DoubleTree by Hilton Madrid-Prado

We really enjoyed our stay at this property. The room was very comfortable. I booked a king deluxe room and it overlooked an attractive, quiet street. The breakfast buffet was wonderful - eggs, breakfast meat, fresh fruit, breads, muffins and cereals. The staff was also very welcoming and helpful. Finally, wonderful location for seeing the sites in central Madrid. Walking distance to the Prado and Reina Sofia, Retiro Park, Plaza Mayor and Puerta de Sol.

We know the DoubleTree by Hilton Madrid-Prado very well, having spent more than two months there in 2022 during a late-pandemic lockdown. As my review from that stay reflected, the hotel was superbly managed. We had not a single criticism of the team, of operations, of the facility. Unfortunately our two-week stay over the recent holiday season reflected a marked decline in consistency of quality. Our main observations are as follows: 1. Front Office: Still of the highest quality. Instantly responsive, highly personable, very proactive. Angela, Jimena and Alejandro, to mention just three exceptional members of a high-quality team, could not have done more to make our stay a pleasure. Thank you! 2. Concierge/Door Attendants: This team was also top-notch: helpful not simply with luggage, but with useful tips re: local restaurants, sites, and lifestyle issues, and very friendly in open conversation. We were happy to see Lupu and Antonio from our previous stay. And Daniel, whom we met for the first time, was a high-energy dynamo who seemed to be everywhere that help might be needed (more on this below). 3. Restaurant: We understood that the hotel restaurant, which doubles as the breakfast venue, is in a state of transition and may be suffering from declining business. Whatever the reason, the service was appalling: a. Tables would remain uncleared for 1-2 hours. In one instance the GM was hosting a small party at a table and the adjacent table remained uncleared for over an hour. She appeared not to notice or care. b. Service was sullen and very grudging - even to the point that resentment was visible on the faces of the servers. There was never a "buenas dias" or "good morning" greeting: no greeting even if they were staring at you. We were made to feel that we were inconveniencing the team. c. The buffet was constantly out of plates, glasses, and water. Replenishment of food items was sporadic, to put it politely. And visually the buffet was a mess, with dirty spoons, dropped food, etc. d. Getting coffee was a lottery: more luck than predictable result. In this regard, Daniel from the Front Office was constantly present - greeting, laughing, clearing tables, serving coffee - and it's not even his job. (Suggestion: Put the coffee machines outside where accessible to guests, as is done in most Hiltons. This will save staff a lot of work and guests a lot of trouble.) e. Table settings were inconsistent and incomplete: some tables had salt; some had pepper; some had neither, as examples. Those that had pepper were no better off, as the pepper was typically empty or of a type that wouldn't come out the holes of the pepper shaker. Attention to detail. f. Moral of this story: Change the hotel's concessionaire responsible for breakfast service. The current provider is a spent force. 4. Housekeeping: The issue with housekeeping was not lack of effort or staff congeniality. It was inconsistency of performance, reflecting lack of attention to detail at the management level. On one day, in-room coffee would be replenished; on the next day, it would not be. One day water would be replenished; one day it would not be. Vacuuming of rooms and mopping of floors was irregular. 5. Diamond Member Recognition: I mention this only to contrast the approach taken at other Hiltons around the world. Our stay included Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. There was no communication whatsoever from management. We were not looking for free gifts. We were just surprised that management did not even bother to send a card wishing us a pleasant holiday. Normal practice internationally - even in Hilton Garden Inns, let alone Waldorfs. Individually these matters may sound minor or petty. But taken in the aggregate, the impression is of management inattention or, worse, indifference. And it impacts the quality of a guest's stay. Whoever succeeds the current GM (as we understand she is moving on to another hotel shortly) should take note of this plethora of mole holes that can quickly become a mountain.

Excellent hotel, outstanding and helpful staff and wonderful location. Could easily walk to all major locations, restaurants, and museums. Highly recommend.

Excellent hotel in a fabulous location, within walking distance to many of Madrids sites. Reception team were super friendly & very helpful. Room was superb with good minibar. Definitely a place to stay when visiting Madrid.

This is the best of the Hilton’s I have visite. It is relaxed and entirely staff all super helpful. Absolutely elegant and I can’t rate it highly enough. Thanks to Bodan and all he front desk. Just a great place !

I booked with points since it was a NFL weekend. I was given probably the worst room in the hotel. It was a queen room but we could barely put our luggage in room. They had a desk and chair but you could not sit in it because the bed was on top of it. I did let the staff know I was not satisfied and they did attempt to move us to a better room the following day. However I was only staying two nights so more trouble than it’s worth. The breakfast was satisfactory, however they did not let us know there was an additional room for the buffet. We totally missed out. I would have skipped on the breakfast and received the additional Hilton points. As for the staff, they were very nice and pleasant. The location is great and easy access to multiple metro stops. There is a market across the street for drinks and snacks if needed. I would recommend the hotel, but if you are booking with points, you might ant to see the room first.