Reservations

Most hotels require at least a day's deposit before they will reserve a room for you. Preferably, this can be accomplished with an international money order or, if agreed to in advance, a personal check or credit card number. You can usually cancel a room reservation 1 week ahead of time and get a full refund. A few hoteliers will return your money up to 3 days before the reservation date, but some will take your deposit and never return it, even if you cancel far in advance. Many budget hotel owners operate on such a narrow margin of profit that they find just buying stamps for airmail replies too expensive by their standards. Therefore, it's important that you enclose a prepaid International Reply Coupon with your payment, especially if you're writing to a budget hotel. Better yet, call and speak directly to the hotel of your choice or send a fax.

If you're booking into a chain hotel, such as a Hyatt or a Forte, you can call toll-free in North America and easily make reservations over the phone. Whenever such a service is available, toll-free numbers are indicated in the individual hotel descriptions.

If you arrive without a reservation, begin your search for a room as early in the day as possible. If you arrive late at night, you have to take what you can get, often for a much higher price than you'd like to pay.

Upon checking in, you'll be asked for your ID (identity card or passport) and to sign a registry form.

Agencies

Check out Madrid & Beyond (tel. 91-758-00-63; www.madridandbeyond.com), an Anglo-American travel company based in Madrid. Staffed by an enthusiastic, English-speaking team of U.K. and U.S. expats, they provide an in-depth knowledge of Spain, and recommend and reserve quality hotels both in Madrid and throughout the country (useful if you're thinking of doing some wider traveling). Their aim is to match each customer's taste and budget with a particular property, and arrange a variety of activities, including walking and cycling tours.

Travel agency Viajes Aira (tel. 91-305-42-24; fax 91-305-84-19; open 7am-midnight) takes hotel bookings at its Terminal 1 and 2 desks at Barajas airport's arrival area. The agency doesn't charge a booking fee and focuses mainly on hotels in the moderate- or midrange category (around 100€-150€/$125-$188 for a double).

The privately run Brújula agency has booking desks at each of Madrid's two main railway stations (Atocha: tel. 91-539-11-73; Chamartín: tel. 91-315-78-94; open 7:15am-9:30pm). The agency charges a booking fee of 2.50€ ($3) and covers every category of hotel, from inexpensive to five-star.