Rooms were small, but kept very clean. Things seemed to me to be more spread out in Madrid than in some cities in Spain, but Rifer is located very centrally to many of them. Plaza Mayor is a short walk away as is the Prada. There are many great restaurants nearby to try including a wonderful chocolateria (called San Gines I think...an absolute must while in Madrid).

The staff was very friendly. Its been over a year since I travelled there, but at the time from best I could tell it was a mother and son...or maybe just an elderly lady and a younger male. The lady is very sweet and friendly...speaks very little English however, but she tries her hardest. The male who was working there at the time had excellent English and was excellent help in making suggestions and giving directions.

The room as mentioned was small, had two single beds, a sink and the world's smallest shower. Be warned, if you are larger or have a disability...the shower might be a problem. I'm not the world's smallest person and had to keep my elbow's tucked in when showering. If I recall correctly on measurements...the shower was at most about 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 feet. The toilet was down the hall and was kept clean.

The only downside was that our windows didn't quite close all the way and some nights you could hear people on the street...but after all the exploring we did during the day we were so tired we passed our pretty quick anyways!

I believe we paid approx 26 Euro a night to stay here in April of 2003. If I travel Spain on a budget again I will definitely consider staying here again.