As far as I can see, Hostal Lisboa , in Madrid, is the only 3 star hostal in Huertas, 51 Euros for a double. Is it that much nicer, rating 3 stars? There is a Hostal Jamic, near the Plaza de las Cortes, also a 3 star (no website). For hostals in Huertas, I'm looking at Jaen, Lisboa, Cervantes, Corbero, Gonzalo, Dulcinea, Lopez...
Has anybody been to several of these to compare?

El Dougo, yours is a excellent question. Lately, I've been seeing hostels (called "hostales" in Spanish) start to use the STAR-rating system. Is this a NEW ruling by city or tourism bureau?? I thought that ONLY HOTELS used the star-rating system and hostels did not. I do hope that Antonio can give us some clarification on this point.

I've never stayed at Hostal Lisboa so I can't compare but I have stayed at Hostal López and Hostal Dulcinea and can recommend them both equally - both very well located, very clean, nice family, simple rooms, balconies available, and affordable. Hostal López , I believe, is the only one of these which is located on a pedestrian street (of Calle de las Huertas). Hostal Corbero is owned/operated by the same family as Hostal Dulcinea .

Good luck! Saludos, MadridMan

MM, by twenty years ago I used to see the star rating in hostales, although sometimes outside sometimes only in their business cards, ...

Hostales use to have 1 or 2 stars (that's why they are hostales), a 3 stars hostal is an oddity. I don't know of 4 or 5 star hostales.

I am sure those who are now in Madrid, can point out that outside their hostales or in the ones close by, they can see rusty old 1 or 2 stars signs.

The official classification system is as follows:

• Hotel ***** GL (Gran Lujo)
• Hotel *****
• Hotel ****
• Hotel ***
• Hotel **
• Hotel *
• Pensión *** (P ***)
• Pensión ** (P **)
• Pensión * (P *)
  "Pensiones" bigger than 10 rooms / 20 beds can use the name "hostal".
• Casa de Huéspedes (CH)

Madridman, "hostales" have always used the star system (1, 2 or 3 stars) and the new classification system approved this year keeps that system.
As for 3 star "hostales", there are 17 in the city of Madrid and a few more in other villages.

Ignacio, those rusty star signs are still valid and have the same size, format and color they have had for years.

However, I would not trust what you can see on the sign. Many of us have renewed our places and the official "category" has nothing to do with the real quality / services you get.

There are places that deserve a higher category and other that should have a lower one. So my advice is not to look at the sign but at the rooms, their services and their prices and then decide which is the best value for you.

True, Antonio, the signs don't mean so much about what is inside as in Hotels (Shouldn't they be re-evaluated more freuquently?).

As for the rusty signs, I didn't mean anything bad about them, what I meant is that those signs have been there for decades...

Anonio, maybe you know: Just out of curiosity, how do they rate the hostales, what criteria do they use to judge a 1, 2 or 3 star? How often do they evaluate them (every 2, 3...5 years?). Also what is a Huespedes (for example Huespedes Jaen)? Does that mean it has an apartment too? I agree, the "star" says nothing about the warmth and friendliness of a place...

We are classified according to the Decreto de Ordenación de Establecimientos Hoteleros de la Comunidad de Madrid which has been recently revised in July 10th 2003.

How often do we get "reclassified"?. Well, they only do it on request. That is, only if the establishment request it they will check if the place qualifies for a higher category.

What they do quite often is sent policemen to check whether they have a licensed and we comply with all the requirements of the category we have. Thus, we are evaluated very often but not to raise / lower our category but to check everything stays as they licensed says.

Huéspedes Jaen are a "Casa de Huéspedes", that's why they use the name "Huéspedes".

As for the stars, I didn't mean only the friendliness but also the quality of the room. I know places that deserve a much higher category and others with lots of stars that should be ashamed of calling themselves a 2 or 3 stars hostal taking into account what they rooms look like.

Again my advice is: don't be fooled by the stars. Go and check the place by yourself.