This was our second stay at the Gran Versalles. The location was great for us - we wanted an area that was within walking distance of the city centre without being right in the middle of all the noise and bustle. The hotel is about 10-15 minutes walk from the Gran Via but there is a Metro stop nearby (Alonzo Martinez). The area felt very safe, even at night. The room was nice and clean, and the bathroom had a good range of supplies (including a comb and toothbrush, should you need them!) There was also a safe and a well stocked mini-bar. We found the staff at reception to be helpful and pleasant. The one negative, as far as we were concerned, was the girl working in the bar, who stopped just short of being downright rude. Don't let this put you off the hotel, however - you're not dependent on the hotel bar as there are plenty of good eating and drinking places nearby. (In fairness, the snacks we had there were good so it was a pity that the waitress wasn't!)

We had an excellent breakfast every day at the the Cafe Santander (turn left when coming out of the hotel, then left again and it's on the other side of the crossing.) It's also open late at night and has a good selection of snacks and meals. Cerveceria Santa Barbera has tasty food and we also liked a nearby bar called Bulevar.

Going on the tourist bus is a good way of getting a general idea of the city. If it's sunny it's worth visiting the Retiro gardens and we would also recommend making time for a drink or two in the Plaza Mayor (we found the Torre del Oro bar to be a good place to soak up the sunshine!). Cafe Gijon on Paseo de Recoletos (a cafe with historical literary connections) is brilliant for people watching - not cheap but the tarta de Santiago is lovely, and the menu del dia there is really good value. Its also well worth visiting the Mercado de San Miguel market just off the Plaza Mayor to see (and taste!) an amazing array of food. (There are good toilets there as well!)