Hi all -- Just a property update / severe warning on here for the HIX @ Madrid Airport (so it's branded
) future guests.
We booked our one night stay with PC points and I frankly did not do my ususal FT and tripadvisor.com check of the property as it was only for an overnight before an AM flight. What a huge mistake. Trip advisor lays it out very clearly to avoid this place, but here are the details...
This property, while sold as an "Airport" property no longer runs a shuttle to/from MAD
at all as of our stay in mid June 2011. So, you are stuck with the ~E25 cab ride each way. The Crowne Plaza across the street does run a shuttle for a fee for their guests only, but will no longer pick up or drop off patrons of the HIX even for a fee.
When I complained about this policy to hotel staff, mangement and IHG customer service (maybe an issue for IHG Care to research?), they explained that the properties were owned by different management companies and did not cooperate. So much for IHG brands working together?!
I strongly recommended that branding this property as an airport hotel with no shuttle and a E25 private taxi hire is misleading to the consumer. IHG should step in an demand airport shuttle service commence to keep the airport designation.
Needless to say, we dropped off the rental car before our stay, so incurred E50 in taxi hire charges (from/to MAD) for a room which was offered for about that much for the night...it really destroys any value proposition of this hotel in any way.
On a better note, the hotel restaurant was acceptable (good thing as the neighborhood construction has come to a grinding halt with the economic slow-down and the hotel is surrounded by empty lots and not a safe walking environment). The CP across the street also had a bar/restaurant.