Madrid, Spain – Lope de Vega Hotel

Lope de Vega Hotel - Madrid, Spain - Across from the Prado Museum

Did you miss me? I was in Spain! Check out my previous posts on VaughanTown to find out what I was doing…!

I had an absolutely fabulous time. The people of Spain are wonderful, especially the people I got to know at Valdelavilla! They were so brave to come to a small town and speak English all the time with virtual strangers from England, Australia and the two of us, my husband and I, from the United States.

The next several posts will cover my three days in Madrid, before the VaughanTown experience…and then the week in Valdelavilla…

I am starting with my hotel in Madrid…Hotel Lope de Vega…across the street from the Prado Museum…in the high rent district with the Palace Hotel and the Ritz…but at a much, much more reasonable rate. (I visited the Palace Hotel, just around the corner…it is very luxurious and grand…too grand for me.)

Our small but modern room on the sixth floor with a balcony!

Our room was very nice and modern, with all amenities, even a flat screen TV. Anyone visiting this hotel needs to know…you must ask for what you want in a room. We wanted two beds, a view and a balcony. We received all three, but we had to wait an hour. Which was better than expected because we arrived at 10 a.m. In the US, you would have to wait until afternoon to get a room.

So, we went for a walk and to get a snack until about 11:30.

Los Rotos - on Calle de las Huertas

We were tired, needed a sandwich and soft drink, or what we call “pop” in Michigan…and this was perfect. Just around the block from our hotel. We split what they called a club sandwich. It has turkey, ham (jamon) and a creamy cheese and spinach mixture on toasted bread with hand-made potato chips. Delicioso! The Coke in old fashioned bottles tasted great…and watching the people walk or cycle by couldn’t be better. By-the-way, that cute guy sitting by himself is my husband, Rick.

Club sandwich and Coke at Los Rotos

Back to the hotel. They had special little touches that made the room special like fancy keys you turn in when you leave…

Fancy key at Hotel Lope de Vega

And monogrammed towels that I haven’t seen in a while. And no, I didn’t steal any…who do you think I am?

Fancy monogrammed towels in a bathroom of tile and granite with a bidet of course...

Each floor of the hotel is dedicated to a period in well-known and prolific writer Lope de Vega’s life. We stayed on the sixth floor, room 608 (Fernando de Valenzuela). This floor’s theme is Spanish Politics in the 17th Century. The hotel sent us a book about the history prior to our arrival. It is free to anyone staying at the hotel. I received it in one week after requesting it by email…that was quick!

I also have to mention the staff at the hotel tried very hard to understand our English and our Spanglish!

Lastly, we had a nice view of the street below from our little balcony. (Not even big enough for a chair.) The street is mostly quiet unless people walk by from the tapas bars or there is an event at the auditorium. There was one company meeting involving bright red hats…and a lot of older adults…

View from our little balcony on the 6th floor

Stay tuned for the continuing story of Madrid and Valdelavilla.

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Adios for now!

Sandie Parrott