Negatives: To start, we booked Kingsize room, we just had a standard double. We booked a non-smoking room, but there were ashtrays in our room. Very little toiletries on offer, just soap, comb and a combo hair/body shampoo. We had two teabags in our room, even though there were meant to be teas/coffees on offer - we had to ask for these. Mini bar is free - great! But you will have an allowance of two bottles of water, coke and orange juice and one beer. The beds are very hard and pillow about 2 inches thick - we asked for more pillows. The room temperature, we had it turned up to the max with the blowers on full blast, but the room was still only passable to sleep in (and you had to turn the blowers down to be able to sleep because of the noise). The spa - well, it is shut on Mondays as is the gym - this isn't noted on their website - it also doesn't tell you you have to pay to use it! Oh and it doesn't open until 12 noon on Tuesdays! Hotel overall was rather dated, the bar in the lobby is not overly welcoming, no place to sit and relax. The internet, you have to pay for. The TV, it's CRT monitors, very bad reception. There is a small "hifi" glued to the shelf where you can listent o the radio and play cassettes (does anyone still have them). There were no curtains to block out the street lighting in our room, there was a sheer-type curtain which I guess could be seen through I have travelled a lot and this doesn't live up to a 4* rating at all.
Positives: The bedding and towels were clean as was the room overall. The staff, well, they were there, very jobswoth I feel, no real effort to provide you the best service they can, functional. Location, yes, very central for the sightseeing. Oh and there is a reasonable Starbucks just 100 yards walk away for a decent coffee/tea and muffin!
- Senator Espana Hotel
- Senator Espana Madrid
