“Great location”

This is the second time we have stayed at the Room Mate Mario. it is part of the Room Mate chain of boutique hotels. The rooms are not particularly large but they are laid out efficiently. The public space is minimal but the ultra contemporary interior design a la Philippe Stark is really neat; you will recognize many examples of chairs and lamps from interior design magazines. We were offered an inexpensive upgrade to a junior suite and enjoyed the extra room. Mario is not a luxury hotel and so there is minimal service but you cannot beat the hotel for location if you want to be near the Opera House and the Royal Palace. The hotel is on a side street just a short walk from the Opera stop on the Metro, so it can be accessed directly from the airport with a couple of line changes. The buffet breakfast was not in the room rate but was inexpensive and offered a good selection of cheeses, meats, pastries, and bread; a brew machine allows you to adjust coffee to taste.

“Another fine example of the Room Mate chain”

We usually stay at the Room Mate Alicia on the super lively Plaza de Santa but wanted to experience a different area of Madrid. The Mario met all our expectations of the Room Mate chain and was one block from the lively Arenal pedestrian street that leads to Plaza del Sol. The staff was super helpful and our internal room was extremely quiet. Everything is clean, fresh and modern. The breakfast buffet for 6.95 euros was excellent value.

“location, location, location”

The hotel was great.

“Terrific small hotel”

Room Mate Mario was a great choice for my wife and I. The location was ideal for us - a hundred yards from the Metro stop, an easy walk (or Metro ride if tired) to everything we wanted to see in Madrid. Quiet, safe-feeling neighborhood in spite of proximity to loads of activity. The hotel had a "hip" vibe - rooms were adequate size, bathroom excellent. Very clean. Enjoyed the airiness of the breakfast area, as well as the quality of the breakfast. (Maybe the coffee wasn't so great, but the cheeses and breads, yoghurt, ham, fresh fruit, etc. was plentiful and fresh.)

“wouldn't go back”

I have stayed at Room Mate Mario previously and like the location, unfortunately this time I had to wait until 3PM to check in and the staff were very unhelpful. I had paid for a Executive Suite, but got a regular room, was too exhausted after this to argue. The front desk staff had a poor knowledge of how to get to common tourist things and to top it all off they wanted to charge me for the breakfast which was included in my booking. I had my booking detailing everything to try and show them, but they still wanted to argue and make me pay, this is not the first time I heard of this happening. In the end they didn't push the issue, but just left a very bad impression, I will not stay there again, completly different experience from last year.

“Mario Is the Best Possible Location”

Within about 3 minutes of the Palacio Real, just a 30 minute stroll to the Prado and its gorgeous surroundings, the Room Mate Mario is superbly located. The staff was magnificent from check-in to check-out, the breakfast is a great value compared to most Spanish hotels. Overall, we had a wonderful experience at the Mario.

“Conveniently located with a little modern flavor”

Room Mate Mario features a modern, "urban chic" type of vibe, though not obtrusively. That aside, the staff was friendly and helpful, and the it's hard to beat the price for the location and comfort.

“Good little hotel in the heart of Madrid”

For the price, the location and amenities of the Room Mate Mario are great! We didn't spend very much time in the hotel but in many of the sites so it made for a nice home base. Also, even though there was heavy construction and lots of noise when you were outside the hotel, we couldn't hear it from our room (which faced an interior area). It was pretty quite, minus people stumbling in at 2am outside our door, and clean. The beds were what a bit firm but still comfortable. The twins pushed together don't make for good cuddling but we made due. Breakfast was great with lots of options (American/European) and very inexpensive considering options outside (6,25 euro per person). Location is really the best feature of this hotel. Right within blocks of the Royal Palace and one of the main walking streets Calle de Arenal. I would say 8 slow walking minutes to Puerta de Sol and 10 minutes walking to Plaza Mayor. The Opera station is less than a block so makes it easy to get to all the sites in Madrid or to the Atocha train station. We took the train from the airport to the Opera station which was totally easy (note there are some stairs so if you have heavy luggage, you may want to take a taxi). Overall, we had a great stay!

“All round great place”

Ultra modern interior, centrally located, professional staff, great breakfast but a bit $$$, love the apple a day!