Landing the Best room -- Somebody has to get the best room in the house. It might as well be you. You can start by joining the hotel's frequent-guest program, which may make you eligible for upgrades. A hotel-branded credit card usually gives its owner "silver" or "gold" status in frequent-guest programs for free. Always ask about a corner room. They're often larger and quieter, with more windows and light, and they often cost the same as standard rooms. When you make your reservation, ask if the hotel is renovating; if it is, request a room away from the construction. Ask about nonsmoking rooms, rooms with views, rooms with twin, queen- or king-size beds. If you're a light sleeper, request a quiet room away from vending machines, elevators, restaurants, bars, and discos. Ask for a room that has been most recently renovated or redecorated.
If you aren't happy with your room when you arrive, ask for another one. Most lodgings will be willing to accommodate you.
Renting & House Swapping -- Interested in living like the Madrileños live? A rental agency called The Right Vacation Rental Company (www.therightvacationrental.com) rents properties right in the heart of the old Austrias district. You can also rent a weekend Casa Rural (country cottage or flat) up in the mountains or down in the wooded valleys of the richly varied Comunidad de Madrid, barely an hour away from the city center. This provides a relaxing break from the pressures and stimulations of the big city and gives you an idea of what life is like in Madrid province. For more rental properties, check out www.turismosierraoeste.com or www.alorustico.com.
House-swapping is becoming a more popular and viable means of travel; you stay in their place, they stay in yours, and you both get an authentic and personal feel for a place, the opposite of the escapist retreat that many hotels offer. Try HomeLink International (www.homelink.org), the largest and oldest home-swapping organization, founded in 1952, with more than 11,000 listings worldwide ($75 for a yearly membership). It has a number of apartments available for exchange in Madrid.
