what is your favorite hotel in madrid or salamanca to stay at? I need to find an inexpensive hotel in either place,everything is so expensive in my books!!!

Maybe you can give us your price range so we can help you better?

My favorite hotel in Madrid is Hostal Bianco II , on Calle Echegaray, VERY close to the Puerta del Sol! 50 euros a night for double. Very clean and great location.

Viva-España,

Have you looked into the offerings of Bancotel? I paid around $50 a few years ago to stay at the Grand Hotel de Salamanca right off the Plaza Mayor, fantastic location and 4 star hotel. The Bancotel checks are still 50 Euros for great hotels. You might want to look at these, if this is your budget category.

The Gran Hotel is now closed (for at least a year I think). I'm pretty sure I heard that someone had bought the bldg and wanted to tear it down.....but it is tied up in politics - which I don't follow too closely.

SalaChic, I just checked with Frommer's, Fodor's and Trip ADvisor and all three are listing it as open. Could it be that they were refurbishing it and now it is now complete?

From Fodor.com:

Gran Hotel
EUR100 to EUR180, Salamanca

The grande dame of Salamanca's hotels offers stylish Baroque lounges and refurbished yet old-fashioned oversize rooms, just steps from the Plaza Mayor. www.helcom.es/granhotel. 136 rooms. Restaurant, bar. AE, DC, MC, V.

Address: Pl. Poeta Iglesias 3, Salamanca 37001, Spain
Phone: 923/213500
Fax: 923/213500

I hope it is open because I love the location and was planning to stay there again on my next visit. The are close to a very nice little restaurant Meson Cervantes, I believe.