Very clean and centrally located. I unexpectedly was between moves and found myself staying about 2 weeks here. It is run by a family and they were very kind, honest, and accommodating, even when I had to leave earlier than the stay that I booked it for. Some time after a friend was scammed by her Airbnb unexpectedly, and so I recommended her to go to this place and she loved it. I do not live in Madrid anymore, but would stay next time I am in town.
This immaculately clean Hostal is the perfect base to explore central Madrid - a block away from the Prado and two blocks from the other major museums. Yet so quiet - positioned in the historic literary quarter of narrow streets with restaurants, bookstores, galleries, and even a great charity shop up the street. Javier and his brother manage the Hostal beautifully. On the third floor with a reliable small lift, the rooms and ensuites are a good size. We regard it as our base whenever we return to Madrid!
My partner and I recently spent six nights in Madrid. Hostal Gonzalo may not be fancy, but it met our every need. It is centrally located, near both the train station - important for day trips - and the Old Town core. The cozy and comfortable ambiance made us feel right at home. The room and private bath were safe and clean. The tariff (65 euros/night) was very reasonable. And owner Javier and his staff bent over backwards to help us. We had a last-minute passport issue that delayed our trip two days, but Javier changed our reservation without any hesitation. Upon arrival, he drew us a map to show recommended restaurants in the neighborhood (which were extremely close). He was invisible most of the time but then would seemingly pop out of nowhere whenever we needed directions or had other questions, always with a friendly and helpful demeanor. We've got a lot of places left on our travel bucket list so don't know if a return trip to Madrid will be in the cards soon, but if it were, we wouldn't hesitate to stay here again.
Our visit started with a ride in a most interesting elevator. It is small but works well unless someone neglects to shut the doors carefully. We were received warmly by Javier. Waiting the few minutes in the lobby for our room to be ready was no hardship. We got lots of local information, map, keys and door code.
The room was simple but entirely adequate for our needs. The bathroom was compact but efficient. The Wifi was excellent and the lighting between the twin beds was great. Location was awesome with lots to see and do and many places to eat nearby. It also felt very safe. It was not a problem to find breakfast nearby and the cost of the room was about 1/3 of what a nearby hotel would be. If we are back in Madrid, we will certainly plan to stay here.
A "Hostal" in Spain is an informal hotel, NOT to be confused with the American term hostel where there is shared dormitory space. This was a simple but adequate room with enough space and there was a new bathroom. It's in a safe neighborhood and very convenient to everything we wanted to see. There were numerous restaurants in the area and the Prado was just 3 blocks away and a metro was the same. The owners were friendly and helpful and we would highly recommend.
