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The Westin Palace Madrid has long been my favorite hotel in the city. I returned in October 2022 with my husband, mother, and mother-in-law in tow to give them a taste of Spain. The hotel was the perfect home base for exploring the city.
Anthony’s Take: This iconic hotel with a gorgeous stained-glass-domed restaurant at its heart is my go to when in Madrid. The hotel is well maintained, the staff is friendly and helpful, the location is perfect for sightseeing, upgrades are easy, and the breakfast offered to Marriott Bonvoy elites (Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador) is plentiful and tasty.
Booking
I booked a King Bed, Deluxe Guest Room directly from Marriott.com on a “Member Rate Bed and Breakfast” rate as it was only a few dollars more than the “Member Flexible Rate” that I would normally book. My welcome amenity was 1,000 points and I still got my breakfast, which costs 42 euros per person if not booked with your room rate or selected complimentary as an amenity with status. I applied Suite Night Awards (SNAs) to the reservation and was able to clear five days in advance as an Ambassador to an Executive Suite (which was selling for over 1,000 euros per night while I was there). My mother is a Platinum member. She also cleared her SNAs to the same suite type. The Westin Palace Madrid can also be booked with Bonvoy points (45,000-63,000 points per night) with rates varying since Marriott eliminated its award categories.
Transportation to/from the Hotel
We took an Uber van from Atocha Railway Station to the hotel. It cost 14 euros and took around 10 minutes to drive the approximately 3.3 kilometers with some traffic. When we left the hotel, we were headed to Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport. It’s around 16 kilometers away, cost 28 euros for a van, and took less than 30 minutes door to door.
Location
The Westin Palace Madrid is located opposite the Spanish Parliament and within easy walking distance of The Prado Museum (6-minute walk), Retiro Park (10-minute walk), and lots of other attractions, restaurants, and shopping. As mentioned, it is across from Spanish Parliament and if there are demonstrations (there was one with the union of train workers while we were leaving for the airport), it’s best to call an Uber or taxi a block away from the hotel.
Check-in
We arrived at the hotel around 6:30 pm and our room was ready. There were multiple employees at the front counters checking people in and the process was speedy and efficient. Breakfast, elite benefits, and a brief overview of the hotel were given. A 3:00 pm checkout, as requested, was granted and we were in our suite within a few minutes.
Executive Suite (323)
There are 467 rooms and suites at the Westin Palace Madrid. Each floor has expansive public lounge space.
This Executive Suite had a great view of the Neptune Fountain and was huge.
The double doors opened into a large foyer.
Moving forward there is a large living room with a dining table, couch, and multiple chairs.
A bottle of wine and some caramel popcorn were included as a bonus welcome amenity.
To the left of the entrance was a half bath.
Moving off of the living room was a small office area with desk.
A large dressing area with closet and bench were off of this room on the way to the massive bathroom.
The bathroom featured dual sinks, a large tub, separate shower, and toilet plus bidet. My only complaint was how close the toilet and bidet were to the shower.
Toiletries were Olivia brand in the shower and Molton Brown near the sink on our visit. Both were fine. The pandemic and supply chain have made a mess of hotel toiletries and we never know what we’ll get when we check in.
Around the corner from the bathroom, was a large bedroom with a comfortable king bed.
Breakfast
La Rotonda, the hotel’s main restaurant, serves an expansive breakfast buffet every morning. This area reminds me a lot of the Palace Hotel in San Francisco with a gorgeous stained-glass dome topping the room and adding an elegance from a bygone era to the experience. The buffet offers a ton of options.
Pastries, breads, and other baked goods were plentiful.
There is a large section of meats, smoked fish, and cheeses.
Hot items included pancakes, crepes, waffles, churros, eggs, and more.
There is a large selection of fruit and smoothies if you want something healthier.
This was the perfect way to start and kept us full throughout most of the day.
Overall Impression:
The Westin Palace Madrid is an elegant and convenient choice when visiting Madrid. All of the major sights are easily accessible. The hotel offers great service and Marriott Bonvoy recognition.
Anthony’s Credit Card Pick: When I’m staying at a Marriott hotel, I want to maximize my points earned. My card of choice is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. With it, I earn six Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar spent at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program. It also includes up to $300 statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month ) for dining in restaurants worldwide. Plus, a free night award every year after my card renewal month that I can redeem at any Marriott hotel with a redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points. Learn more. Rates & fees. Terms apply.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
