This board is great, someone from the lonely planet board recommended madridman. I will be leaving for Spain on May 3, staying for three weeks, going to Madrid first and have been reading about various places to stay...I need suggestions! I will be travelling alone, I am female, and am looking for a place where I can relax but yet be close to the action...any recommendations appreciated! Thank you!

tmsluck,
If you're interested, I, too, will be in Madrid at that time. I'll be there from the 5th & I fly back to Chicago on the 8th. It'll be my first trip to Spain.
I'll have a phone there, so if you decide to get together, I will email you my phone number.
Wyndyl :p

I have stayed at hostal Villar a couple of times, the people are nice, it's clean and decent. The bathrooms are shared by floor, but I never found that to be a problem. It's really cheap and near Puerta del Sol. c. Principe 18
metro: Sol
neighborhood: Huertas