Escape to Madrid
We stayed at the Melia Princesa Madrid, and upgraded to their ‘The Level’ room grade. This meant we were able to enjoy a quick check in at their dedicated desk (whilst enjoying a lovely cold Cava), and by the time we got to our room our bags were being delivered. The lounge is open until 11pm and breakfast is served here, and complimentary tapas, coffee, soft drinks, and alcohol are available all day long.
Our room was beautiful with a huge very comfy bed, large bathroom, plenty of wardrobe and storage space and a view towards the city.
The hotel is about a 10-15 minute wander into the centre of the town – along Gran Via which is the main road into Madrid, and a very pleasant stroll past shops, restaurants, Cervantes Square with fountains and a beautiful statue of Don Quixote (they are very fond of fountains in Madrid we discovered!).
We were only there for 3 days but enjoyed visits to Plaza Mayor – a delightful square with cafes/restaurants/street entertainers, a perfect place to enjoy a cerveza and people watch; San Miguel market which (after my husband’s initial disappointment that it wasn’t a market devoted to San Miguel beer) is the most amazing food hall – beautiful fresh tapas, with all types of fish/seafood/meats/breads/cheeses. We were there on a Saturday and it was really busy but with a fabulous relaxed vibe with people sitting or standing around enjoying the food and drink.
Not being that knowledgeable about art meant I wasn’t massively excited about visiting the Prado museum but I’m so glad we went. €15 each to get in was reasonable, and after a little aimless wondering around we decided to use the guide provided and go and visit the ‘masterpieces’ on show. Wow – I’m a convert – I loved it!
It was quite late in the day when we got to the Royal Palace, and we nearly didn’t go, but I was pleased we did….it’s the most stunning building, and the street ‘busker’ was a lovely old Spanish guy playing the harp which added to the serene beauty of the Palace.
The couple of hours spare we had before our flight home meant we had time to visit the Parque del Buen Retiro which is a huge park in the heart of the city. A monument to King Alfonso XII is the focal point and sits behind a large lake where you can hire a boat (we didn’t – it looked like hard work and it was very hot!).
I would have loved to have more time to spend in this beautiful city and will definitely return.