lodging in Spain

Molly, we enjoyed staying at the Hostal Acapulco in Madrid. They didn't serve breakfast, but there's a great café just across the street, on the left side of the tiny plaza across from the hotel. (It's not a hostel, by the way, but a small hotel.) The staff was very friendly and helpful, and the room was fine. Earlier that trip (with an intervening side trip to Granada) we stayed at Hostal Adriano. It was fine, and a bit more centrally located, but not as welcoming. No breakfast there, either.

We were in Spain for the Barcelona/Madrid tour. During the tour itself we stayed at the Hotel Ópera in Madrid, and the Hotel Catalonia Portal de l'Angel in Barcelona. Both were quite nice, but probably not what you're looking for. The breakfast at the Barcelona hotel was amazing, though, and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The Hotel Opera was more formal. Any of these places I would stay at again (although the tour hotels were pretty pricey), but I suspect on our next trip to Madrid we'll stay at the Acapulco.

¡Buon viaje!

I second the recommendation for Hostal Acapulco. Here's their website (if it comes up in Spanish, click the British flag on the right, next to "Cambiar Idioma"): http://www.hostalacapulco.com/. I booked by e-mailing them directly. It was a steal, at €53 per night for a single!

Note that the Spanish word "hostal" does NOT refer to a hostel, but a small guesthouse, of exactly the sort you are seeking.

Thank you Harold and Jane! I will take your recommendation of the Acapulco, and look for the word "hostal" as we look for other lodging in the other towns. I have been looking forward to Spain for a long time, especially Barcelona (huge Gaudi and Dali fan!) Any other hints you have to share would be appreciated.

There's a small museum of modernism in Barcelona that you might enjoy. A very quick trip to it is included in the tourist office's Modernisme walking tour. The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) has a modernism collection that is quite interesting, in addition to traditional art and some wonderful frescoes rescued from rural churches. A large museum on Montjuic, and very worthwhile.

The Ruta del Modernisme website has a lot of good information, and the organization sells a book and guidebook that are very helpful.

I skipped the Dali sites in/near Figueres and Cadaques but am now regretting that decision with respect to the Dali Theatre and Museum after seeing photos of the wonderful collection of jeweled objects. (I guess I'm all about the bling.) Allow for a lot of time at that spot. And the road my bus took between Figueres and Cadaques was very curvy (and beautiful). The drive may take longer than the map suggests.

We spent most of May, 2016, in Spain. In Madrid we also stayed in the Hostal Acapulco--clean and neat, had a view of the plaza, walls aren't totally soundproof. While in Sevilla we stayed in the Pension Cordoba which is in the Barrio Santa Cruz--again clean and neat, no elevator. And in Granada we stayed in the Pension Landazuri--kinda quirky, but fine. All of these are in the RS Spain guidebook, are pretty much according to description, are not expensive, don't include breakfast, and had owners or staff that were always helpful and English-speaking. On the Costa del Sol we used airbnb for an apartment. We've been to the other places you named, but not this trip. Have a wonderful trip!

Galen, we also stayed at the Landazuri, and your description fits it well. When we were there they gave us a choice of 2 rooms, and we opted for a funky 2 level 2 bedroom affair. Same price as a double room. The Acapulco also gave us our choice of rooms. That was a great trip. I really want to go back to Spain.

In Sevilla, I love the Amadeus. It's not small, but it is quite special and run by the owner, though I didn't see her on my last visit (possibly she wanted to escape Semana Santa in Sevilla). The young women at reception are always friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. For instance, they told me where and when to see certain processions and recommended a new tourist sight that even my friend, a tour guide, didn't know about.

Are you planning to return the car in Barcelona and use the train? It looks like you'll have to drive back to Barcelona to get to Madrid and the train is a lot faster, also from Madrid to Sevilla and even on to Granada. You won't want the car in any of those cities and you'll have to pay for parking. I would only rent a car from Sevilla/Cordoba to Granada if I wanted to spend a couple days driving through the hills to see the pueblos blancos. Otherwise, rent the car when you leave Granade and use it for exploring the coast.

Note that the Spanish word "hostal" does NOT refer to a hostel, but a small guesthouse, of exactly the sort you are seeking.

I stayed in 3 star hotels and hostals. Some of the latter were actually better.

A break down of different lodgings in Spain, costs may be dated.

http://www.travelinginspain.com/hotel.htm

Molly,

I second Chani's choice of staying in Hotel Amadeus. The staff are very helpful & friendly; I experienced a medical problem while in Granada (before arriving to Sevilla), and one of the lady's working the front desk helped me find a doctor & even made the appointment for me!

We didn't eat breakfast at the hotel but chose one of the many restaurants nearby.

Enjoy your trip!

Edit to add...
When we visited Granada, we encountered many disappointed tourists who did not have tickets to The Alhambra, so don't forget to book yours now!

So many useful suggestions! We are already modifying plans thanks to all of your help. I now think flying from Barcelona to Granada will save us time and money. I will start planning a tighter itinerary so that I can buy tickets in advance to places like Sagrada Familia and the Alahambra (two musts!) I will book at Hostal Acapulco based on all the endorsements.

This is a lot in 2 weeks. With limited time, I wouldn't be driving from the Costa Brava to the Costa del Sol.

Fly in to Barcelona (4N)
Rental car for Figueres/Cadaques (1N)
Fly from Barcelona to Granada (2N)
Rental car for Ronda (1N) and to Sevilla (3N)
Train to Madrid (3N)

Our plans are coming together nicely. We arrive in Barcelona on Monday morning and will fly to Granada Saturday. We will manage somehow on the bus to Figueres and Cadaques from Barcelona. We will spend 3 nights in Granada and surrounding area, renting a car, then drive up to Madrid for the remaining 3 nights. We will stay at Hostal Acapulco in Madrid based on everyone's recommendations. I got my tickets to Alhambra already! Sooooo excited! We are going to finish up getting tickets for the Gaudi sites and lodging in Barcelona and the Granada area.