Madrid hotels: Hotel Meliá Galgos ****

Std Double Rooms: 143
Sup. double rooms: 118
Junior Suites: 43
Single rooms: 43

Facilities: All rooms have television, vídeo, fax, modem and minbar. The Galgos hotel has 2 restaurants, one buffet and one a la carte. Business center, fitness center (with a gym, sauna, steam bath, massage room, tanning machine, jacuzzi and solarium), disco, meeting rooms. Book a room here now

The Melia Galgos hotel is a four-star hotel set on the fringe of Madrid's commercial district and just minutes away from the the bustling shops of Serrano, Velazquez, Goya etc. The Plaza Colon, National Library and National Arqueology Museum are just a 10-15 minute walk away, as is Real Madrid's stadium, El Estadio Bernabeu (in the other direction). Guests can park in the hotel carpark if they pay a supplement.

The hotel Galgos is a smart hotel. Service is good except when checking out when you have to pay the bill at a small window next to reception and queues can get quite long if you coincide with other guests leaving at the same time as you. The size of rooms vary according to category (superior double room, standard double room, single room), but they are all generally clean.

The buffet breakfast is excellent - better than some five-star hotels in Madrid, and restaurant staff are friendly and efficient. Family accompanying owners of the Sol-Melia Mas card do not pay extra, even if they require an extra bed for a child.

As happens with many Melia hotels, service is polished and efficient, but the hotel seems to be lacking something in warmth and character. Nevertheless it offers reliable quality and at weekends has special offers which makes it a particularly attractive option.