Hotels
Where to stay in Madrid: the best neighbourhoods explained
Madrid is a city of long walks and late dinners, and your neighbourhood decides how the evenings go. These are the areas we would choose between, who each suits and the hotel we would book.
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It is half past ten on a Tuesday night on Calle Huertas, and the tapas bars are full of people just off work. In Salamanca, twenty minutes away, the same hour is calm and polished, with diners in suits strolling home. Madrid is one city, but its evenings change from district to district.
Most sights lie in a centre you can cross in an hour on foot, between the Royal Palace in the west and Retiro Park in the east, and the metro is quick and simple, so you can stay wherever suits you. We have chosen the neighbourhoods we would stay in and explain who each suits. For the hotels themselves, see our guide to the best hotels in Madrid.
Short answer: where should you stay in Madrid?
For a first visit, stay in the Barrio de las Letras around Plaza de Santa Ana, close to the museums and tapas bars. Salamanca suits shopping and calm, Chueca and Malasaña suit nightlife, and along the Paseo del Prado you sit between the museums and Retiro.
Best for a first visit: Barrio de las Letras
Best for museums: Paseo del Prado
Best for shopping: Salamanca
Best for nightlife: Chueca and Malasaña
Best for views: Gran Vía
Gran Hotel Inglés
Gran Hotel Inglés in Las Letras.
Barrio de las Letras: tapas and theatre
Las Letras, the literary quarter, lies between Puerta del Sol and the Paseo del Prado. Cervantes and Lope de Vega lived here, and quotations from writers are set into the pavement. Today Calle Huertas and Plaza de Santa Ana are lined with tapas bars.
It suits first-time visitors who want to walk everywhere. The catch is noise: the streets stay lively late into the night, especially at weekends.
Gran Hotel Inglés: art deco on a narrow street
Gran Hotel Inglés stands on Calle Echegaray, a couple of minutes from Plaza de Santa Ana, with a dark, warm art deco bar. The Prado is a ten-minute walk away. Ask for a high floor, as the street is lively at weekends.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Gran Hotel Inglés
The Principal Madrid
The Principal Madrid on Gran Vía.
Gran Vía: the great avenue
Gran Vía is Madrid's main street, built in the early twentieth century, with theatres, cinemas and tall domed buildings. From here you can walk to Puerta del Sol, Chueca and Malasaña.
It suits travellers who want to be at the heart of the city. The catch is traffic and crowds, so pick a hotel where you can retreat.
The Principal: a roof terrace above Gran Vía
The Principal is entered from a side street off Gran Vía, with reception at the top of the building, a roof terrace and views down the avenue to the Metrópolis building. Rooms are classic and quiet, well above the traffic.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Principal Madrid
Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid
Mandarin Oriental Ritz in Madrid.
Paseo del Prado and Retiro: the museums and the park
Along the Paseo del Prado stand the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofía, with Retiro Park just behind. The area is green, calm and elegant, and suits travellers planning their days around art and morning walks in the park.
The catch: evenings are quieter than in the centre, and you will walk a little further to the tapas bars.
Mandarin Oriental Ritz: the palace by the Prado
Mandarin Oriental Ritz sits on Plaza de la Lealtad, with the Prado as its nearest neighbour and Retiro a couple of minutes away. The garden terrace is the heart of the hotel, and the traffic on the Paseo del Prado barely reaches it.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Mandarin Oriental Ritz
Tótem Madrid
Tótem Madrid in Salamanca.
Salamanca: broad streets and design shops
Salamanca lies north of Retiro, with straight streets, wide pavements and the big fashion houses along Calle Serrano. It is elegant and calm, and many of the city's best restaurants hide on its side streets.
It suits shoppers and travellers who want quiet nights. The catch is a metro ride or long walk to the old centre.
Tótem: Salamanca without palace prices
Tótem is on Calle Hermosilla, a couple of blocks from Calle Serrano, with dark panelling and a bar that draws locals. The rooms are not large but well thought out, and rates are lower than at its grand neighbours.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Tótem Madrid
Only YOU Boutique Hotel Madrid
Only YOU Boutique Hotel in Chueca.
Chueca, Malasaña and Chamberí: where Madrileños live
Chueca and Malasaña lie north of Gran Vía and are the city's liveliest neighbourhoods at night, with bars, vintage shops and small restaurants. Chamberí, further north, is calmer, with residential streets and the Plaza de Olavide.
Choose these if you know Madrid already or want to live like a local. The catch is weekend noise in Chueca and Malasaña.
Only YOU Boutique: a palace in Chueca
Only YOU Boutique is on Calle Barquillo, on the edge of Chueca and the quieter Justicia district, in an old palace remade with glass and colour. The lobby fills with neighbours, and Chueca's bars are around the corner.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Only YOU Boutique Hotel
Hotel Orfila
Hotel Orfila in Chamberí.
Hotel Orfila: a townhouse with a garden in Chamberí
Hotel Orfila sits on a quiet residential street in Chamberí, in an old townhouse with a small garden at the back. With few rooms, the staff know your name by the first evening. A choice for calm and service over a central address.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel Orfila
Good to know before you book
Madrid eats late: dinner before half past nine is unusual, and evenings run long. Think about noise when choosing an area.
August is quiet: many restaurants close and the city is hot. Spring and autumn are better times.
The metro is simple: lines cover the whole centre and you will rarely need a taxi.
Big football matches: when Real Madrid or Atlético play major games, prices rise in some areas.
Where to stay in Madrid: frequently asked questions
What is the best area to stay in Madrid for first-timers?
The Barrio de las Letras is the best area for a first visit, with the museums, Puerta del Sol and the tapas bars within walking distance.
Which area is best for nightlife?
Chueca and Malasaña have the most bars and are liveliest at night, especially at weekends.
Where is quiet to stay in Madrid?
Salamanca and Chamberí are calm and elegant, with residential streets and good food.
Should I stay at Puerta del Sol?
It is very central but also the busiest spot in the city. Las Letras next door offers the same location with more character.