Travelling, the best gift for Father’s Day

By Clementine Robine in Madrid hotels

It’s so difficult to buy something for dad! Yes, not to worry, it happens to all of us. And even if it seems there are more gifts for men around than ever, when they day approaches we completely run out of ideas: he’s already got everything! Of course, just like everyone else. Every year it’s Father’s Day. Is it going to be a drama this year? Nah, this time it’s going to be really easy. You’re going to say ‘I love you dad’ and you’re going to give him a real surprise. A card where it says he’s going to go on a very special trip: a Madrid getaway, with you. Without mum, just you and him.

Gran Vía

If you’re thinking that this is the worst idea ever because you’re going to start arguing after a couple of minutes, stop reading right now and go and buy him a pen, a tie or some cuff links. For the rest of you, let’s keep plotting and planning, and you’ll understand what a great idea this is.

The first thing we have to discuss is: why Madrid? Well, it’s a city offering a lot of activities and culture, and this is an important thing when travelling with someone who’s not the same age as you. You might know your father well, but if you’re not used to travelling with him you’ll probably have to adapt the travel plans to his tastes and needs. At the end of the day it’s his trip, isn’t it?

Well, in a capital such as Madrid you can offer him plenty of choice and you can easily get to where you’re going by train, bus or metro (no car-related stress please). It’s always a lot better than going to a beach resort where what you have is… well… only that: beach. If your father is still quite young, active or an art or football fan, he’s going to enjoy Madrid.

It’s also a good destination for gourmet fathers. In fact: if he’s on a diet then Madrid isn’t a very good choice. The food on offer in Madrid: the squid sandwiches on Plaza Mayor, the deluxe croquettes at the San Miguel market, the Lucio scrambled eggs, the sausages, the chips and the Mahou beer. Madrid is a sinful capital.

Something you have to arrange as well, apart from all the activities, is where to stay. It’s better to put your money towards a central hotel where you have all the services you need and where you won’t be bothered by the noise that can be a problem in all large cities. Let him have a say without breaking your budget: there are very interesting offers and promotions available for hotels in Madrid if you book a bit in advance.

In the four-star hotel range there is plenty to choose from, some of them with exclusive facilities such as a roof terrace above the Gran Vía, one of the many fashionable locations in Madrid. Almost all hotels in this category have free wifi so you can plan your daily routes as you go along, choosing the activities you fancy the most. Among those that have received the best ratings by online users are those that belong to the Vincci Hotels chain, and the Petit Palace, two companies that offer original, urban hotels with good service at a good price. Some of the more economic ones are the Petit Palace Madrid Aeropuerto and the Petit Palace Arturo Soria. They are located a little bit outside of the centre, but with good metro connections. If you want to be in the very centre of Madrid, check availability at the Petit Palace Clíper Gran Vía.

Top Madrid Hotels for Business Trips

By Luke Durden in Madrid hotels

Leaving the house in the early hours (sometimes in the middle of the night), wearing a corporate suit, with little desire to travel (in most cases), tiredness and a high percentage of stress. That is how we could summarize the experience of going on a business trip, the type of trip that you must do on behalf of your company and that doesn’t normally last more than 2 or 3 days.

Although the mere act of traveling is always an experience, it is a great truth that going on business trips doesn’t always feel like that, much less in months like we are in now, famous for its sub-zero temperatures. But, just in case you really have to travel to a destination like Madrid, how would you feel about staying in a place where you get to feel at home? Today we are recommending some hotels in Madrid that are ideal for those corporate trips.

Madrid

Petit Palace Art Gallery

Elegant, stately and perfectly connected to the main points of the capital, this is the Petit Palace Art Gallery hotel, a boutique hotel situated in a beautiful 19th century building where you can have free use of WiFi and an ipad in your room during your stay along with gourmet dining which can be found in the hotel’s Malevich restaurant, a local and national benchmark of the most select gourmet cuisine.

Petit Palace Arturo Soria

Considered one of the best business hotels in all of Madrid, the Petit Palace Arturo Soria hotel stands out in terms of services. Located near IFEMA (something that will make it an ideal choice if you have to go to Fitur for work), this hotel will provide you with a superior WiFi connection as well as high quality meeting rooms.

Petit Palace Gran Vía

In addition to being located in one of the best areas of Madrid’s Gran Vía, the Petit Palace Gran Via hotel is a stone’s throw from the Fuencarral district and also the Círculo de Bellas Artes. Spacious and stately but comfortable and with services designed to allow you to unwind, this hotel has breakfasts of the highest quality and areas to work online at maximum speed.

Visit Madrid: luxury, modernity and environmentalism

By Luke Durden in Madrid hotels

Today we travel to Madrid and explore it calmly, stopping at the different charming places and secret spots.  

Let’s enjoy Madrid to the fullest!

Two places that have never changed in Madrid: Parque del Retiro and Serrano Street with its prestigious Salamanca neighbourhood. We start our tour in the centre of Madrid

Walking through Madrid

Where I should stay to start the tour in the centre of the city?

You have three options really close to each other and within a few steps from the starting point. It’s the perfect place to start a nice walk or a bike tour, stopping at interesting places in Madrid and near Museo del Prado and the popular Art’s Triangle.

  •     Petit Palace President Castellana Hotel: in Marques de Villamagna street at Salamanca neighbourhood. It’s near Parque del Retiro and the National Library and close to Calle Serrano,where you will find the best international brand shops in the country.
  •     Petit Palace Santa Barbara Hotel: this 4-star hotel is near Gran Via and it has free bike parking.  
  •     Petit Palace Savoy Alfonso XII Hotel: it’s close to Puerta de Alcala,Cibeles fountain, Parque del Retiro, and the Museums’ Triangle. It’s a central 4-star hotel in Calle Alfonso XII.

All these Petit Palace hotels include free bicycle rental services in case you don’t want to take the metro, bus or a taxi.

The city of Madrid, Spain

Must-visit places in this area

  •      Puerta de Alcala: the origin of the rest royal European gates. You can find the popular streets of Alcala, Serrano, Olozaga and Alfonso XI nearby.
  •      Parque del Retiro: the gardens of this park date back to the 30’s or 40’s of 1600. los jardines de este parque datan de las décadas tercera y cuarta del 1600. It’s a popular place for locals in Madrid.
  •      Almudena’s Cathedral: you must visit this architectonic jewel.
  •      Cibeles: Cibeles goddess fountain in the centre of the city, where many locals meet in the evening to chat or eat an ice-cream.  
  •      Visit museums nearby with great permanent exhibitions and unique art pieces in the world.

Top 5 hotels in Madrid for a city escape

By Loren in Madrid hotels

Are you planning to visit Madrid? Will you come alone, with friends or a couple? Madrid has it all. Everything is settled, ready to make you enjoy the most the Capital. Well then, here we have some of the best hotels in Madrid to spend your time this September. Take notes. They deserve it.

Stay in a historical building in Madrid

Choose an accommodation that gives you a new experience, a place that goes beyond just resting. In order to do that we suggest you to book in the oldest hotel in Madrid: Posada del Peine. Located in the Major Square, small but warm, this 4 star hotel is a boutique hotel, it has an exclusive design integrated to the historical building, that has been there since Madrid was named Madrid, aside from that the location, right in the centre plus other services such as: free Wi-Fi in the entire hotel, bicycles to ride through Madrid included, bedroom computers, hydro massage shower make it worth.

Posada del Peine Hotel

Posada del Peine Hotel

Hotel with rooftop terrace and a panoramic view to the Gran Vía

A new incorporation to the hotel industry in the city, a design hotel in the Gran Vía with one of the best rooftop terraces of the centre of Madrid. Under the firm of IBEROSTAR, Las Letras hotel offers you varied experiences: author’s cuisine in its gourmet restaurant, bedrooms for all tastes (it even has bedrooms with a terrace Jacuzzi in the Gran Vía) gym, Wi-Fi, the privileged location, close to the Congress, next to Las Letras, where you can go on a traditional tapas night in Madrid.

Stay in the Madrid’s first skyscraper

Since we are on it, why not to choose a completely different accommodation? If you’re up to, we have you the very first skyscraper in Madrid turned into a hotel, located near the Seville metro, between the Gran Vía and the Puerta Del Sol. Beautifully designed, a 70’s atmosphere, and a vintage touch, a place you want to take pictures since every corner looks charming. Bedrooms are furnished, with free Wi-Fi and computers. A 4 star hotel that has very affordable prices in the centre of Madrid.

High class hotel at a very affordable prices

Madrid isn’t a very expensive city regarding accommodation. Thanks to the big quantity of hotels, hostels and apartments available in the capital, some hotels offer really good prices, without losing quality (4 star or even 5 star hotels downtown). One of these high class hotel with low prices is the Catalonia Las Cortes. Business style. With classic design full of history, a hotel built in a XVIII century palace with wide and comfortable halls, you will be treated as a king without spending fortunes.

Stay in the Capitol Cinema

Yes, as we suggest, you can stay in the emblematic Capitol cinema building, this hotel in Gran Vía in Madrid, furnished like a cinema and full iconic film details, under the firm of Vincci hotels, one of the most exclusive ones in Spain is an authentic jewel, with bedrooms decorated according the kind of cinema with a 4 star service in Madrid, it also has, like Las Letras hotel, a beautiful terraces where you can enjoy the view of the Gran Vía. It also has a bar, buffet breakfasts, free Wi-Fi, and more. Make a plan with your friends or your couple, and live a movie like experience.

 

Holidays in 2015: where to go and what not to miss (part 1)

By Luke Durden in Madrid hotels

Time does not run, it flies. Therefore, before June arrives without having set any plan, we are going to programme a range of essential and very varied proposals so that everything our imagination (or pocket) has stuck for holidays in 2015 collects some ideas and enjoys the most interesting accommodation offers that (attention!) already start to run out. Yes, dear travellers the countdown for 2015 summer has started. Fast your belts… we are taking off!

Madrid

Petit Palace Savoy Alfonso XII

Petit Palace Savoy Alfonso XII

Summer in Madrid? Are we crazy? Yes and no. However, summer is for crazy things. Moreover, Madrid has changed a lot the concept of being a drowsing capital during the summer, when all its workers leave the city in crowds, and there are only tourists with their cameras crawling from monument to monument. There are more and more national tourists that plan a holiday from time to time and many residents in Madrid decide to remain enjoying the peace that summer offers. To best survive the hot days, there is nothing better to stay at your home… The truth is that Madrid has been offering more and more worthwhile summer proposals: concerts, open-air festivals, cinemas on the streets, summer theatre… and also the local fiestas are very interesting. In addition, you have the usual plans (that even if you can do them throughout the year, they do not lose their charm in summer): the vermouth in La Latina, the nights dancing in Malasaña, the sun rises in Gran Vía, the evenings in El Retiro. Of course, the cuisine: it is ideal to lose your entire figure you have gained at the gym during the wintertime. It so delicious and cheap that it is almost impossible to say no thanks.

To accommodate in Madrid, if you travel there in summer, do not hesitate: choose a hotel in the centre of Madrid. A hotel in Gran Vía  (there are various new and interesting hotels near the Congress) or rooms near the Retiro are two of the best options to stay near everything you need and to have always a funny plan to do. If you are looking for something cheaper, you can choose a hotel in the Arturo Soria area – today it is considered to be a central one – since if you take the metro there are only 3 – 4 stops and you will be near the airport.