Budget Travel - Recommendations for a Hostel/Budget Hotel in good tourist location in MAD?

I'll be in Madrid from March 24-26 with a couple of friends celebrating a friend's 30th birthday. We're looking for a relatively cheap (i.e. under $100US per night) hotel that's in a good tourist location - or if anyone has any recommendations for hostels in MAD (never been there, so I don't know what part of town is best), please feel free to share.

Thanks!

Tryp often has great offers for 3* and 4* hotels. Check http://www.solmelia.com . Sign up for their emails.

One place I considered before I booked a Tryp hotel is Hostal Marlasca -
http://www.hostalmarlasca.com .

Check http://www.madridman.com for many budget suggestions.

This place looks interesting: http://www.bookassist.com/conduit/details3.jsp?date_in=2006-03-24&date_out=2006-03-26&ch=35&hotel_id=106&service_model=1&county_id=100&ch=35&guide_id=100

It comes out at $78 per person each (for 3 people) for a two night stay, is well located and has its own kitchen/bathroom.

Nice thing about MAD is that you can take the subway from the airport into the city. I stayed near Puerta del Sol, which is fairly touristy with several hostels (you can get reviews at any number of the hostel sites). The subway has a stop right there IIRC. Here's a link to a map (http://www.urbanrail.net/eu/mad/madrid.htm#f2) of the subway.

I had no reservations, and simply showed up near there and walked up Gran Via, and then walked down on of the side streets expecting to find small hotels, the kind that don't have web sites. Sure enough, there they were, and the first one I walked in wanted €20 for a tiny room with a bathroom down the hallway. It was a dump, but I wasn't planning on doing anything in the room but sleeping, so I took, but you can get decent rooms for under €40 in that area.

And in the cafe under the hotel I became addicted to Cointreau (http://www.cointreau.com/), which I buy in duty free shops when I travel, because it's a little costly here in the US :(

Um, I feel myself digressing again :rolleyes:

Anyways, plenty of decent hotels around Puerta del Sol / Gran Via area ^

EmailKid

And in the cafe under the hotel I became addicted to Cointreau (http://www.cointreau.com/), which I buy in duty free shops when I travel, because it's a little costly here in the US :(



Next time you should try some of the proper indigenous brews like patxaran. Or REALLY get into the spirit by staying awake with too many 'plis-plays' (half a glass of coffee liqueur and half a glass of coca-cola - with plenty of ice). :)

Thanks for the tips everyone!

>We're looking for a relatively cheap (i.e. under $100US per night) hotel that's in a good tourist location

Whe we were there a year ago we stayed at the "Hostal Gonzalo" and were very happy with the place: http://www.hostalgonzalo.com/

We paid fifty euros for a double with private bath.

Cheers,
Geoff Glave
Vancouver, Canada

Whe we were there a year ago we stayed at the "Hostal Gonzalo"

Yup, just a few blocks east of where I stayed. Nice area, and before I forget, be sure to get some hot chestnuts from the street vendors ^ Brings back memories of my youth ...

EmailKid