I plan to spend several days in Madrid in October and am absolutely overwhelmed by the number of hostales!

Any recommendations on decent neighborhood? Is area around the Prado all right? I can imagine with high tourist volume that street crime might be a bigger risk. Mulling over Hostal Lopez , Hostal Dulcinea , and Hostal Jaen --also Frommers recommends the Hostal Residencia Principado C/Zorilla.

I also speak very minimal Spanish, (though am fairly fluent in French) so not sure where might be best for a yank like me

Anyway, safety is of primary concern--amenities not so much. Any feedback would be appreciated.

thanks!

Krista

Hi Krista,

I stayed at the Hotel Mora in August and felt very safe in the hotel and in that area (this is just a 5 minute walk from the Prado Museum and the Atocha station). The room there was 49 euros a night, iva included. There is a nice cafeteria next to the lobby.

I can't vouch for the hostales; you should probably conduct separate searches on each of them. I know the Dulcinea has been recommended. I was going to stay there but they didn't have the nights I wanted and the price difference was not so great between that and the hotel.

You should defintely check out a recent thread in the "Safety" section of the board, which covered some solo traveler & safety issues in Madrid.

http://www.madridman.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=000123

(sorry I don't know if I linked it correctly!)

I was just in Madrid last August traveling solo for the most part. Using some common sense and basic precautions, I never felt unsafe.

Enjoy your trip!

Churrito

I'm not sure how much you want to spend, but I would also recommend the Hotel Plaza Mayor --just steps off the Plaza Mayor at the top of C. Atocha. It was about $50/night. The staff spoke English. I felt VERY safe there--the area around the hotel is exceedingly well-lit and well-traveled.

Let me add that I was recently in Madrid (June/July 2003), a woman traveling alone, and felt very safe. Enjoy!

I think I mentioned this before: in February I stayed at the Hostal Cruz Sol, just off the Plaza Mayor, for a week, and I loved it. The desk staff spoke fluent English, and at the time it only cost 33 euros per night for a room with its own bathroom. Including about 20 phone calls to the U.S., my entire bill came to 298 euros.

I think I mentioned this before: in February I stayed at the Hostal Cruz Sol, just off the Plaza Mayor, for a week, and I loved it. The desk staff spoke fluent English, and at the time it only cost 33 euros per night for a room with its own bathroom. Including about 20 phone calls to the U.S., my entire bill came to 298 euros.

Thanks very much for your advice!

As it turns out, I will be able to stay with family member of my friend, so I will not need to reserve a room. I am sure the good advice will come in very handy on subsequent trips to Spain. I haven't been there yet, and already I am mentally planning more trips.

Thanks again!

Krista