JESUS DE FUENSANTA / Shutterstock
Hotels in Madrid
At the beginning of the 20th century the Spanish king Alfonso XIII was embarrassed at the sorry state of Madrid’s hotels. How times have changed! In recent years, the city has become a favorite destination with high end international travelers and accommodation has more than met the demand. Famous names have undergone impressive top-to-bottom restorations and a wave of fashionable new properties—many with must-visit rooftop cocktail bars—have opened, especially on and around revitalized Gran Vía and Puerta del Sol.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t get excellent accommodation on a budget. The good news is that Madrid hotels don’t consider July and August to be peak season, and prices fall accordingly. If you prefer to visit when it is cooler, rates in January and February are also typically low. Accommodation is hardest to come by around Easter and during the fiesta of San Isidro in mid-May, when prices rocket. At other times—even in upscale neighborhoods like Salamanca and around the Royal Palace—you can find clean, comfortable accommodation to suit almost any budget.
For short-term and vacation rentals, websites such as Booking.com, and VRBO.com, are good sources of affordable rooms and apartments. The districts of Chueca and Malasaña offer some of the best rates.
Frommer's Star-Rating System (Now Hearts) -- The ratings reflect our personal evaluation of a hotel, based on a variety of overall factors ranging from atmosphere and character to facilities and standard of service. We also believe that a well-maintained, well-located, friendly and affordable hotel is as worthy of a 3-star rating as is a more expensive lodging. We factor value into these rankings. Because our star rating system was being misunderstood by the general public who assumed that one star was a warning of something wrong (it isn't) we changed to a heart symbol in 2025.
Here's what our heart ratings mean:
No heart: Something is off. Proceed with caution.
One heart: A good choice.
Two hearts: A very good choice
Three hearts: A must book! The cream of the crop!
Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
50 Results
- Hotel
Armesto Rooms
In order to offer affordable accommodation in a townhouse a couple of minutes’ walk from the Prado, this boutique guesthouse keeps things simple. The reception is attended only part of the day. Instead, you’ll be sent a code by email which lets you into the building and your room.…$Arts District & Paseos
- Hotel
Artrip
This small hotel in Madrid’s up-and-coming Lavapiés neighborhood is a joy, and what really stands out is the warmth of the welcome and sense of local pride. The tall, slim townhouse has been smartly renovated to make the most of the limited space. The white-painted rooms have simple,…$$Plaza Mayor, La Latina & Lavapiés - Hotel
Ateneo Hotel
One of the first 21st-century hotels to be shoehorned into an old building near Puerta del Sol, the Ateneo set the standard for a modest boutique lodging with its marble and stainless baths with combination tub-showers, its double-glazed windows to keep out the racket of Sol, and its…$Puerto del Sol and Las Letras - B&B
B&B Hotel Madrid Centro Puerta del Sol
This branch of the innovative French B&B chain reflects what you might call the Apple-ization of Puerta del Sol. Its precision-designed rooms have beds which float on a pool of colored light, bathrooms are a matte glass box, hallway lights sleep to save energy. Free coffee and…$Puerta del Sol & Las Letras - Hotel
Brach Madrid
Perhaps Madrid’s coolest hotel, the Brach exemplifies the renewed vibrancy to be found along Gran Vía. It is the work of the legendary French designer Philippe Starck and the Evok chain, who have restored and reworked this 1920s residential palace to capture the spirit of the city’s…$$$Gran Vía, Chueca & Malasaña - Hotel
Central Palace Madrid
If you’re aiming to do royal Madrid on a budget, this charming guesthouse directly opposite the palace is a great choice. Exclusively located in an old building on the crescent of Plaza de Oriente, it offers accommodation in a style that would make the Bourbons feel at home. You’ll…$$Opera & Palacio Real - Hotel
Chic and Basic Dot
Fashionable and friendly, this quirky budget hotel occupies a gracious building a couple of minutes’ walk north of Puerta del Sol. Inside, almost everything in its small, cleverly designed guest rooms is painted a soothing matt green accented with orange—your bed’s headboard is a…$Puerta del Sol & Las Letras - Hotel
CoolRooms Palacio de Atocha
Step through the great wooden doors off bustling Calle Atocha into this elegant hideaway in a restored 19th century residential palace. A flagstone passage with 20-foot ceilings (formerly the carriage entryway) leads to the reception area, dominated by an impressive landmarked wooden…$$$Puerta del Sol & Las Letras - Hotel
Eurostars Central
Wherever you go in Spain, you’re likely to find a Eurostars hotel in a recently renovated building close to the city center—there are a dozen in Madrid. Their hotels are invariably high-quality, comfortable, and clean, and rates—especially last-minute—are often unbelievably good.…$Gran Vía, Chueca & Malasaña - Hostel
Generator Madrid
Generator hostels are known for their hip design and buzzy social spaces, and the Madrid branch is no exception. There’s a cool, retro-style tapas bar on the ground floor, and in warm weather everyone congregates on the multi-colored roof terrace, complete with Jacuzzis and a bar…$Opera & Palacio Real - Hotel
Gran Hotel Inglés
Madrid’s first upscale accommodation, dating from 1886, has reinvented itself as one of the city’s most stylish and happening boutique hotels. Although the name might make you imagine lawns and fountains, it is set down a narrow Las Letras street, directly opposite the lovely old La…$$$Puerta del Sol & Las Letras - Hotel
H10 Villa de la Reina
The brown, taupe, and tan color scheme of the decor might seem masculine, but the huge reproduction portraits of Spanish queens in the lobby signal that this really is the “house of the queen.” Rooms are feminine, but not in the soft and fluffy sense of the word. The desk has to…$$Gran Via, Chueca and Malasana - Hotel
Hostal la Macarena
Good looks are this hotel’s strong suit, and they shouldn’t be underestimated as they can affect the mood of your whole trip. Crisply maintained balconies (with geraniums) are matched inside by simple decor in soothing honey tones. The rooms are also very spacious, especially this…$Plaza Mayor and La Latina - Hostel
Hostal Met Madrid
There are still plenty of noisy, fleabag pensiones in and around Puerta de Sol. This charming guest house isn't one of them. Here you can stay just a few yards from Kilometer Zero for as little as 80€ and get quiet comfort and cleanliness. Set in a little passage just off the Calle…$Puerta del Sol & Las Letras - Hotel
Hostal Persal
A budget hotel rather than a hostel, this cheap and cheerful place couldn’t be better located for the bar-hopping nightlife, but if you are looking for a quiet break this is probably not for you. The Persal occupies a grand, flat-fronted block on a pedestrianized square just off…$Puerta del Sol & Las Letras - Hotel
Hostal Sil & Serranos
Under the same ownership as the Hostal Macarena, this hostal is decorated in a low-key, rather old-fashioned style, but every room is large by Spanish standards, and they all have air conditioning. Most have marble and tile baths, usually with tub showers rather than shower stalls,…$Gran Via, Chueca and Malasana - Hotel
Hotel Catalonia Gran Vía
Location is key for this older hotel. It was one of the first buildings constructed on Gran Vía and was designed by one of Antoni Gaudí’s teachers, Emilio Salas y Cortés. Renovated many times since its construction in 1898, it’s one of the larger hotels on the street. That footprint…$$Gran Via, Chueca and Malasana - Hotel
Hotel Catalonia Puerta del Sol
The cool ashlar stones of the interior courtyard in this grand 18th-century building offer a welcome oasis after a hot day’s city walking. The Catalonia is not exciting in comparison to some of Madrid’s newer hotels, but it does offer great value and courteous comfort in a location…$$Puerta del Sol & Las Letras - Hotel
Hotel Cortezo
This bargain hotel is adjacent to the Cine Ideal and the Teatro Nuevo Apolo. Decor tends toward the gentleman’s club boutique look with white linens, dark wooden headboards, and brushed stainless steel trim. Masterful photography of Madrid architectural details may inspire some of…$Puerta del Sol and Las Letras - Hotel
Hotel De Las Letras
Built for the Count of Artaza while Gran Vía was still under construction in 1917, this former noble home was transformed into a boutique hotel with a literary theme in 2005. It was a leader in rehabilitating Gran Vía. A few touches remain from the count’s era: the quaint polished…$$Gran Via, Chueca and Malasana - Hotel
Hotel Mediodía
Built back when the Atocha train station was still called Mediodía, this is one of the rare hotels left with true single rooms as well as plenty of doubles, triples, and quadruples. The large rooms are especially handy for families. Like all older hotels, accommodations vary. Some…$Arts District and Paseos - Hotel
Hotel Moderno
Family-owned and actively managed since it opened in 1939, the Moderno keeps reinventing itself without losing the charm that has always made it one of the nicer lodgings on Puerta del Sol. The building dates from 1857, and some of the internal structure prevents the expansion of the…$$Puerta del Sol and Las Letras - Hotel
Hotel Opera
Literally around the corner from the Palacio Real in one direction and the Teatro Real in another, Hotel Opera has a regal but modern feel. The modern-box architecture won’t win any awards, but management saved its best touches for the interior. All rooms face the exterior, which…$$Opera and Palacio Real - Hotel
Hotel Preciados
This handsome Belle Époque structure maintains its original grand facade, though the interior was gutted to construct this pleasant five-story boutique hotel. Location is about as central as you can find in Madrid, edging toward Gran Vía from Puerta del Sol and up the hill from the…$$$Opera and Palacio Real - Hotel
Hotel Urban
Situated close to Spain’s parliament (Palacio de las Cortes) and convenient for the Prado, the Urban is sophisticated, architectural, and luxurious. It occupies a contemporary building with a soaring central atrium. The style is Art Deco, punctuated by exquisite items of primitive…$$$Puerta del Sol & Las Letras - Hotel
Iberostar Las Letras
From the moment you step through the revolving door of this grand corner block at the lower end of Gran Vía you know you’re in good hands. The English-speaking staff are particularly welcoming and helpful. Behind the 1915 façade, the design is simple, stylish, and literary: bright…$$Gran Vía, Chueca & Malasaña - Hotel
Ibis Styles Madrid Prado
Clever folks, those Ibis designers. This modest modern hotel just outside Plaza Santa Ana lacked any architectural distinction, so Ibis invented a theme that makes every room seem lively and fun. Each of the six floors is keyed to a Spanish wine region, while the individual rooms are…$Puerto del Sol and Las Letras - Hotel
Icon Wipton
Set in an extensively refurbished building in Madrid’s poshest neighborhood, the Wipton hums with well-bred luxury and efficiency. The color scheme is straight out of a high-end catalogue—cornflower blue, pastel grays, and moleskin—with hints of vintage aviation. The mid-sized rooms…$$$Salamanca, Retiro & Chamberí - Hotel
Intelier Palacio San Martín
This elegant property served as the first American embassy in Madrid and years later was converted into a luxury hotel. That conversion did retain some of the nicer features of this National Heritage building, including crown moldings, an anachronistic wooden elevator, and vast…$$Opera and Palacio Real - Hotel
JC Rooms Santa Ana
With its aggressive social media marketing, and eye-popping decor in fully saturated colors, it’s pretty clear that the JC Rooms group is geared to a young and plugged-in clientele. This hotel group has reinvented the old-fashioned rooming house as limited-service hotels with great…$Puerto del Sol and Las Letras - Hotel
JC Rooms Santo Domingo
This budget boutique hotel offers brightly decorated rooms aimed at a young clientele. It also quite well located, occupying a strategic spot just off Gran Vía. Rooms are themed to different European countries; some have walls with gigantic photos, others have broad splashes of…$Opera and Palaceo Real - Hotel
Mandarin Oriental Ritz Madrid
When Alfonso XIII married in 1906, he was dismayed that Madrid lacked accommodation befitting his guests, so he engaged César Ritz to consult on the design for this legendary hotel a stone’s throw from the Prado. More than a century after it opened in 1910, many of its gorgeous Belle…$$$Arts District & Paseos - Hotel
NH Nacional
When the NH hotel chain took over this venerable railway hotel, they gutted the building and constructed a modern hotel inside the shell. The rooms are not very big, but from the wood-laminate floors to the granite sinks to the brushed stainless cabinet knobs and trim, everything is…$$Arts District and Paseos - Hotel
Only You Hotel Atocha
Gloriously eccentric, this hotel could hardly be further away in style from the grande dames of the Ritz and the Palace. Set in an unremarkable 19th-century block close to Atocha station, inside it feels like a New York vintage furniture warehouse. The aesthetic is mid-century…$$Arts District & Paseos - Hotel
Palacio de los Duques Gran Meliá
A 13th-century convent and the 19th-century palace of the Dukes of Granada have been combined to form this luxurious hotel just around the corner from the Teatro Real opera house. Behind the Isabelline façade, thoroughly renovated interiors fuse historical architecture with…$$$Opera & Palacio Real - Hotel
Pestana Plaza Mayor
A number of privately-owned apartments are available for rent via Airbnb right on Plaza Mayor, but when it comes to hotels the Pestana is your sole option. And it’s less expensive than you might imagine given the exclusive setting and the degree of comfort on offer here. When you…$$$Plaza Mayor, La Latina & Lavapiés - Hotel
Posada del León d’Oro
Cava Baja is many people’s favorite Madrid street, bursting with bar and restaurant life, but you need to be sure you want to stay in such a lively area. If you do, Posada del León d’Oro is a great choice. There’s been a coaching inn here since the 19th century, and glass panels on…$$ - Hotel
Radisson RED Madrid
This buzzy place close to the Reina Sofía is geared toward art-loving millennials, with Instagram-worthy interiors and high-energy social spaces. The color red features throughout, from the bear sculpture in the entrance (homage to Puerta del Sol’s famous statue) to the velvet booths…$$Arts District & Paseos - Hotel
Room Mate Alicia
The Room Mate hotels want to be your best friend. Each is branded with a personality and when you click on the web site you’ll get a fictitious rundown as if you were reading someone’s Facebook page. This approach has proved enormously successful for the group, which has several such…$$Puerta del Sol and Las Letras - Hotel
Room Mate Macarena
The sassy Room Mate chain has six hotels in Madrid’s hot spots, none better situated than this one next to the famous Carrion building halfway up Gran Vía. Basic rooms offer a great-value base from which to embrace the neighborhood’s legendary nightlife, while an upgrade gives you…$$Gran Vía, Chueca & Malasaña - Hotel
Room Mate Mario
When Tomás Alía designed this early Room Mate hotel, his toughest task was to exorcise the youth hostel that used to occupy the building. He pulled it off with bold graphic design. The black and white corridors lead to rooms awash in white with bright pops of abstract color. Standard…$Opera and Palacio Real - Hotel
Room Mate Oscar
Set in the gay district of Chueca, this hotel’s imaginary friend is Óscar, who describes himself as “cosmopolitan, night owl, modern, and very friendly.” The thumping beats of the colored-glass lobby give way to spotless, spacious bedrooms, futuristically decked out in lime, orange,…$$Gran Vía, Chueca & Malasaña - Hotel
Rosewood Villa Magna
Set back from the tree-lined Paseo de la Castellana in posh Salamanca, this luxury property lacks the exterior looks of high-end competitors like the Ritz, but inside it is the last word in contemporary style and comfort. No detail is overlooked in its 154 guest rooms and suites, its…$$$Salamanca, Retiro & Chamberí - Hostel
The Hat Madrid
In a prime location just outside Plaza Mayor, this boutique hostel is a favorite with young travelers—not least because of its rooftop bar where the vibes are immaculate. The Hat offers a range of mixed and female-only dorms with bunk beds, as well as double rooms and suites with…$Plaza Mayor, La Latina & Lavapiés - Hotel
The Madrid Edition
The ornate granite doorway by the 18th century architect Pedro de Ribera is just the first thing to strike you at the Madrid branch of Ian Schrager’s achingly hip hotel chain. Inside, a stunning white marble spiral staircase sweeps through the lobby, where fashionistas share…$$$Puerta del Sol & Las Letras - Hotel
The Palace Hotel
Occupying an entire block directly opposite the Ritz, the Palace was also created at the suggestion of Alfonso XIII. When it opened in 1912 it was the first hotel in Madrid to feature in-room bathrooms and telephones. In 2025, the Palace completed a comprehensive makeover that…$$$Arts District & Paseos - Hotel
Thompson Madrid
Europe’s first hotel from Hyatt’s on-trend Thompson brand occupies a 10-story block on Plaza del Carmen, one of the city’s liveliest spots, a short walk from Puerta de Sol and Gran Vía. The rooms are of sophisticated modern design, with warm wood paneling, mid-century furniture, and…$$$Puerta del Sol & Las Letras - Hotel
Velázquez 45 by Pillow
Set in the most exclusive part of town, between Salamanca’s Velázquez and Serrano Metro stations, this 5th-floor guesthouse offers access to the highlife on a budget. Following a recent total refurbishment and rebrand, the decor is tastefully modern with calming colors, hardwood…$Salamanca, Retiro & Chamberí - Hotel
Vincci The Mint
Styled by Barcelona designer Jaime Beriestain, The Mint refers to the color scheme throughout, a range of pale greens and the ever-present teal. The hotel occupies a curlicued former insurance company building in a prime spot at the bottom of Gran Vía, and the understated design…$$Gran Vía, Chueca & Malasaña - Hotel
VP Jardín de Recoletos
This contemporary apart-hotel is located in leafy Recoletos, a short walk from Retiro park and the luxury shops of Salamanca. A new build dating from 1999, its marble lobby and paneled ceilings feel strangely dated, a little bit last century. The guest rooms, however, are elegant and…$Salamanca, Retiro & Chamberí
