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Gran Melia Palacio de Los Duques - The Leading Hotels of the World

Cuesta Santo Domingo 5, Madrid, Spain | (251) 219-4428

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Overview

Pros
  • Within walking distance of several Madrid sights and the Opera metro station

  • Spacious rooms with flat-screen TVs and en-suite bathrooms

  • Two restaurants and The
    Terrace, a seasonal venue

  • Breakfast buffet, included in some room rates

  • Fitness
    center and five meeting and event rooms with business center

  • 24-hour front desk with
    concierge services

  • Airport transfers on request

  • Free Wi-Fi throughout

Cons
  • Dated, tired decor throughout

  • Garish, outdated bathrooms

  • Breakfast buffet is expensive when not included in room rate

  • Noisy in-room air-conditioners

Bottom Line

The 183-room mid-range Tryp
Ambassador is a Madrid branch of Tryp by Wyndham. Located off the Plaza Santa Domingo in the Hapsburg district, it's within a five-minute walk of the Royal Palace, the Opera (the Opera metro station is around the corner), and the western end of the Gran Via. The property will undergo a much needed overhaul, and it's scheduled to be closed for renovations until the end of 2016. Guests
looking for an alternative might want to try the Arenal Suites, which
has charming full-service apartments for a similar price, and is closer to the Puerta del Sol, Madrid's famous central hub.

Map

Cuesta Santo Domingo 5, Madrid, Spain
Amenities
  • Air Conditioner
  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio
  • Business Center
  • Cable
  • Concierge
  • Cribs
  • Dry Cleaning
  • Fitness Center
  • Internet
  • Kids Allowed
  • Laundry
  • Meeting / Conference Rooms
  • Mini Bar (with liquor)
  • Pool
  • Poolside Drink Service
  • Room Service
  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space
  • Spa
  • Supervised Kids Activities

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.

Full Review

Scene

Historic setting with antique charms, but dated, tired decor

Situated within a 19th-century building that was once home to the Dukes of Granada de Ega, the hotel
strives to preserve and embrace its historical setting -- but doesn’t always pull
it off. Sections of the sprawling lobby have a glam, Old-World charm,
particularly the purple and gold velvet antique couches and chairs collected
beneath a glimmering chandelier that dangles from a massive skylight. The
area is studded with palms and is visually striking, but the attention to detail
throughout the hotel’s other common spaces is uneven. The staircase and area
around the front desk look baroque but slightly shabby, and some of the seating
areas on guest room floors are outdated and filled with sagging furniture.
There are two year-round restaurants on the premises, Tapa’s Room and El Madrono, as
well as a stylish terrace that's open during the summer months, though all cater almost
exclusively to hotel guests, who include couples, families, solo travelers, and business travelers.

Location

Prime location with several landmarks less than five minutes away on foot

Many of the city’s major
landmarks are within a 20-minute walk in either direction, though many sights
are right around the corner from the hotel. The Royal Palace and Catedral de la
Almudena are a five-minute walk west, while the shops and restaurants
along bustling Gran Via are five minutes away in the opposite direction. The
narrow lanes between the city’s three main museums -- the Reina Sofia, Prado, and
Thyssen-Bornemisza -- are 22 to 25 minutes away on foot (the Reina Sofia is the farthest), while the boho streets of the
Malasana neighborhood are a 10-minute walk north. The Opera metro station is a two-minute walk around the corner, and trips to Madrid’s Atocha
railway station take about 20 minutes. Madrid-Barajas International Airport is
40 minutes away from the hotel by metro, or 20 minutes by taxi.

Rooms

Clean and spacious but with outdated furniture and unattractive bathrooms

Guest rooms also struggle
to balance a classic aesthetic with modern touches, and while they are clean
and spacious, they come across as tired and confused. Chestnut-wood laminate floors and red accent walls work together to create an
immediately warm vibe, and at first glance the antique lines of the chairs,
desks, and other furniture appeals. On further inspection,
though, some of the furniture shows wear-and-tear and looks dated rather than
elegant. Double or twin beds have old-school wooden headboards,
though a  duvet would’ve been a nice touch, and the flat-screen TVs that
sit haphazardly atop the mini-fridges in most rooms seem like afterthoughts. Rooms also include safes, minibars, telephone, and individually controlled
heat and air-conditioning, though the latter can be disruptively noisy. Bathrooms
are unattractive, with outdated fixtures, tan marble floors and walls, large
vanities, and tubs, sinks, and toilets that are all in a Creamsicle hue lifted
straight from the ’70s. Premium Rooms include red overstuffed couches and additional
in-room amenities like electric kettles and bathrobes, and they're a noticeable improvement over bathrooms
in Standard and Superior Rooms. Family Rooms and Suites are also available, and while some Junior Suites have additional furniture
and terraces with lovely city views, they're not in the best of shape. 

Features

Three on-site dining venues and free Wi-Fi throughout

The breakfast buffet, which includes hot and cold items, is included in certain room packages and is served in El Madrono. The Terrace also serves
breakfast in the summer months, and it's a nice spot for an alfresco start to the
day. The Tapa’s Room stays open late and serves an array of local
specialties and tapas from across Spain. Room service is available, and the hotel has five meeting and event rooms that can accommodate up to
300 guests, several of which receive natural light, even if they feel a bit
anonymous. The hotel offers laundry and ironing services, and there is an
on-site fitness center for guests' use, though there is no pool. Wi-Fi is
free throughout the hotel, and the 24-hour front desk can arrange airport
transfers and provide concierge services.