The Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel — Hotel in Madrid

The front desk staff service quality is very uneven and needs significant improvement.

My friend who checked a day before me around midnight and the front desk personnel who checked him in gave him the wrong room type, (twin versus king). When I arrived the following day around 1PM, I was assisted by Ms Lauro (my spelling is probably incorrect). She was very helpful and immediately tried to resolve the issue for us. She blocked off a room with the correct room type and I was quite happy with how quickly she tried to help correct the wrong room assignment.

That is when things started going off the rails with our stay.

We waited for 30 mins before someone told us the new room is ready for us which is fine and I appreciate the hotel making sure the room was clean and ready. We were told someone would be coming up with the new keys and help us move shortly. We waited for 15-20 mins and we tried to ring the front desk from the room. I waited for 5+ mins with no one picking up on the phone. So about an hour after our room was to be changed, we decided to walk down. There we were served by Mr Marco at the front desk.

His service can be best be described as unfriendly and unhelpful in sharp contrast to his colleague who assisted me. When we explained the room change, he said he cannot find my name in the hotel system. After a while he was able to find my friend's name in the system and he told us that we were assigned to the new room.

We asked if he can help us change the rooms but he said that he has no record or information from Ms Lauro about the room change so he is unable to assist and asked us to wait for her to return for lunch.

After another 15 minutes wait we returned to him and said we would will return to our room and I wondered if our keys would work as our names have already been removed from old room. That was when he indicated that he could give us the keys to new room. Which meant that we waited for no reason earlier...

I appreciate that it could be a language or communication issue but I do not get the sense that Mr. Marco was trying to understand what is going on with our room assignment despite our explanation to him.

On the way up, we bumped into Ms Lauro and we explained what happened. She was very helpful and apologized for the inconvenience and mix up. The contrast between the service we received from Ms Lauro and Mr Marco is very stark. And I hope there can be more Ms Lauro than Mr Macro at the front desk if I return to the Westin Palace.

The hotel's Assistant Front Office manager, Mr Daniel Navarro reached out to me after I wrote about my experience at the hotel. Mr Navarro was very helpful and apologized for our unpleasant experience and gave a courtesy credit to my SPG account.

The hotel is centrally located and renovated very nicely recently and quite comfortable but the uneven service I received at the front desk soured the experience we had at the hotel.

I would return to the hotel in the future as I feel my experience with Mr Marco is an outlier rather than the norm at the...

We recently stayed at the Westin Palace Madrid for 8 nights for a holiday to celebrate the New Year and el Día de Reyes Magos.  Our experience was wonderful from even before check-in until the moment we departed.  The hotel arranged for us a private transfer from Madrid airport to the hotel, which I would highly recommend as an efficient means to reach the hotel after a long flight.  The price was reasonable and we were able to charge it to the room.  Having someone waiting for us right after baggage claim was a huge sigh of relief.   As elite Bonvoy members, we were upgraded to a Palace Suite, which was large, newly renovated, comfortable, chic, and very well-appointed.  Our room was not ready when we arrived (as we arrived early in the morning on a red eye from the US), and we were happily offered a hospitality room to rest and recharge as we waited for our suite to be ready.  Some details of the room that we really appreciated were the Nespresso machine and the HDMI port in the bedroom that was connected to the television, allowing us to connect our tablet so we could stream our favorite shows, etc.  The bathroom had a separate tub and shower and dual sinks, which was great for getting ready each day.  The daily breakfast buffet was great--- too many options to sample everything even over the course of 8 days.  Everything that we had was delicious, but best of all was the Tortilla Espanola that we had made-to-order on our last morning—simply divine.  The food from room service was extremely fast (surprising to me!) and delicious.  The Club Sandwich was our favorite.   The hotel was completing the renovation of its public areas (transitioning from Westin to Luxury Collection) during our stay, which meant there was a temporary lobby opposite from the main entrance to the hotel.  This really did not negatively impact our stay at all, other than the minor inconvenience of having to take 2 elevators to reach the guest room floors.  The temporary lobby was quite impressive, and we were never aware of construction going on (e.g. no noise, dust, etc.).  The staff members we interacted with were all professional, polite, well-groomed and effective in communicating whether we were speaking in Spanish or English (our family speaks both).   The hotel’s location (almost on top of the Prado museum) was central to Gran Via, most of the main tourist sites, shopping districts, etc.  We used Cabify and Uber frequently to travel to/from the hotel and had no issues; I should note there was also always taxis waiting outside available on-demand.  Our only interaction with the concierge desk was to collect some Glovo deliveries and to borrow an umbrella on a rainy day—both interactions were pleasant and efficient.  We had a minor issue on our bill (we were charged for parking even though we did not have a car) and this was immediately rectified.  I really have nothing but wonderful things to say about this hotel and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Madrid.  We will...

|From the grand chandelier in the lobby to the personalized touches in our room, The Palace Hotel epitomized luxury and warmth, making our three-night stay truly unforgettable. My wife and I have just returned from this incredible experience and can’t wait to share it.||Upon arrival, we were greeted warmly by Alba at reception, whose genuine interest in our stay set a positive tone. Raquel from the Guest Relations team offered her services with a friendly smile, and we appreciated the concierge service taking care of our luggage after a long day of travel. The staff’s kindness and attentiveness was remarkable throughout our visit.||Our room on the fifth floor was a delightful surprise—airy, light-filled, and pristine. From the luxurious linens to the elegant furniture, every detail was thoughtfully curated. Beyond the standard amenities, there were thoughtful extras like bathrobes, slippers, and fresh fruit. Raquel had even arranged a surprise bottle of cava for this special occasion—a heartfelt gesture that made our arrival even more special.||Shortly after settling in, we received fresh water and ice delivered to our room. Deva, from the Guest Relations team, ensured this thoughtful touch on a particularly hot day, adding comfort and care to our stay. The room’s air conditioning system, blackout curtains, and a spacious, comfortable bed ensured restful nights after exploring the city.||The bathroom was equally impressive, featuring his-and-hers sinks, a private toilet area, a waterfall shower, and ample extras like high-quality toiletries and a vanity kit. Fresh towels were replaced regularly, and the room cleaning staff provided a polite and attentive turn-down service each evening, leaving us with pleasant memories of their kindness and professionalism.||The hotel’s location was perfect for exploring Madrid’s highlights, such as the Prado Museum and Retiro Park, both just a short walk away. Despite being in the heart of the city, The Palace Hotel offered a peaceful retreat near the Neptuno Fountain. Watching the fountain illuminated at night added a magical touch to our evenings.||Breakfast each morning was an experience to look forward to. From an impressive selection of freshly baked pastries and traditional Spanish options to a chef preparing made-to-order omelettes, the offerings were delightful. Freshly made pancakes, crepes, and waffles were a highlight—I can wholeheartedly recommend the pancakes! The breakfast room, with its magnificent circular design and dome roof, was breathtaking, adding grandeur to each meal.||In every way, The Palace Hotel exceeded our expectations, combining elegance, attentive service, and a perfect location. The staff, under the leadership of Pablo and Olga, turned our stay into a memorable experience. We can't wait to return and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking a slice of...