Just departed from Hotel Regina today after a lovely 3 days in Madrid. We contemplated extending but with train tickets to Granada in hand, we had to bid this fine little gem goodbye. Check in was easy and they were even a little apologetic that they made us wait literally 3 minutes while they had the room inspected (and they did an upgrade as well for the mild inconvenience – smart move when you have a wiggle in availability). Note – dont ask for free upgrades. Get what you get and allow the Ladies and Lords of the Front Desk to do what they do. You dont know how to run a hotel, you dont know what room types are available (online bookings allow overbooking so take that with a grain of salt smarty pants) and you also dont know how their Housekeeping team is organized – so leave it alone and take what you are given. That said, after a 6 hour wait for a room in Barna (note, as trip planner it was 100% on me for getting there at 8am – so just note it’s not a reflection on them – but at the same time my humanity still notes it was a 6 hour wait) – the 3 minutes was not even a thought and poof, room was ready. The team is on it and they focus their attention on you and your visit – meaningful service to start off the stay. Marta took us to the room (lighter hair Marta not Marta R. – but both were nice at check in). They could have their own show called “Marta y Marta” where Marta R. is all business and the other Marta does all the running around. It would be about the wacky guests they check in, general misadventures involving coffee and foreign currency and the behind the scenes chaos between the narrow walls of their little hotel tower. Enough of that, back to the room. Marta showed us to the room, made sure to point everything out but she also gauged we were tired so made sure to hit the points without being overbearing (if she was being quality audited, she nailed it with ac controls, room functionalities, etc.). She seems to adjust her repertoire based on what she senses from the guest – but still finds a way to work it all in – thats a skill you cant train, so keep it up! Lots of great amenities – in fact, its so thorough the rooms basically tell you “Look dumdum, everything is here for you – so dont bother Reception.” Literally – walls already equipped with international adapters, tasteful items in mini bar, all the bath amenities like toothbrush, etc. and even “bedtime spray” for your pillow to help you fall asleep. However, the only bedtime additive I needed was the dense layer of olive oil and paella in my stomach so my fold of cerebral sheep were ready for counting nightly at 11pm. Still, spray is a nice touch. Location was perfect, literally. Its right at the start of a lovely walk to Plaza Del Sol – where all the roads of Spain begin. (Yes, I learned that by watching episode 1 of Marta y Marta…..). No traffic, nearby everything, and string quartets play right across the way by the Hermes shop and Four Seasons. Honestly, if you were to stay at Four Seasons, enjoy paying an extra eight hundred bucks per night so you can have opulent lobby florals in the background of your Instagram posts that nobody cares about. (Its true, your friends are also busy making Instagram posts of their own that you dont really care about – so its only fair). And if by chance you do play in that league of 7 figure heroes and heroines, then count me as an internet troll and keep throwing your money around as callously as you please – you deserve it! Breakfast was great – and it seems that the whole of Spain just does breakfast better than everyone else. After being distraught leaving Barcelona thinking breakfast had reached its global apex – Hotel Regina pulls the rabbit out of the hat, in this case the rabbit has taken the form of a unique and delectable caramel sauce that you put on the pancakes. It has that almost burned essence but a perfect sweet that curbs it off – didnt catch that til the last day. I did request for 2 gallons of it to bathe in because it was so good, but apparently the staff do have their limitiations, despite their best of intentions. Why the request? Well, the shower has a nozzle that has a rotating jet sprayer function and I simply wanted to see how long it would take to to rinse it all off. Alas, we will never know. Props to Jesus (can’t type the little apostrophe on top, but you know how to pronounce it….) in the restaurant. He is steady, friendly and lets you pick your seat – a super way to start breakfast. Roberto was polite as well – sorry I used so many plates – but the fruits cant touch the eggs, and then the eggs and bacon cant touch the pastries, so I go in order – if you gave me one of those trays with eight compartments, it would be perfect, but regrettably we live in a civilized world….. With that, so long Madrid. Wouldnt stay anywhere else – location, staff, amenities, and price (see above commentary on the general sense of frugality). Thanks for a wonderful stay! …