The reception had friendly, helpful and English speaking receptionists 24/7.
Our arrival at midnight from the airport posed no problem.
The sofa bed for my daughter was OK for her, although that's because she's quite small, I wasn't able to sit on it without the springs sinking to the floor. Our beds were better, although two single beds shoved together doesn't really do the same as a double bed. There was adequate bedding and the bedding was changed as needed by the maids.
The bathroom was insanely small, not helped by the fact that the door opened into it. When you turned up the water tap in the sink, it sent out a fine jet in all directions that completely soaked the floor and the toilet tissues. It really does only fit one person at a time and it seemed impossible to use the sink or the shower without drenching the entire room.
The hotel provided a coffee maker and individual packs for a cup at 2 Euros a time. There was a fridge full of temptations like chocolates and alcohol that were just as overpriced. However, there was no pressure to use any of this. There was plenty of room in the fridge for our own drinks, milk and other basic groceries. There was a small kitchen area consisting of the fridge, a microwave and a sink.
There were plenty of electrical sockets.
There was a flat panel TV that showed about a dozen Spanish Language channels.
The wifi was reasonably good. I used it a lot and only had issues with it slowing down once during the week I was there. Even then it was relatively short lived. The signal was mediocre, my tablet lost it's connection at one end of the room, although I could use my laptop anywhere.
The room itself was spacious and clean. The maids came in every day, tidied up, mopped up and changed the towels and bed linen as required.
We booked the room on the hotels own web site, as a result we got free breakfasts. They were served from about 7:30 to 10:30 and did tend to get a bit crowded toward the end of the morning although we never had to wait for a seat. The selection was OK, but breakfast bar itself was too small and one of the tables was far too close. There were one or two staff each morning running it and they were helpful and friendly. The one's we met didn't speak any English, but the whole process was so straightforward that it didn't matter.
There were a selection of Spanish newspapers available in reception and a large screen television playing a Spanish 24 hour news station in the breakfast area.
The reception area was basic but tasteful, comfortable, spacious and very clean.
There was a gym available but I we didn't bother looking at it. There's an outdoor pool that is open during the warmer months.
The area isn't geared up for tourists. The hotel is at the bottom of a very step road that leads onto the Calle de Alcalá, that is one of the main arterial roads leading into the centre of Madrid. It´s about three miles outside the city centre. There is the ciudad lineal metro station about 10 minutes walk from the hotel, that will get you into the city in about 10 minutes. The Metro goes all over the city and navigating it is easy and cheap once you get the hang of it.
We needed wheelchair access and had to walk to the Pueblo Nuevo metro station about five minutes further down the road to get access via a lift. Only about 1 in 3 of the metro stations are wheelchair accessible so it could mean that disabled users
I wouldn't advise driving anywhere in Madrid. The driving is very aggressive (surprisingly as everybody seems very polite and easy going). The parking is breathtakingly bad. People just seemed to abandon their cars wherever they please, on junctions, on crossings anywhere. Double parking is a regular site even on the busiest main roads. In just a few days I saw a few instances of people parking clumsily and bumping into other cars.
The shops are not geared up for dealing with tourists and you'd need at least a basic grasp of Spanish to get by. There are plenty of local eating places with Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Mexican and Fast food from KFC, McDonalds and Burger King. Don't expect the staff there to speak English, they probably won't.
There's an American Diner type place at the top of the road just five minutes walk from the hotel called VIPS again the staff only speak Spanish but they do at least offer an English version of their menu for the linguistically challenged.
There's a large shopping arcade by the Linea Ciudad station with a good selection of modern retail outlets and a supermarket. They also have a fast food court with KFC, Burger King etc. There's also a cinema complex there, showing all the latest Hollywood movies dubbed in Spanish.
The area itself felt safe during the day and night and there was always a very visible police presence. There wasn't any evidence of the gangs of pickpockets that are a regular feature in central Madrid.
The hotel is about ten minutes from the airport, unless you take a taxi. We have relatives who have lived their lives in Madrid and the airport taxi drivers still try to bump up the fair and take the long way round. As a visitor to the city, it's pretty much a given that you will be ripped off if you take a taxi from the airport. The metro service is safe, fast and reliable and the best option for most visitors. Taxis around the rest of the city are generally safe to use.
There's lot's to see and do in the city of Madrid, we were there to visit family so it wasn't high on our agenda. However, the city is full of beautiful buildings and plazas with cafes and restaurants on every street and the theatres, art galleries, state buildings etc are amongst the best in Europe.
- Eco Alcala Hotel
- Eco Alcala Madrid
