my husband travels quite a bit for work and is committed to using marriott hotels ... we noticed that madrid and barcelona (especially madrid) have quite a few marriott AC properties ... looking for recommendations for location and, of course, amenities, cleanliness, etc.
thanks!
Not too many folks on this forum stay in Marriotts, I'm guessing, so with respect to location, you may have better luck if you provide addresses of the places you're considering. Non-central location can be an issue with upmarket US chain hotels. I'd be really surprised if there was a cleanliness issue at a Marriott.
We stayed at the AC Hotel Palacio del Retiro in Madrid. It is an historic building, which we find many of the Marriott in Europe are in historic buildings. It was someone’s residence and made into a hotel. It is located across the street from the Retiro Park. The hotel itself is beautiful and the staff very nice and helpful. If you are a reward member you will have breakfast. Your options varied day to day depending on your waiter. The Park is very large and beautiful. You see many people jogging all hours of the day.
We were close to the Prado Museum, Sofia Reina and about a 10 minute walk from the Plaza del Sol. I would stay there again. Love using our points on foreign travel because of the historic nature of the hotels b
first of all, thanks so much for the responses! this is my first time using this forum and i'm loving it.
i did think that, perhaps, many of RS travelers might not use marriott-type hotels but thought i would take my chances especially because in europe, the chain brands (like AC) tend to be more boutique-y. i will look into the AC Hotel Palacio del Retiro so i can familiarize myself with the area.
our son will be in madrid this summer and is supposedly going to be in the chamberi area ... seems a bit out of the city center but we'd like to be somewhere that isn't too far or too difficult to get to.
again - appreciate all and any comments :)
Not too many folks on this forum stay in Marriotts, I'm guessing
Why do you think that? We stay in Marriott's mostly due to being Platinum Elite members. I'm sure we've missed out on some great hotels in the past but we've also avoided disappointment. I've stayed in enough hotels in the past to realise that my definition of acceptable standards is not always shared. At least with Marriott (and other leading chains) there is a standard that is applied across the board, irrespective of where you stay (although the further east you go the higher the standard appears to be).
To the OP, I have never stayed at either properties you mention however the amenities, cleanliness etc will be the usual standard that you've experienced at previous Marriotts. Although if your experience is limited to the US then expect a higher standard particularly when it comes to the executive lounges.
We stayed at the AC Hotel Recoletos. Nice hotel, good location near Retiro Park and close to metro. Great staff and very helpful. I stay at Marriotts whenever I can and when the price is right. I think too much is made of shying away from chain hotels. Europe has plenty centrally located. It's a personal choice. For me I only use a hotel for sleeping and a place to shower. I have been to Europe before and have experienced the charm of local hotels. Now I am looking for comfort and consistency after a busy day of sightseeing. You can "be a local" without sleeping like one. Enjoy local shops, cafes, restaurants and you will find a lot of local interaction. However, as I said, it's purely a personal choice. Enjoy Spain!
Now I am looking for comfort and consistency after a busy day of sightseeing. You can "be a local" without sleeping like one.
Absolutely! I've had my fair share of sleeping in awful beds in Europe (and elsewhere) not least my recent stay in Rome, the single bed I had was the same size as my 10 year old's. At least with a Marriott I know that the bed is going to be extremely comfortable and the bedding is of high quality. I place a good nights sleep very high on my list of needs.
I was not intending to insult Marriott. They are good hotels, though massively out of my price range. I was remembering the folks who show up on the forum, wondering how to get to what they want to see from inconveniently-located chain resort-type hotels. I'm glad to know that Marriott has hotels in centrally-located, historic properties.
I'm sure we can all agree that there are unlikely to be quality issues at a Marriott, so I think it comes down to location. It would be easy enough for the folks here who are knowledgeable about Madrid and Barcelona to comment on locations if addresses were provided.
will look into the ac hotel recoletos ... it really helps to at least hear something about a hotel from seasoned travelers! i know chains aren't for everyone but the marriotts we've stayed in across europe would never even register as marriotts if you passed by them!
and now i have another question .... has anyone stayed at praktik properties? looking into those for barcelona.
thanks again!
Just came to this forum today (first time this year or re: Spain) because we will be in Barcelona for 4 nights in June and I'm having trouble finding places with a shower (instead of a bathtub).
This discussion makes me wonder if Marriott (or another American chain) would be the way to guarantee a shower?
Some of us on this forum are like the OP-lots of hotel points from work. Although I've enjoyed the few times I've stayed in properties recommended by Rick, in big cities where there are centrally located rooms to be had with hotel points, that's where we'll be staying. Rome, Florence, Athens and Istanbul have been exceptions-acraven is correct that the Hiltons in these places are not conveniently located and location is definitely my top criteria in choosing a hotel. All the chain hotels and the hotels I chose from Rick's guidebooks have had showers-I can't remember taking a tub bath anywhere at any time in the past 35 years.
we have stayed in marriotts in prague, berlin, amsterdam, paris and london — all had european vibes with more american amenities- including showers!
Certainly booking a Marriott or other large chain will guarantee you a shower however I'm surprised that you're struggling to find accommodation that includes one. I don't recall staying anywhere in Spain, hotel, resort or private villa that hasn't had a shower.
Sunday I booked a Barcelona hotel that my son had recommended. Their booking.com profile said "bath or shower," so in Requests I said shower. The next day the hotel sent me an email saying the only room with a shower was their suite for an additional 100 euros/night. And while looking for an alternative hotel, I found this odd photo. Anyway, that's why I asked.
Today I just booked a different hotel with a shower that I could see in photos on their site. Maybe we had a communication problem! Both are near the Plaça de Catalunya, so getting around Barcelona should be easy! Thanks for the input.
I’m staying in an AC in Barcelona in July so I’ll make sure to write a review at that time! Love Marriott (and Hilton)!
Also I’m tired of the outdated notion that “American chain hotels aren’t city center.” Of course some are far out, but many are right in the areas tourists want to be.
We stayed at an AC in Madrid that is right next to the Atocha station, walking distance to El Prado, Reina Sofia, and the Thyssen, and of course, the metro is right there too.
I've booked Renaissance Barcelona Hotel, Pau Claris, 122, Barcelona 08009 fro a vist the end of September, anyone have any experience with it?
We stayed Marriott Renaissance on Pau Claris when it was the A.C. Diplomatic! This was a great modern hotel with a great staff! It is conveniently located to many sites! There is a hop on hop off bus stop nearby and short walk to Las Ramblas! Area is quiet!
Will be staying here pre-cruise next year!
