HandRMadrid.txt

  
  
    
      
        Old Madrid/Puerta del Sol
        Hostal Lisboa $ Ventura de la Vega, 17; Tel. [phone];
        fax [phone]. Madrid is littered with small, affordable residencias
        (pensions), and this is one of the best bargains among them. Rooms are
        comfortably large, with a small sitting area, and bathrooms are
        surprisingly spacious. 27 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Hotel Inglés $$ calle Echegaray, 8; Tel. [phone]; fax
        91/420 24 23. A slightly upscale version of an hostal or pensión, the
        “English Hotel” is well located, about equidistant from the Prado and
        the Plaza Mayor. The lobby outclasses the somewhat plain rooms, but
        they are comfortable and economical. Wheelchair access. 58 rooms. Major
        credit cards.
        Hotel Paris $$ calle de Alcalá 2; Tel. [phone]; fax
        91/531 01 88. A simple but charming Old World hotel just paces from the
        Puerta del Sol. The place has lots of Bohemian flavor befitting the
        name. Rooms are comfortable, if a tad gloomy. Regulars have shown up
        yearly for decades. Wheelchair access. 121 rooms. Major credit
        cards.
        Suite Prado Hotel $$$$ calle Manuel Fernández y González,
        10; Tel. [phone]; fax [phone]. The price may look a little
        steep, until you realize that all the brightly decorated rooms are
        suites large enough to get lost in, with unheard-of kitchenettes and
        comfortable salons for the price of a standard three- or four-star
        room. It’s just minutes from the Pla­za Mayor and the Prado. Small and
        in demand, so make reservations several weeks in advance. Wheelchair
        access. 18 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Tryp Reina Victoria $$$$$ Plaza Santa Ana, 14; Tel. 91/531
        45 00; Fax [phone]; e-mail <[email protected]>. A historic 1920s
        hotel on animated Plaza Santa Ana, this old favorite was once a hangout
        of bullfighters (who are paid tribute to in the clubby bar). Rooms are
        spacious and classically decorated; some views of the (noisy) plaza.
        Wheelchair access. 200 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Old Madrid/Gran Vía–Plaza de España
        Hotel Arosa $$$-$$$$ calle Salud, 21 (Edificio Gran Vía,
        29); Tel. [phone]; fax [phone]. A very elegant, well-run
        hotel just steps from Gran Vía, but insulated to keep the noise out.
        With handsome rooms and a very comfortable lobby, the hotel feels more
        intimate than its large size would indicate. Ideally located if you
        want to see a lot of Madrid in a short time. A Best Western hotel.
        Wheelchair access. 140 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Hotel Santo Domingo $$$$-$$$$$ Plaza Santo Domingo 13; Tel.
        91/547 98 00; fax [phone]; web site
        <www.stnet.es/hotel_domingo>. Close to the heart of Old Madrid,
        this 1994 hotel is surprisingly personal and elegant, despite the
        somewhat chaotic plaza it sits on. Rooms are classically decorated and
        warm. Rooms vary significantly in size and layout. A Best Western
        hotel. Wheelchair access. 120 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Tryp Ambassador $$$$$ Cuesta Santo Domingo 5-7; Tel. 91/541
        67 00; fax [phone]. This handsome hotel, opened about a decade ago
        near the Royal Palace, occupies a magnificent palace and converted
        monastery, both meticulously renovated. The hotel is on a quiet,
        sloping old street near Viejo Madrid’s principal attractions. Rooms are
        large and sophisticated. Wheelchair access. 181 rooms. Major credit
        cards.
        Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza $$$$$ Plaza de España, 8; Tel.
        91/454 85 00; fax [phone];web site <www.crowneplaza . com>.
        This huge high-rise right on the Plaza de España is all sheen and
        international sophistication, but is not as elegant as one might think.
        The rooms facing the Plaza have excellent views of the Royal Palace,
        but at a wallet-emptying price. Wheelchair access. 306 rooms. Major
        credit cards.
        Hotel Carlos V $$$ Maestro Victoria, 5; Tel. [phone];
        fax [phone]; web site <www.bestwestern.com/thisco/
        bw/92119_b.html>. The older-style “Carlos Quinto” is wedged in a
        pedestrian street between the Puerta del Sol and Gran Vía, an excellent
        location. Comfortable and affordable It’s usually full but without the
        tour groups at most Gran Vía hotels. A Best Western hotel. Wheelchair
        access. 65 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Hotel Príncipe Pío $$ Cuesta de San Vicente, 16; Tel.
        91/547 08 00; fax [phone]; e-mail <[email protected]>. Not
        far from the Campo del Moro and Royal Palace, this large hotel has a
        faded glory about it, but is a good value given its spectacular views
        of the Palacio Real and Manazares Valley. Old-style rooms are well
        maintained but plain. Seek a room on one of the upper floors, as the
        street is extremely busy and noisy. Wheelchair access. 185 rooms. Major
        credit cards.
        Bourbon Madrid
        Hotel NH Nacional $$$$ Paseo del Prado, 48; Tel. [phone]
        29; fax [phone]; web site <www.nh-hoteles.es>. Spain’s NH
        chain made its reputation designing commodious, professional, and
        efficient hotels for business travelers, but they’re also ideal for
        many tourists. This one, opened in 1997 in a historic 1920s building,
        is right on museum mile, just a few paces from the Reina Sofía and a
        nice walk from the Prado. Wheelchair access. 214 rooms. Major credit
        cards.
        Hotel Villa Real $$$$$ Plaza de las Cortés, 10; Tel. 91/420
        37 67; fax [phone];web site <www.derbyhotels.es>. A member
        of the small but excellent Derby chain of Barcelona hotels, this
        top-notch hotel is designed to compete with the Palace and Ritz just
        down the street. Installed in the mid-90s in a quasi-historic building,
        this traditional-minded hotel puts the emphasis on creature comforts,
        with plush rooms and bathrooms, but little pretense. Wheelchair access.
        115 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Hotel Ritz $$$$$ Plaza de la Lealtad, 5; Tel. [phone]
        in the U.S. and Canada, or 91/521 28 57; fax [phone]; web site
        <www.ritz.es>. In Madrid, the first and last word in elegance and
        sophistication. The turn-of-the-century hotel reeks of international
        glamour and clings to its formal (jacket and tie) ambience. Where
        aristocrats and movie stars and others who can afford it stay.
        Wheelchair access. 158 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Palace Hotel $$$$$ Plaza de las Cortés, 7; Tel.
        800/325-3535 in the U.S., 800/325-3589 in Canada, or 91/360 80 00; fax
        91/360 81 00; web site <www.ittsheraton.com>. A beautiful Belle
        Époque hotel that’s slightly less formal than the smaller Ritz, but
        every bit as stylish and elegant. The public areas are spectacular, the
        rooms a bit less so, but a long-awaited renovation was carried out in
        1998. Right on the Paseo del Prado. Wheelchair access. 455 rooms. Major
        credit cards.
        Hotel Mora $-$$ Paseo del Prado, 32; Tel. [phone]; fax
        91/420 05 64. Down the street from the Prado and around the corner from
        the Reina Sofía museum, this well located hotel is a bargain. Rooms are
        rather plain, not nearly as impressive as the address or even the
        lobby, but they are more than functional. Busy cafeteria downstairs.
        Wheelchair access. 62 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Hotel Mediodía $ Plaza del Emperador Carlos V, 8; Tel.
        91/527 30 60; fax [phone]. In a grand old corner building across
        from the Atocha train station and seconds from the Reina Sofía
        contemporary art museum, this inexpensive hotel may have seen better
        days, but it remains a bargain. Wheelchair access. 165 rooms. Major
        credit cards.
        Modern Madrid
        Santo Mauro Hotel $$$$$ calle Zurbano, 36; Tel. [phone]
        00; fax [phone]. This haven of design-oriented luxury, occupying a
        former palace and then embassy, is the place to be if you don’t care
        for the old-money ambience and size of the Ritz and Palace. It’s in a
        quiet residential neighborhood a mile or so from the old center, not
        nearly as convenient as its main competitors, but it offers uncommon
        intimacy and personal attention. Rooms are very chic, with full audio
        systems. Excellent restaurant. Wheelchair access. 37 rooms. Major
        credit cards.
        Hotel Mónaco $$ calle Barbieri, 5; Tel. [phone]; fax
        91/521 16 01. Madrid’s funkiest hotel is this former brothel in the
        city’s chief bohemian district. It’s kitschy and cartoonish, with pink
        marble, neon lights, and faux-Louis XIV furniture. Rooms are all
        different, but singles are disappointingly plain. Wheelchair access. 34
        rooms. Major credit cards.
        Segovia
        Hotel Infanta Isabel $$-$$$ Plaza Mayor; Tel. [phone];
        fax [phone]. Perfectly located right on the central Plaza Mayor,
        this small 19th-century hotel is charming. Some of the large doubles
        have small terraces and picture-perfect views of the plaza and
        cathedral. Nice Victorian décor and great service — a bargain.
        Wheelchair access. 29 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Hotel Los Linajes $$ Dr. Velasco, 9; Tel. [phone]; fax
        921/46 04 79. A peaceful mid-size hotel on a side street in the San
        Esteban quarter, that feels perfectly in sync with old Segovia. Though
        much of it is new construction, other parts occupy a 17th-century
        palace that belonged to a noble Segovian family. Some rooms have
        priceless panoramic views. Renovated in 1999. Wheelchair access. 53
        rooms. Major credit cards.
        Parador de Segovia $$$$ Ctra. de Valladolid, s/n; Tel.
        921/44 37 37; fax [phone]; web site <www.parador.es>. This
        airy and modern state-owned parador has breathtaking views of the
        magical outline of Segovia, including the Roman aqueduct, medieval
        walls, cathedral and castle (all illuminated at night). Perched on a
        hill 3 km/2 miles north of the city, it’s less convenient than hotels
        in the old quarter, but perfect if you’ve got some time to relax in
        Segovia and aren’t on a whirlwind tour of Castile. Wheelchair access.
        113 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Ávila
        Hostería de Bracamonte $$ Bracamonte, 6; Tel. [phone];
        e-mail <[email protected]>. A small and tranquil, rustic
        hotel within the city walls. It occupies a 16th-century mansion, with
        thick stone walls and heavy wooden beams, and is decorated with
        excellent taste. Some rooms upstairs have fireplaces and four-poster
        beds. 20 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Palacio de los Velada $$$ Plaza de la Catedral, 10; Tel.
        920/25 51 00; fax [phone]. A surprisingly swank, handsomely
        restored 16th-century palace right across from the cathedral. Once
        frequented by royalty, it was converted into a hotel in 1995. Rooms are
        luxurious, and the hotel pub especially atmospheric. Excellent
        restaurant. Wheelchair access. 85 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Parador de Ávila $$$ Marques de Canales de Chozas, 2; Tel.
        920/21 13 40; fax [phone]. While this state-run parador
        convincingly updates a 16th-century palace downstairs, guest rooms are
        modern, though nicely outfitted. Just within Ávila’s medieval walls.
        Wheelchair access. 60 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Toledo
        Hostal del Cardenal $$-$$$ Paseo de Recaredo, 24; Tel.
        925/22 08 62 (reservations, tel. [phone]); fax [phone];e-mail
        <[email protected]>. In the former residence of an
        18th-century cardinal, this charming small hotel occupies part of the
        city’s medieval fortifications. Its tranquil Moorish gardens with
        fountains and quiet patios are its main selling point, though rooms are
        very comfortable. Full most of the year, so make reservations early.
        Classic Castilian restaurant. 27 rooms. Major credit cards.
        AC Hoteles Ciudad de Toledo $$$-$$$$ Ctra. de
        Circunvalación, 15; Tel. [phone]; fax [phone]; e-mail
        <[email protected]>. This new hotel has supplanted the
        national parador as the top choice in Toledo. Across the river from the
        city, it has superb views; rooms are very contemporary in design. It’s
        part of the AC Hoteles family that includes the luxurious Santo Mauro
        in Madrid. Wheelchair access. 49 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Hotel Pintor El Greco $$$ Alamillos del Tránsito, 13; Tel.
        925/21 42 50; fax [phone]; e-mail <[email protected]>.
        Very Toledan in feel, this small hotel in a 17th-century noble home is
        named for the city’s most famous (adopted) son. In the heart of the old
        Jewish quarter, it is very is peaceful and close to the El Greco museum
        and synagogues. Sunny rooms surround a central courtyard. Wheelchair
        access. 33 rooms. Major credit cards.
        Parador de Toledo $$$-$$$$ Cerro del Emperador, s/n; Tel.
        925/22 18 50; fax [phone]; web site <www.parador.es>. This
        is still the most popular hotel for groups. Very Castilian in feel, but
        the views from the terraces and large pool are the chief attractions.
        Reserve in advance. 77 rooms. Wheelchair access. Major credit
        cards.