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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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.
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
