The 30 best Hotels with charm in Madrid

About Madrid

Madrid, the capital of Spain, is located right in the heart of the country. Its several million inhabitants enjoy the life in a cosmopolitan city, cultural and business centre, with an intense activity night and day, most of all at night. If you come to Madrid, you'll find a thousand different ways of making the most of every second you spend here. You can visit amazing art galleries, go de tapeo in any of its many bars and restaurants, enjoy live music shows, relax in one of its parks or marvel yourself with its incredible sunsets dyed in blue and orange in which the silhouette of the new tower designed by Norman Foster stands out.

Moving around

Getting to Madrid from almost any part of the world is easy thanks to the many flights arriving to Barajas International Airport. Furthermore, its strategic location in the centre of the country will allow you to get to any point in Spain thanks to the bus and train network leaving from the capital. To move around the city, the best choice is public transportation. Buses run from 6:30 am to 23:30 pm and, after that, you can take the night buses until 6:00 am. The eleven metro lines run from 6:00 am to 2:00 am. The cheapest way to travel around is to buy a 10 ride ticket for 9,30 euro which you can use either for the bus or the metro.

Out & About

Madrid will always be associated to la Movida, an alternative movement originated in the 80s, but its spirit is still alive in Malasaña, a neighbourhood full of pubs, concert venues and the unique atmosphere that its streets radiate. The neighbourhood is full of vintage shops, all kinds of restaurants, cultural centres and designer spots. If you enjoy museums, you can't miss the Museo del Prado, one of the most important museums of the world, where you can admire the art of Velázquez, Goya or Rembrandt. If you prefer contemporary art, you must visit the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía where, besides its permanent collection, they organize temporary exhibitions. But now, let's say that you are into musicals. Don't worry, take a walk up and down Gran Vía, one of the arteries of the city that combines culture, shops and architecture, until you find the musical you are looking for in one of its many theatres. On a sunny day, the best choice is to walk around the beautiful Parque del Retiro, rent one of the boats in the artificial lake and row surrounded by ducks. Once downtown, you can't miss Plaza Mayor with its marvellous arches and its lovely façades. Get lost in the streets that surround the square before continuing to Puerta del Sol (where all the roads in Spain begin in the Km. 0) and admire the famous clock that indicates the arrival of the new year in one of the most famous Spanish traditions.

What's going on in

The Fiestas del 2 de Mayo commemorate the date in which the madrileños regained their freedom against the army of Napoleon. During the celebration, both the locals and the visitors can enjoy lots of activities regarding music, dance, cinema, art, gastronomy and even bullfighting. Most of these activities take place outdoors. Soon after, May 15th, the party goes on with the celebration of the Fiestas de San Isidro, patron saint of Madrid. Madrid has a huge fairground, Ifema, where many fairs and congresses, both national and international, take place. The highlights of the planning is Fitur, International Tourism Fair; Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week; ARCO, International Contemporary Art Fair or LIBER, the International Book Fair. At the end of May, in Parque del Retiro, the Madrid Book Fair takes place. It's a meeting point between authors, publishers, booksellers and readers in an amazing location.

Shopping

In Madrid, you can find all kinds of stores. Some big department stores are located in the city centre, near Puerta del Sol. Famous designer stores are scattered all around the centre and also in the neighbourhood called Salamanca. Furthermore, outside the city, you can find Las Rozas Village, an actual village consisting of lots and lots and lots of outlet stores where you can find any brand you're looking for. Around Plaza Mayor is the best place for traditional objects. The perfect plan for a Saturday or Sunday is to explore the most famous flea market in Madrid, el Rastro, located in La Latina neighbourhood. Tired of walking around? You can recover with some delicious tapas in one of the many bars surrounding the market. In the Rastro, you can find used clothes, old books, vinyls, etc. A meeting point of many madrileños is the Mercado de Fuencarral, in Chueca. It's the perfect place to discover the new trends in fashion and design thanks to its furniture, clothes and accessories shops, tattoo studios, hairdressers, etc. In Malasaña you can also find vintage clothes.

What's cooking?

Located in the centre of the peninsula, in Madrid there's a mix of several typical dishes from all over the country. One of the most famous dishes of the capital is Cocido Madrileño, a delicious stew combining vegetables (carrot, cabbage or potato) with meat (chicken, ham or pork). The most typical food ritual in Madrid is going de tapeo from bar to bar tasting the huge variety of tapas. You should taste the delicious bocadillo de calamares (fried squid sandwich) served in almost every bar of the city. For the sweet-toothed, there's a wide range of different cakes and desserts, for example, Rosquillas de San Isidro, patron saint of Madrid, or the delicious Torrijas. Yummy!!!

Weather

In Madrid, it doesn't rain much so the climate is pretty dry and high temperatures aren't so oppressive as the humidity is low. In June, you can enjoy long warm nights and dive into the lively nightlife of the city before the temperatures start rising during the next couple of months. In winter, it usually snows and temperatures can go well bellow zero so, if you're visiting Madrid in winter, don't forget the scarf and gloves!

Practical information

As well as in the rest of the countries of the European Union, the currency is the euro which you can easily change in several spots in the city. Madrid is a safe place but, as happens in other major cities, you have to be wary of pickpockets in crowded places, around touristic areas and in the metro. UE citizens don't need a visa to enter the country while citizens from other countries such as Australia, the United States, Japan or Canada don't need it either if coming for visits of up to 90 days.

So...

The location of Madrid in the centre of the country reflects perfectly the character of the city as cultural and innovating centre and meeting point. In Madrid, you'll discover the most authentic traditions during its festivities but you can also follow the latest trends in art, fashion and music thanks to its museums or to the different festivals that take place here. Whatever you're looking for, whoever you are, in Madrid you will find your place and your people.