Hostal Santo Domingo — Hotel in Madrid

Well, so to say, I decided to ‘downgrade’ my staying experiences from business hotels to cheaper accommodation. Given the amount of leisure travel I do, it probably makes sense particularly when family is not accompanying. I chose this property with high expectations going by the numerous positive reviews but I wish I had taken those with a pinch of salt.||Good things first-They were extremely responsive by emails before check-in which is what got my confidence to book this property. Also they have a 24*7 front desk and check-in is allowed at no additional cost for beyond normal hours. The location is strategic, steps away from Gran Via, the heart & lifeline of the city. Also I felt safe as the floors are monitored by video camera throughout the day. The daily housekeeping is a saving grace. The cleaning ladies are very polite.They happily replenish the soaps and the tea bags and the towels..||Next, moving over to the ‘not-so’ pleasant experience part of it. I checked in at 1 AM and although full payment was made by Agoda.com, the guy at the front desk wont let me in as they did not receive the payment yet ! I had to pay again to check-in. Not a pleasant experience to begin a stay ! I called up Agoda next morning and they had a talk with the hotel, so the manager apologized & returned the money next morning ! Next, for the room, and this is where I have the biggest problem. The studio room is very very cramped and it has an open bathroom ! Well, we can live by possibly in an open kitchen , but open bathroom ? oh no ! That means you sleep steps away from the commode ! The manager tried to explain to me about the ‘new concept of open design’ ( Wish I told them that I am a Civil Engineer & have worked closely with architects to know what a modern design is :)). The picture in their website does not depict this clearly, so please give it a thought if you are booking the studio room. Anyway I barely survived the night and requested an upgrade..and was moved to a double room with closed bathroom getting charged additionally. ||About the building-The entrance looked shoddy. Also note, you will be given a set of 3 keys , one for the room, the other for the floor & the third for the main entrance. So stepping out even for a minute will need three locks. They do have an elevator but it is slow & in need of repair I believe, not to mention the tiny size !||One thing I must say, which I appreciate greatly, is that throughout my stay, I found the behavior of the staff to be extremely friendly, in particular the three guys ( including the guy during the check-in :)) who take their turns to manage the front desk. ||A little bit of remodeling this place can work wonders, given its...

The hotel is centrally located in Madrid and located on the edge of the hip Malasaña And Chueca neighborhoods. We walked to the royal palace in about 20 minutes and it’s a 10 minute walk to Puerto del Sol Plaza and Cortes neighborhood that has a great bar and tapas scene and again about 20 min to the Prado museum.

My girlfriend and I stayed in a private double room and were more than happy. The bed was comfortable, the room was clean and spacious for Europe and well styled. They held our bags for us because we arrived around 10 am and that let us start exploring the city immediately. We definitely feel the price was worth what we received in return and...

Hostal en un antiguo edificio en una bonita plaza casi al lado de Callao y de la Gran Vía. La localización era importante para mí y me vino muy bien. Tiene un supermercado justo al lado y muchos sitios donde comer. También destacar que es de los pocos que reservaba suelto el día del fin de semana y que no obligaba a quedarse más días que no podía tomarme libres. El precio, también ajustado para el centro de Madrid. ||El cuarto, bien de tamaño para una persona. La cama era bastante cómoda y calentita. A los pies tenía un radiador que calentaba mucho. También había en el cuarto: una TV, un armario con espejo, una mesa y una silla, aire acondicionado y un hervidor de agua, muy práctico, con infusiones y taza en una bandeja. Había dos ventanas altas a las que no llegaba, pero no me importaba que fuera un cuarto sin vistas o interior. Destacar que había wifi y un teléfono en el cuarto. Creo recordar que me hicieron una llamada despertador que pedí.||El baño estaba integrado en el cuarto y separado por pequeños muros. La ducha, en la derecha, buena cabina que cerraba bien y con agua caliente. Al otro lado, el retrete, toallero y secador. En el centro, un lavabo con sobres de gel, un espejo y una papelera.||En los pasillos había algunas máquinas de vending con comida y bebida. Decir que hay unas escaleras desde la recepción hasta los cuartos, por si es problema para alguien. El personal siempre amable y me recibía con una sonrisa. Por la noche no había nadie en recepción, pero creo que hay alguien de guardia. De todos modos, te dan la llave del patio.||En lo negativo, hacía un poco de calor en la habitación una vez te metías en la cama, por lo que quité la manta de pelo que tenía. No se podía regular la calefacción. También me faltó algún enchufe para el hervidor y el móvil, pero usé el de la lámpara de la mesilla. El ascensor era un poco pequeño y antiguo. Yo iba con una mochila, pero con más equipaje puede ser...