the bill shows another. Usually that is not a mistake but a local tax.
How to read a flight before you book: times, stops, duration and the fare rules
Two flights at the same price can be very different trips. Everything that tells them apart is already on the result — it only has to be read in the right order.
