Hotel Hostal Falfes (Madrid, Spain)

Owners and members of staff are very friendly and they speak English. This is a real bonus for those who don't speak Spanish and are keen to explore the city fully. In this and other respects, the hotel … scores highly.

Rooms are very clean, simply furnished and very comfortable. Wi-Fi is good and the fan and lights are usefully operated remotely, so you can stay where you are. To their credit, the shared facilities are kept very clean. You'd be forgiven for thinking that the cost of breakfast is some sort of requested ‘tip'… it's so cheap.

The owners can arrange private parking for you but, of course, this comes at a cost. It's tempting to take a risk and attempt to find street parking nearby. The risk is that you misunderstand the stated limitations, score an own-goal and leave yourself open to financial penalties.

Bearing in mind the needs of the traveller, who nice it would be if there was, say, a microwave and fridge in the communal areas. Access to a sink and washing line would be useful too.

Some rooms suffer from traffic noise and is worse if the heat means that you have to keep the window fully open. Those facing the middle of the building get laundry noise from early AM.  No ‘noisy fans', though!

It can get a bit messy and very slippery, It's advisable to wear flip-flops.