Hostal Gay Hotel Puerta del Sol - Madrid

Average rating:  9.5

Guest type: Mature couple

stayed in Oct 2007

petit dejeuner nul et pas bon mais tout reste super.Acceuil tres sympa, nous sommes un couple hétéro de +55ans et aucun probleme.Personnel serviable.Nous recommandons cet hotel egalement pour sa situation ideal pour visiter la ville

Guest name: Helene Garnier, France

Average rating:  4.7

Guest type: Gay Couple

stayed in Oct 2007

La place subissant de gros travaux très bruyants la semaine comme le week-end et les chambres n'ayant pas de double vitrage le séjour n'a pas été de tout repos. Par ailleurs les salles de bains à partager demanderaient à être nettoyées plus souvent. Le petit déjeuner est correct mais sans plus. Bref je trouve cet hotel un peu cher pour ce qu'il est...en revanche il est très bien situé en plein centre de Madrid donc pratique. C'est dommage parce que les chambres sont agréables et spacieuses et propres. Impression mitigée donc sur cet hotel.

Guest name: EL, France

Average rating:  7.3

Guest type: Single traveller

stayed in Sep 2007

hotel miente male potrebbe migliorare

Guest name: GR, Italy

Average rating:  9.9

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Jul 2007

What a wonderful hotel! You cannot ask for more for the price. Front desk staff was so kind and helpful. The room had a lot of character, including vintage furniture and a balcony with a view of Puerta del Sol. All this and free internet access! Attention to detail was apparent throughout the hotel. This will be my hotel on future trips to Madrid.

Guest name: Aurora Soria, USA

Average rating:  6.7

Guest type: Gay Couple

stayed in May 2007

close to Chueca and Huertas

Guest name: AB, Germany

Average rating:  9.1

Guest type: Group

stayed in Feb 2007

David was very attentive. The hotel have good price and an excellent and central localization.

Guest name: Carlos Roberto Caixeta, Brazil

Average rating:  4.9

Guest type: Mature couple

stayed in Feb 2007

When booking we assumed there must have been a major event scheduled in Madrid at the time we were planning to visit as there were limited vacancies and the rates were relatively high - thus we chose the Hotel Puerta del Sol (available and comparitively well priced). We anticipated this accommodation would be in the 'cheap and cheerful' category - compared to accommodation in the three other cities (Rome, Paris, Barcelona)visited during our interlude in Europe it did not provide good value. Broken fittings in the bathroom (shower head, shower curtain rail,toilet roll holder) and cheap furniture (unstable corner table, very squeaky beds)contributed to an overall impression of shabbiness. Breakfast room was fine (although not opening till 9am meant early departures went unfed) Location of property was ideal for accessing the highlights of Madrid. More external signage may assist in locating the property as nowhere (other than on this website was the property referred to as "Hostal Gay Hotel Puerta del Sol"

Guest name: Rowena Amin, Australia

Average rating:  8.2

Guest type: friends

stayed in Oct 2006

Hotel très sympa, hotel en étage donc pas de panique sur le trottoir si vous ne trouvez pas !!! tout est parfait exception faite du petit déjeuner, surtout ne goutez pas le fromage, tout du moins cru, peut être que grillé cela passe, bilan très positif néanmoins, excellent accueil, en fait, on se sent plus dans une maison d'un particulier que dans un hotel...

Guest name: OM, France

Average rating:  5.5

Guest type: Gay Couple

stayed in Oct 2006

The room was quite small. Even though there were 2 guests, only 1 bath towel was provided. Shower was tiny and the shower curtain was torn and the rod was loose. Breakfast was adequate but coffee had to be reheated in the microwave rather than freshly brewed. That seemed odd. The hotel should offer safes in the rooms. The location is great for visiting central Madrid, even though the Puerta del Sol is totally under construction right now.

Guest name: RT, USA

Average rating:  7.4

Guest type: Gay Couple

stayed in Oct 2006

La habitación era agradable y con impresionantes vistas a la Puerta del Sol (que era una pena, pero estaba en obras), sin embargo el sistema de limpieza de la habitación era un tanto extraño porque se realizaba a las 4 de la tarde, cuando llegábamos después de comer para una pequeña siesta y después no nos la hacían. Además las paredes son de papel y tuvimos unas vecinas bastante "escandalosas" a altas horas de la noche.

Guest name: RC, Spain

Average rating:  6.2

Guest type: Gay Couple

stayed in Sep 2006

Great Location! Friendly Staff!

Guest name: KB, USA

Average rating:  10.0

Guest type: Gay Couple

stayed in Sep 2006

VERY ENJOYABLE STAY ALL AROUND

Guest name: Brent D Boston, Australia

Average rating:  9.9

Guest type: Young couple

stayed in Aug 2006

jorge e ricardo sono gentilissimi e molto disponibili per risolvere ogni problema dei propri ospiti. l'hotel è a un passo da ogni cosa, nella zona più movimentata e allegra di madrid!

Guest name: Roberta Balducci, Italy

Average rating:  8.7

Guest type: Group

stayed in Oct 2005

this hostel is in the very center position of the Madrid,just 1min walk from the subway.the room is nice and clean and some of them have televion, u should ask the staff before u pick up ur key.Although it is in the city center,the surrounding is quiet,u can have a nice sleep~ All in all, for this price the hostel is wonderful~

Guest name: JS, United Kingdom

Average rating:  9.3

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in May 2006

I had a very pleasant stay. Very warm welcoming, very clean, not too expessive. The only weak point is the breakfast.. very poor, with plastic-ham, cold coffee to be warm in the microwave, mildewed butter (first time I see that). So you should better go and find a nice place for your breakfast.. and there are so many of those nice places within Madrid!

Guest name: Guillaume Gendre, Switzerland

Average rating:  5.7

Guest type: Not Specified

stayed in Apr 2006

It's very dirty and the rooms are very small. The beds were very small...and the couple room was uncomfortable.

Guest name: MARGHERITA SFERLAZZA, Italy

Average rating:  9.6

Guest type: Not Specified

stayed in Jan 2006

me gustaria que se destaque mas en la entrada del portal el nombre del hotel pues si no uno se puede perder

Guest name: Gaudis Marizan, Spain

Average rating:  9.5

Guest type: Single leisure traveller

stayed in Nov 2005

best hotel in the center of madrid for quiet people that doesn't want stay in the luxury but in the familiar ambient.

Guest name: Andrea Cavallini, Italy

Average rating:  5.4

Guest type: Gay Couple

stayed in Sep 2005

The puerto del sol renders quite poor service especially for the breakfast-what is included in the rate; cold coffee in a can to warm up in the microwave (!); the staff speak very bad english and doens´t reply to e-mail inquiries. The rate is too high for the service provided. The location on the other hand is excellant in the heard of Madrid.

Guest name: SK, Austria

Average rating:  3.4

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Jan 2005

Breakfast is very poor:Cold coffee from the day before to be warmed in a microwave and odd stuff from bread over flakes and marmalade. At the Plaza puerta del sol downstairs there are marveleous cafes and restaurants, breakfast should never be consumed in the hotel. The so-called "rooms with view" means nightlong heavy traffic noise from Sol square by unadequate windows.The price (100 Euro a room with a double bed including old soft matrazes) for those rooms with shabby and rotten cupboard-size bathrooms are a skandal. Only one positive remark:The location is very central, but there are better alternatives in the vincinity. We will never again come back

Guest name: EK, Germany

Average rating:  6.4

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Jan 2005

Its a great little place but a pig to find...head toward the big Tio Pepe sign and if you are facing it No 14 Puerta Del Sol is on your left...look for the green H sign We had a great New Year here!!!!

Guest name: Peter Reddyhoff, United Kingdom

Average rating:  3.9

Guest type: Gay Couple

stayed in Jan 2005

It's not an hotel as quoted on the site, but a "hostal", a pension with the price of a hotel, you can easily find something better in Madrid for a half of the cost. Moreover the room we got was probably the worst one, having the wastepipe of the room above passing through our cealing, we were constatly informed of what that people were doing at the bathroom. Our bathroom had the aerator spreading smells and noises of other bathrooms, so I let you imagine... The furnitures were orrible, and the beds confortable but very noisy, the TV was not working. The common rooms are very nice, and the location is excellent, being the very middle of the town. I payed 107 euros per night, thinking it was an hotel, but a very good pension in Madrid is findable for only 50 euros.

Guest name: AR, Italy

Average rating:  4.5

Guest type: Not Specified

stayed in Nov 2004

Para pagar ese precio hay hoteles de 3 estrellas en la misma zona, mas modernos y espaciosos. relacion cALIDAD-PRECIO muy floja

Guest name: Isabel Ruiz Belver, Spain

Average rating:  6.1

Guest type: Not Specified

stayed in Oct 2004

The hostal was well located. In the thick of things food wise, museum wise, nightlife wise, but I guess you get what you pay for. The room was pretty darn cheap exchange rate notwithstanding buuuutt, the bed was possible the most uncomfortable I have ever slept on. One step up from sleeping on the ground. At 59, it's hard to get up after sleeping all night on a board and enjoy a full day of walking around museums Ricardo, the owner, was an absolute doll and happily helped us through a couple of minor emergencies taking care of us like a mother hen. I hadn't realized that this hotel was proudly "Gay" until on the way from the airport. Not being in the least homophobic the obvious personalities of most of the other guests was not a problem but might pose one for a person that is homophobic. I might stay there again if I was able to turn the clock back 30 years and had no money.

Guest name: MJ, USA

Average rating:  9.9

Guest type: Group of friends

stayed in Nov 2004

I was traveling with my friend and we were suprised with nice, clean hostal Puerta del Sol, nice clean bedroom and bathroom and with a high comfort and perfect services (Great breakfasts, very very kind staff, free internet, cofee and tee all the day free, magazines, location of the hostal, very very very nice everything! Thank you! Lada and Radka

Guest name: Lada Sirkova, Czech Republic

Average rating:  7.8

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Oct 2004

the location could not be better, though the hostal does not have a sign. From the square start down Calle Alcala, the hostal is the door before the Pans Co. cafe. The intercom just says "Hostal". The hostal felt very safe and clean and welcoming. The standard of accommodation is pretty basic, ideal if you are just looking for a place to lay your head after a heavy night trawling the tapas bars! If you want 3* luxury be prepared to pay more or go further from the centre. Otherwise I would certainly reccomend Puerta del Sol. A warm welcome, very clean and a fantastic location.

Guest name: Des Callaghan, United Kingdom

Average rating:  6.7

Guest type: Gay Couple

stayed in Oct 2004

It was a little difficult to find the hostal. The sign was very small and mixed in with other signage from the other tenants in the building. The staff was very friendly and informative. The room we choose was one that had its own bathroom and a double bed. The room was very spacious. Although, the bed was not very comfortable and the and the shower stall was very small. The Location was perfect. Every thing was walking distance from the hostal. Overall, for the money it could have been a little better. We had a fantastic time regardless!

Guest name: MR, USA

Average rating:  6.0

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Jul 2004

this hotel is very oriented to the homosexual traveller. displays advertising gay and leisban clubs and events in our room. only tourist information available 'gay and lesiban' guide to madrid. nil complaints regarding service and enjoyed our stay, however feel this should be mentioned in intial booking information as not all guest would feel comfortable.

Guest name: JR, United Kingdom

Average rating:  9.2

Guest type: Gay Couple

stayed in May 2004

The hotel is situated on the 4th and 5th floors of a building, between a pharmacy and Pans & Company, at the east end of the Puerta del Sol--a superb base from which to see Madrid. But the noise is continuous in rooms facing the Puerta: traffic through the day, revellers until the early hours, and the dustmen at 6! Not the hotel's fault, but do bring earplugs. Our room was a decent size and comfortable, as were the beds. The bathroom, although barely large enough to hold the toilet, sink and shower, was clean and adequate. Water pressure is good with plenty of hot water. There are also rooms without a bathroom if you're on a budget. There's free 24-hour high-speed internet, available through a resident's-only PC (which shames more expensive hotels) and I'm not 100% sure but it looked like the hotel has a WiFi hotspot, so you might be able to hook up wirelessly using your own computer. Now the bad bit. Everything you've heard about the breakfast is true: you do have to microwave your own coffee and the selection of breakfast items is limited. But the coffee's okay if you add sugar, the cornflakes aren't horrible, the cheese and ham are what you might expect in Spain and aren't unpleasant, and the jam, whilst a little odd, is perfectly servicable. No, the real problem is the bread. It's nasty, stale-tasting and the texture is vile. A trick is to toast two slices, put ham and cheese in the middle, then microwave the whole thing into a toasted sandwich. If you do that, it's tolerable. But do yourself a favour and go instead to the Coffee Shop Jamaica, which is facing the hotel on the other side of the Puerta. They do 'proper' breakfasts (not just the chocolate and churro favoured by the Madrilenos) and are a better bet on an active holiday. We were able pay by credit card with no problem (I've had bad experiences with credit cards in budget hotels) which was useful as I was mugged on the Metro. All I can say is: be on your guard coming from the airport!

Guest name: Martyn Wilkinson, United Kingdom

Average rating:  5.8

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Apr 2004

The hotel is fine, except that to keep out the street noise, you have to close the windows and shutters. That would be fine, except there seems to be no way to turn off the heating. The rooms have air conditioning units, but no controls! Breakfast was free, but poor.

Guest name: Ian Eiloart, United Kingdom

Average rating:  9.3

Guest type: Not Specified

stayed in Mar 2004

I would highly recommend this hostel. It was clean, central and the staff were very friendly and helpful

Guest name: Mark Stanley, United Kingdom

Average rating:  9.0

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Sep 2003

Puerta del Sol was an excellant base to start strolling around the centre of madrid. The transport links just outside helped wider exploration of Madrid's sites. The availabilty, unlike other hostels we used, of hot drinks 24 hours and breakfast till noon was much appreciated. It was so good, clean and comfortable for our first 3 nights that we booked to stay for another 2 at the end of our holiday stay in Spain.It was one of two perfect hostals we stayed at, the other was in Saville. PS when looking for Puerta del Sol head for the Pans resturant to find the hostel's front door.

Guest name: DP, United Kingdom

Average rating:  9.1

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Jul 2003

The location of the hotel is great!Good clean rooms. Breakfast did not include hot tea/coffee.

Guest name: AQ, Pakistan

Average rating:  7.2

Guest type: Gay Couple

stayed in Jun 2003

The perfect place to stay for gay people in the heart of Madrid. This hotel is in the fourth floor of an old house directly at the Puerta del Sol, a famous place and central meeting point of Madrid. All famous places - including gay scene - could be reached by walking or with Metro. The hosts are very friendly and helpful, the rooms are small but decorated with lovely old furnitures. Regarding its good location the price was reasonable.

Guest name: CP, Germany

Average rating:  7.7

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in May 2003

Great hotel, very central but difficult to find. The entrance is simply a door on Calle Alcala next to a fast food restaurant called Pans and Company (I think - look for a yellow restaurant)(other places have big signs!)We were at the back of the hotel so there was no noise at all, may be noisy near the front of the hotel on the square. Breakfast not great but the rooms were large, and the shower was decent enough. You might have issues if you are homophobic, if not it is a great place to stay.

Guest name: Myles O'Brien, United Kingdom

Average rating:  6.3

Guest type: Gay Couple

stayed in Dec 2002

hotel represented as gay but did not appear so, apparently a couple of gay rooms. the Breakfast included consisted of bread to toast and jam. cold coffee to reheat in microwave (worst breakfast included I have been offered especially for spain) despite all this price and location fantastic and would stay there again

Guest name: DB, United Kingdom

Average rating:  6.7

Guest type: Gay Couple

stayed in Nov 2002

Overall the hostal is ok for a short trip! It is clean, the rooms are newly renovated and have a nice character. The noise level is very loud (from outside and from the hallway or neighbor rooms). The breakfast is a joke: cold coffee to heat-up in a microwave! Please people, just toast and cheap marmelade is ok, but to serve a hot coffee should be possible!!!

Guest name: Mike Heckmann, Germany

Average rating:  9.7

Guest type: Gay Couple

stayed in Sep 2002

Mr Ricardo, may be owner, is very generous.

Guest name: PR, Thailand

Average rating:  6.0

Guest type: Heterosexual Couple

stayed in Apr 2002

Difficult to find (no sign outside) Breakfast was below standard Extreme difficult to open the door with the key Rooms were very good People were friendly cleanliness was excellent

Guest name: Maurice Vrysen, Belgium