Madrid "Hostales": Cast your Vote, PLEASE!!! Thanks!!!

Popping into Madrid and staying nights on 6 & 7, 9 & 10 Mar (spending night in Toledo on 8 Mar ).
I think going in Mar has its advantages as many of the hostals still hv room available for me and hubby. Hence I am swarmed with choiced choices!!!
Please help me to decide by casting your votes....well, we don't hv any preferences....just that should be able to keep noise out....safe enough...value for money!!! Thanks!!!

The choiced choices are:
1) Hostal Adriano
2) Chelo
3) López
4) Martín / Cervelo

Or....any other great choiced choices that I hv missed out???

Um...Um...Um...I can't decide!








Adriano?

I'm booked in Hostal Persal early May, so I can't yet give a personal recommendation, but it comes highly rated.

Au, you're in the right place because ALL of those hostels (called "hostales" in Spanish) in Madrid have been WELL reviewed here in this category - including my own. You'll likely find dozens of reviews of each by doing a SEARCH (see SEARCH link near upper righthand corner) and using keywords like MADRID ADRIANO, MADRID CHELO, etcetera. Good luck!

Saludos, MadridMan

Thanks MadridMan for moderating my earlier msg....yes...indeed there are many many good reviews..hence I am trapped!!!
I want it in good location....but still safe and quiet enough.... possible?
After more searches...I realise hostal cervantes and hostal cruz sol are prime choices too!!!
Oh boy!!!

Please...cast your votes....thanks!!!

The area surrounding Calle de Cervantes is called Huertas and this is my ALL TIME FAVORITE area of Madrid. It has SUCH a flavor of OLD OLD Madrid with its narrow streets, old buildings and flowerpot balconies. Calle de Huertas was recently made pedestrian and this is one (?) street over. Also, Huertas has many many little cafés, bars (tapas bars and regular bars), and little restaurants, discos, and it's just a joy to walk through. I love it. And you have the newly renovated Plaza Santa Ana (although I think I liked it better as it was before) right on the edge of the zone.

Is Huertas safe? Generally speaking, yes. There are always people walking through at ALL HOURS of the day and night and fewer tourists as well (when comparing percentages to Plaza Mayor/SOL zones, that is). It's more of a REAL neighborhood. I think you'll like it.

Is Huertas quiet? Hmmm.. that's tough to say. I'd say it's quieter than the traffic-busy Gran Vía areas as Huertas only has one-way, single-lane streets (except for the pedestrian Calle de Huertas). The close proximity of buildings can cause a louder car horn or trash-removal truck noises, however, and there are always some building renovations taking place - but it's like this throughout Madrid. To maximize your QUIET experience in hostels, request a room as far away/above from the reception area and an internal (non-streetside) room. I typically ask for a streetside room just because I LOVE having a balcony overlooking the street and I love the street noises myself. (I'm not a light sleeper)

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Saludos, MadridMan

If Calle Huertas is now closed to traffic, does that that mean taxis can no longer drop folks at Hostal Lopez?

Sorry to tangent, but MadridMan, you helped answer much of my post regarding the area of Huespedes Jaen. In my post I asked:

"I have read the many comments regarding Huespedes Jaén on this site. Because of the positive reviews I've booked the larege 3-bedroom apartment. I've spent some time on QDQ.com (which is a terrific site--thank you MadridMan!) and after looking around at the street and neighborhood where Jaen is located, I'm having serious second thoughts.

The area looks rather grim. Is it safe? Will we be safe walking to and from the museums and closest metro?"

You speak so highly of this area, so I am feeling better about my reservation at H. Jaen since it is right on Calle de Cervantes. Though from the pics on QDQ.com I can't say I see the charm of the place as you describe (ie flowerpot balconies). But so long as it's safe. Though when you say "Is Huertas safe? Generally speaking, yes." What do you mean "generally?" That worries me a little.

Now would this be a place you would stay with a family? We are two adults and two young children. Thank you for your help!

sel, yes, Calle de Huertas is closed to traffic (except for delivery trucks only during certain hours in the morning and afternoon) from near Paseo del Prado all the way to Plaza Santa Ana. So no, no taxis/cars will be able to take you to the door of Hostal López but will take you to one of the cross-streets or one block over/back. So a taxi/ AeroCITY will be able to take you NEAR the door but not TO the door. The owners of Hostal López have expressed some anxiety about this as well and the conversion of their street to a pedestrian street has taken some toll on their business, they say. sel, take a look at Hostal López's address, Calle de Huertas, 54, on the QDQ.com site HERE . You'll see the street shown in grey/beige as a pedestrian street. A taxi could take any number of street to get you to that cross street just "above" the Hostal López door.

lexis, for me to say "It's Safe. You won't have any problem" would leave me open for a lawsuit should anything happen to you. I can tell you that Huertas is not at all a "bad" neighorhood.

Question: If one person in 1,000 get pick-pocketed in Huertas does this mean that Huertas is not "safe"?

I'd have to say that chances are EXCELLENT that nothing will happen to you at night and chances are even better that nothing will happen to you during the day.

Huertas is no "Artistic Barcelona", that's for sure, but Huertas is SO "Old Madrid" and has so much charm as any old neighborhood in Spain. The thing you'll want to be MOST careful about are the cars and motor scooters zipping by at high speeds but with these narrow streets you can usually hear them coming from some great distance but on Calle de Cervantes, for example, there's really very little traffic as I recall from my experience during Holy Week - the time that half the city leaves for somewhere else.

I think I would feel MORE comfortable if I stayed with my family in Huertas than, say, around Puerta del Sol or Plaza Mayor areas. Although, I think I would still generally feel safe even around there.

Safety. What is Safety? There a VERY low violent crime rate in Madrid but the petty crimes are on the rise. Petty crimes include pickpockets, purse snatchers, and camera cases grabbed when they're put down while paying the bill at a bar or while you're sitting on a bench in Plaza Santa Ana or Plaza Mayor for example.

You'll find LOTS AND LOTS of postings about Safety in Madrid and other locations in Spain in the "Safety & Security" forum of our message board. I have to tell you that (I'm convinced that) MOST of those postings are by that 1 in 1000 people who had some bad luck and felt the understandable need to share their experiences and warn others. Afterall, these people have the loudest voices.

Have a wonderful time. Saludos, MadridMan

Calle de Huertas ... mmm....Madridman...thanks so much for your detailed response....other than Lopez....which other great hostale resides along there? Lopez had responded to me - no room for some of the nights...tks

Au, I think Hostal López is the only hostel along Calle de Huertas which has a website. Other Huertas-area hostels (called "hostales" in Spanish) with websites would include the following:

Hostal Dulcinea
Hostal Corbero
Hostal Cervantes
Huespedes Jaén
Hostal Plaza D'Ort
Hostal Castro

As for Hostal López saying they're full for March, you may try again a month before you arrive. Many hostels don't take reservations 1-2 months beforehand and may instead tell you they're full.

Not far from Hostal López is Hostal Dulcinea . I've stayed there and can personally recommend it and the quality is very very similar. And while I haven't yet visited it, Hostal Corbero is owned by the same family as the Dulcinea.

Good luck! Saludos, MadridMan

Au,

I've stayed in Hostal Dulcinea too and have written a review of it. It is a little noisy, not from outside, but from other people living inside the building. But other than that it is just fine. A very nice family runs this Hostal.
I guess I'm the 1 in 1000 that Madridman is talking about, and he's probably right. I had some trouble right on Calle Cervantes very near Hostal Dulcinea. Even I'll concede that this doesn't mean that the Huertas is a bad area. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. By the way, this occurred during daylight, but along about 6 in the evening. There just were so few people around then, except for the bad kind of course.
As far as the grimness of the Huertas, I suppose you could say that. After all it isn't Disneyland. Old Spain wasn't known for it's architectural flamboyance. What others might call grimness, I see as the charm of Madrid. I think Madridman would agree with me that the area slightly south of the Huertas, Lasvapies, I believe, is even more like the old Madrid. It is to me anyway. It reminds me very much of the way Madrid looked back in the late 70's and early 80's.

Tks folks...I think I will go along with Adriano....Alberto has been so helpful with my queries!!!! Cruz Sol is a top choice too but...if u look at their website on rooms...there seems to be a camera/cctv installed within the room itself? Or it's some other sort of device?
http://www.hostalcruzsol.com/index.english.html

I saw what you described and when I looked at the photo properties it said camera. I can't imagine they would have cameras in the rooms, it must be in the lobby or in the common hallway. Maybe you could e-mail and ask.

My take on Huertas at night:The crowd seems to get a bit older (and mellower) as you head up the hill from The Paseo to Santa Ana. I much prefer the people between Santa Ana and Sol than Huertas, but I am in my 40's.

As for Hostal Adriano , I coundn't agree more!

We stayed at Hostal Chelo .
It is in walking distance of
the metro and bus lines. Taxis are everywhere so there is no problem to hail one.
The owners are very nice people and helpful. Only the son speaks english, but his parents are very nice and helpful. Your bed is made everyday for you which we certainly did not expect for the price!
We had the front twin room that overlooked the street. It was very clean. It is about 2 blocks from tha Gran Via metro station and a short walk to Plaza España and a little farther to Plaza Mayor.
There is a cyber cafe near there also. It starts with a Z I forget the whole name of it. Plenty of cafes etc.
We took a taxi from the Airport. Could have rode the metro but it is a long way and we were tired from the long trip.