Room Mate Alicia

Rooms

The rooms share an understated palette of blonde wood and cool neutral tones, injected with colour through pastel walls, vivid bedspreads, bright stripy cushions, and repros of Pop Art classics by Warhol and Lichtenstein. Black-and-white block-mounted photos of 19th-century Madrid pay lip service to the building's past, whilst the bathrooms, with their dark slate floors, top-end taps and gleaming stainless steel fittings, take you back to the 21st. Most have in-room glass showers, so if you’re travelling with a friend or as a family with older kids, we’d suggest you opt for a Junior Suite or Duplex which have more privacy thanks to the additional space.

All gadgetry in the bedrooms is top spec. Flatscreen TVs take on a secondary role as constantly changing framed pictures, whilst mirrored headboards framed in beech shelving reflect the natural light which streams in through the high window openings. Double-glazing and electronically operated blinds keep the rooms dark at night.

The fab factor is upped another notch in the 2 highbrow Duplex Suites at the very top of the hotel. Each has its own private sun terrace with a corner plunge pool and views onto the square below. We were lucky enough to be in one of the 3 Junior Suites during our latest revisit. We loved the fabulous views of Plaza de Santa Ana from the bathtub as well as the bedroom. Basic Doubles and Exterior Doubles are the smallest options but are the only rooms which can be set up as twins, while Executive Rooms benefit from a small terrace.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Central heating
• Coffee / tea making
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Safe box
• Toiletries
• TV
• WiFi

Eating

Breakfast is served downstairs for hotel guests only and follows a well-rehearsed Room Mate formula: a big and inviting buffet feast with good sounds to accompany your repast. There are mueslis and cereals, croissants and cakes, a range of bread, fruit and yoghurts, cheeses both French and Spanish, and a platter of cold meats - as well as the offer of a hot breakfast of eggs, bacon and sausages (with garlic and tomato should you fancy starting the day in true Spanish style).

For the rest of your meals, you couldn’t be better placed for eating out. For top-end traditional Castillian cuisine, Lhardy is just around the corner (though it is a little pricey). You could dip in and out of the bars in Calle de las Huertas, right next to the hotel, trying different tapas and wine in each. Do find time to people-watch from one of the terraces on Plaza de Santa Ana over a coffee or digéstif; worth a visit are Cervecería Alemana, a favourite watering hole of Hemingway, and La Venencia, an impressive sherry bar popular amongst the locals.

Features include:

• Breakfast
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service

Activities

• Alicia is within easy walking distance of 3 of Spain’s most extraordinary collections of paintings, those of the Thyssen museum, the Reina Sofia museum and the Prado. The staggering collection at the Prado includes 'Las Meninas' by Velázquez, as well as huge collections of El Greco and Goya’s finest work. If you’re more interested in modern art, or want to see Picasso's haunting anti-war statement 'Guernica', you’d be best concentrating on the Reina Sofía
  
• The Barrio de las Letras, wrapping round the Alicia, is a plexus of narrow streets with a myriad of bars, restaurants and quirky little corner shops. Set aside time for a beer and tapas at one of the cervecerías or vinotecas in the leafy Plaza de Santa Ana, a great place for people-watching
  
• Head to the Plaza Mayor for a coffee at one of its many pavement cafés. Madrid's most famous square, it's enclosed by 17th- and 18th-century residences and packed with living statues and buskers
  
• Don’t miss the Retiro Park. Close to both the Reina Sofia and the Prado, and a 10-minute walk from Alicia, this is a great place to recharge your batteries, perhaps with a siesta in the shade looking over the boating lake. A number of small stalls selling second-hand books are at its southern end; the Palacio de Cristal, just behind the lake, stages exhibitions of contemporary painting and sculpture
  
• The vast Royal Palace (Palacio Real, a 20-minute walk away) remains the official residence of the Spanish royal family, even though they have long since debunked to the more manageable Zarzuela Palace. Many of the 2,000 frescoed rooms and chandeliered halls are open to the public and the landscaped gardens are a great place to unwind after your visit
  
• Head north across Alcalá to Gran Vía (10 minutes' walk). It's home to many of Madrid’s cinemas, you’ll also find everything from high street fashion chains, music stores, bars, restaurants and night clubs to top-brand shopping in the Corte Inglés

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Nightlife
• Shopping / markets
• Traditional cultures

Kids

Children of all ages are welcome at Alicia, but there are no specific facilities for them and it's geared more towards adults. All rooms can fit a cot but there are no extra beds or interconnecting rooms, so kids would have to have their own room or share a bed with a parent.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

Cots Available

Distances:

• Airport: 25 minutes (traffic dependent)
• Doctor: Can be called to the hotel

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Room Mate Alicia is in Barrio de las Letras in the centre of Madrid (central Spain), on one corner of Plaza de Santa Ana. It's within 15-20 minutes' walk of the Plaza Mayor and the Prado and Thyssen museums.

By Air:
Madrid Barajas (12km away) is the closest airport. There are lots of flights to Madrid from the UK, elsewhere in Europe and beyond - click on the links below for a list of airlines.

From the Airport
A taxi is the easiest way to get to and from the airport. Alternatively, take metro line 8 to Nuevos Ministerios, then take line 10 to Tribunal and line 1 to Sol (although it sounds complicated, the whole journey should take no more than 30-45 minutes).

By Train:
You can travel all the way from London to Madrid on high speed trains - see Seat 61 for details. Alicia is within walking distance of the main Atocha rail station, provided you're travelling fairly light.

By Car:
If you’re travelling by car remember that traffic can grind to a halt during the 2 rush-hour periods, from 7.30-9.30 morning and evening. We don't recommend hiring a car as Madrid is hectic and parking is expensive. But if you do, see our car rental recommendations. Although there's no parking at the hotel, it has a deal at an underground car park nearby - see Rates.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Madrid and getting around