Friday 20 June 2014

Hotel Auditorium Madrid and Principe Felipe Conference Centre



There are times when you find yourself needing a hotel near an airport. I was in that situation recently in Madrid  and needed to find one that would be convenient for getting into the city centre but also near Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas airport. 

It is Spain’s busiest airport and if you find yourself having an early morning flight, depending on the terminal, it can take well over 40 minutes from dropping your bag to clearing customs and arriving at your gate.

The Auditorium Madrid, also near IFEMA (Feria de Madrid) exhibition centre is essentially a business hotel. It is large! It has 59 meeting rooms in its conference centre which has the capacity for 2,200 people. There are 869 bedrooms that are presently classically furnished. Mine was extremely spacious and had all the amenities that I could possibly want – then this is a four star superior hotel.


The terrace



What I thought was a specifically nice touch was the plate of fresh fruits and bottle of mineral water awaiting me on arrival.

Set to become a Marriot next year, the Auditorium’s style will become more contemporary as it embarks on its make-over. Currently, the work is so discreet that I would never have known it had commenced, if I had not  been told. I guess, that is the beauty of having a huge hotel, you never notice when areas are closed off.

After using the free shuttle service (free Wi-Fi on board) from the airport to the hotel, I was taken back as I entered the lobby. It was as if the hotel went on forever. The genius of the Auditorium. is that the staff, most of which speak English well, are so warm and friendly. 



A suite


What could so easily be an impersonal concrete jungle is actually a congenial hotel that provides the right amount of intimacy to make you feel loved and wanted rather than just being another number coming to fill a room.

Whether you are there on business or pleasure, you will be pleased to note that there is free wireless internet available throughout the hotel. For fitness fanatics there is a gym and sauna. If you fancy an early morning dip there is a swimming pool.

The buzzy Lobby Bar is the place to go for a pre-dinner glass of cava, snack or for a nightcap. There was a piano playing in the evening which was so relaxing after a long day of sightseeing. In the summer, you should  give the Cocktail Bar Terrace a whirl. You should also be able to watch the major sporting events here. Ideal for football fans! If you prefer to stay glued to your iPad or computer, head to the Cyber Snack Bar.


Restaurant


Another plus of the Auditorium, is the El Gueridón Restaurant which serves up distinctly Mediterranean dishes. The food was exceptionally good. I had Santaña anchovies on a guacamole bruschetta to start, which was delicious. For mains, I took the head waiter’s recommendation of grilled sea bass served with a selection of vegetables. The fish was superb. There is a good selection of wine. I could not resist a glass of Rioja which was excellent. The service was attentive without being intrusive.

If you have time to fit in some shopping, the hotel’s shuttle will drop you off at the Plenilunio Shopping Mall where you will find all the usual high street culprits, including Zara and Mango.

You can take a taxi for the short ride back to the hotel, or take a green bus which will drop you outside. Just be sure to ask the receptionist to draw you a diagram of where the bus stop is as it is rather complicated to find and not everybody in this area speaks English.

My extremely enjoyable stay was over all too soon. After a rather good buffet breakfast, it was time to hop back on the shuttle for the quick journey back to the airport. 

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

British Airways operates up to three flights per day from London City to Madrid in addition to services from Heathrow with connections also available from across the UK and Ireland. Fares and more information about British Airways services can be found at ba.com/Madrid

Hotel Auditorium is a member of Great Hotels of the World Luxury Collection. For more information or to book, visit www.ghotw.com/hotel-auditorium or call 020 7380 3658