I just stayed here a couple days ago and would not return. The staff were all great. The hotel was mediocre and overpriced at best. I have IHG Diamond status via the Chase Sapphire Reserve and wanted to see what top tier status was like at IHG. On checkin the front desk person thanked me for my loyalty (heh, I think this was my first ever IHG stay). She apologized that our room (a “very nice” one) would not be ready for 45 minutes. We decided to just get whatever was available since we didn’t feel like waiting. She gave us a room that had been renovated a month ago. And she gave me both the points and free breakfast amenities, which was nice.

Our room definitely felt new but was small. It adjoined another room. It was also very warm (the thermostat read 28C) and the air conditioning didn’t work despite setting the thermostat to 19. I figured it was December and they had turned it off (which turned out to be right). Opening the window cooled things down.

Then, the family next door checked in. We were lying in bed at midnight while they talked and watched tv. They were not being loud - just talking relatively quietly - but we heard every word clearly. Finally, Mr. Gfunk went downstairs to ask for a new room. The room they gave us (again, they were very nice about it) was clearly nicer (Mr. Gfunk said they told him it was a “superior” room, which is probably what we had originally). And more importantly it didn’t adjoin any other rooms and was quiet. It was then that the front desk told him the a/c was disabled for the season. Unfortunately we had to be warm because opening the window was way too loud.

Anyway, for €380 a night I expected much better. Still, it was one of the less expensive options in Madrid for that particular night.

We wound up not going to breakfast, so I can’t comment on it.