Madrid Hotel Advice/recommendation

Many people here will recommend Europa highly...I didn't stay there but enjoyed their café for breakfast and café con leche. You asked for an alternative, so I'll suggest taking a look at Hostal Acapulco on Plaza del Carmen (not a hostel but a small hotel). It's in a bigger building with two other hotels on different floors and is just a couple of blocks over and up from Europa. They're highly rated on tripadvisor, super clean, balconies overlooking the plaza, and great rates. Our quad was only 85€, so a double is going to be less yet. There's no restaurant, but the place is great, and there are cafés and restaurants very nearby. Good luck! BTW, the busy street you mentioned is all pedestrian, so any noise is people noise and not traffic noise. But just know that Madrileños party all night...you'll notice street noise through 6 am, especially on a Saturday night. It's actually sort of a cool, cultural experience (I think). Happy travels.

Another vote for Hostel Acapulco. We spent a week there and loved the central location. It is also less expensive than Europa. Europa has a patio that is great for people watching.

Come on Steve, you can only vote once. We have used Europa four times and always request the front. Those rooms have a French balcony (I think that is the term) and enjoy overlooking the activities of the street. However it is a little noisier but it the noise is a problem then request a room on the back side which is dead quiet. A big chunk of the hotel has been recently remodeled and is very nice.

Thank you for your responses. Sounds like it is the Hotel Europa. There are two rates, regular and superior, I guess Superior would be with the balcony? And the less expensive basic rate would be in the back?

Not to throw a kink into your plan, but we stayed at the Preciados as a bit of a splurge for my husband's birthday (but we were able to get a lower rate than the hotel advertised by booking on a third party site that I think was Expedia.com). The room was wonderful, with a giant bed, nice bathroom, complitmentary mini-bar, a small balcony (not big enough for a chair), and electronically-operated metal shutters outside the window that, when lowered, shut the world out. The breakfast buffet was huge and varied. We enjoyed our stay there immensely, but that may have been because we'd just spent 2 weeks staying in more basic accommodations. At any rate, if the price was right we'd stay there again.

Paula, I don't believe your assessment is correct. But just ask them what the difference is. With the remodeling it may be the difference between the newer rooms and old ones -- but only a guess. Truthfully I don't remember making that decision.

My husband and I stayed - and greatly enjoyed - Hotel Europa. Ask for a quiet room - we did and got one. Of course, I suggest taking some sleeping RX with you on any trip to a big city. If you aren't used to city street noises (early morning garbage trucks to late nite partying), I heartily suggest asking your doc for some sleeping pills.