The location is a definite draw - near the Prado, the Thyssen museum and fun tapas bars and nightlife in the Barrio de las Lettras. However if you are a light sleeper like me, definitely avoid the duplex suites on the top (fifth) floor. The sound transferred like I was in a movie drama shot in a prison cell. Loud, echoing and startling all hours of the night. I was awokened numerous times by loud and disturbing noise. It didn't help that four families with toddlers checked in after 10pm at night and left their doors open and kids running & screaming back and forth. I went into the hall but the families didn't speak english and ignored me. When I called reception after 45 minutes they did seem to deal somewhat with the issue. However the noises did continue loud and echoing throughout the night and came right through the walls. The next day I asked for a different room and was told there was none except a similar one also on the 5th floor near those families. I checked on line and found one instantly. Eventually front desk did agree they could move me but I had to wait until 3pm. The new room was under a "less" expensive category (no refund offered) but in fact was somewhat better (a junior, non-duplex) suite despite the fact I got elevator noise and street noise - much less disturbing than the loud echoing. Breakfast was good, the staff was nice and tried to accommodate and the bathrooms had all the amenities one would want. However in the new room the "movie" and general menu did not work. At this point it is still down giving me time to post this revue. FYI one has only 90 straight minutes a day of internet access that's complimentary a day here. Shame on them in this digital age for a five star hotel! Get with the new world management. Overall I don't think I could stay here again as I need my sleep when I travel. Also the rooms need a little TLC - the first one had severe water damage on the floor (#511 FYI management - I'd have that fixed in a jiffy) beside the doors to the patio by the bed, the second has glass doors to shut out outside noise that cannot be actually shut completely (don't meet the seals on both sides).

Staff is lovely and helpful. Nothing is too much trouble. Location is wonderful. Breakfast was plentiful and nice.

We were upgraded to a large duplex room. Temperature control in the rooms was impossible requiring us to leave windows open at night time. Also, the rooms walls are so thin it was impossible to sleep properly. Thus, sadly we felt both these things let the place down.

The worst thing of all though is WiFi costs 11euro for 24 hours. This is not acceptable is a 4 or 5 star hotel. This hotel is 3 * at best.

Sort out the issues of temperature control and wifi charges.

It was our first time to Madrid, so we had no idea what to expect.
Fortunately our hopes were
more than met at the Hotel Villa Real. We arrived late at night, to be warmly welcome, with staff very happy to assist us with getting settled. We were delighted to find that our room had a lovely, cozy sitting area two steps down from the sleeping area. Furthermore, on the coffee table, there was a beautiful red rose, a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses with a warm welcome note. We had a great view of the Parliament across the road from our balcony.
The hotel is walking distance from anywhere one would want to visit in Madrid, the Prado and Thyssen-Bornemiszer museums across the road, and great shopping 1 km away. The Santa Anna restaurant area is 8 minutes walk away. The hotel is spotless, the breakfast is great and there is a lovely restaurant/bar on site with all staff having a "can-do" attitude.
Free Internet is only for 90 minutes a day to be used all at one time, but there is a computer downstairs that you can use at anytime with no limit.

While waiting for our departure on a bike tour of Andalusia/Mancha our family and friends (13 people) spent a night in Hotel Villa Real. Our experience at Hotel Villa Real was wonderful. The staff was pleasant, extremely helpful, and went beyond our expectations in making our stay a great experience. The buffet breakfast was excellent and well worth the extra expense. The quality and variety of food choices was outstanding and the wait staff were friendly, efficient, and, unlike some past experiences, did not put the rush on us to eat and get out. The relaxed atmosphere allowed us the opportunity, as a group, to make plans for the day and to review our experiences to this point of our trip. I, as well as the rest of our group, based on our experience would highly recommend this hotel. Yes, to a person, if returning to Madrid
we would choose the Hotel Villa Real for an extended stay.