DH & I will be in Madrid early August 2 celebrate our wedding anniversary and are looking 4 advice on hotels - 4 nights in town + 1 last night @ Hilton Airport using reward points. Hotel selection is overwhelming - don't really know where 2 start!

To frame my request, we have the following constraints: DH is in his 80s and has some balance issues; we both have heat-sensitivity issues. We need a lift at the hotel, grab rails in the bathroom, and a really decent bed.

Hotels I'd consider... unless u advise other places that would be more appropriate:
1. ME Madrid Reina Victoria
2. H10 Villa de la Reina
3. Hotel Preciados
4. Intercontinental Madrid
5. Catalonia Centro
6. Westin Palace Madrid
7. Petit Posada Del Peine
8. Wellington Hotel
9. NH Lagasca

my max is 500e for all 4 nights.
we would like to see the Palace, cathedral, hop on/off bus, cable car ride, monastery,walk thru a park or literary Madrid (if not too hot), maybe an art museum or two. just soak in the atmosphere - eat tapas & drink Cava, most importantly - get to the bullfight! (so if you have any advice on when/how to get tix to the Sunday night bullfight, and where to sit (baja sombre?) please LMK that as well.

If you have heat-sensitivity issues Madrid in August is NOT a good idea!

yes I understand it will be like an oven so if the only thing we do is go to the bullfight then that's just fine too. We were fortunate enough to get an outrageously good airfare from the east coast and it IS our anniversary and DH has always wanted to see a Spanish bullfight so - we're going! So, it is imperative that the hotel be decent in case we cannot venture out b'c of the heat. The tix are bought - we're coming to Spain (with a fan).

Do you know with certainty that there will be a bullfight on the dates you will be in Madrid?

I'm considering Posada del Peine for my upcoming visit. I passed by and stopped in on my last visit and liked what I saw. However, I don't have the same requirements as you.

I suggest you email the hotels you're considering and ask if they can accommodate your needs.

Check the Ventas ( plaza de toros ) website . There are bullfights throughout August .. but be careful as one is "recortadores" .. It´s great fun where the guys somersault over the bulls , but don´t kill them . It´s nothing like a real bullfight , despite being entertaining .
2nd of August is "novillos" .. slightly younger bulls , and younger toreros .. I was at one of these a few days ago and it was exciting !
9th of August is a full Corrida de Toros ( tickets will be much more expensive )
Incidently there is a hotel right across the road from the bullring .. The "NH" chain .
If you´re heat sensitive you´ll have to ask for "sombra" ( shade ) .. those tickets are much more expensive .
Balance issue ! Bear in mind that the bullring was built in 1929 and is just stone steps ( You can hire cushions to sit on ) .. but I have problems with vertigo sometimes and I would say you should aim for tickets no further up than row 5 in the lower section ( tendido bajo ) .
To summarise : Tendido bajo , sombra , fila 3 ( for example /por ejemplo ) will cost a lot more than I would normally pay .
I choose Tendido Bajo 8 , Sol y Sombra , Fila 1 . Great seat , and relatively cheap .
Tickets can be bought on line through the "Ventas" website and collected at the bullring , though I prefer to go directly to the bullring box office .. right there in the Plaza de Toros .. ( Las taquillas ) and buy directly from them .

Steve

looks this " Puerta de America " interesting for an anniversary http://www.hoteles-silken.com/HPAM/index.php

Stayed there the last night before we left spain a couple of weeks ago . A great hotel and the food was good too , you get to choose what floor you want , we stayed in the Ron Arad floor and my wife loved it . Although its a great hotel and fine for Las Ventas its a bit out of the way , so I dont think I would recomend it for exploring the city .