I took the Metro from the airport to Nuñez de Balboa and walked to the Melia Serrano Madrid Hotel to meet Claude. He’s been here a few days now.

I study the map outside the metro station and walk the 6 or 7 blocks towards the hotel.

It’s Sunday. The streets seem empty. If I remember correctly, Sunday is the lords day and everything shuts in Spain on Sundays… at least that’s what it was like in Barcelona.

I have absolutely no sense of direction which means I inevitably walk past the hotel about two blocks. I hate that I can’t navigate without GPS today. Even before the days of GPS I managed to get lost everyday.

However, today it wasn’t my fault. The Melia Serrano Madrid Hotel is under renovation and there’s scaffolding along the front of it. I couldn’t see the sign.

I enter and walk straight to the elevator. Walk like you know what you’re doing said the voice in my head. I don’t want to get stopped by security or worse, have them think I’m a prostitute. That’s happened before.

The funny thing is, I have no idea where the elevators are. I walk around like a

chicken with my head cut off. I stumble into the glamorous restaurant area with its lounge-like furniture and great lighting before I located the elevator.

I’m sure the staff is keeping an eye on me at this point. I spot the elevator and b-line it. I press the “up” button and get on.

It looks like they’re renovating the inside as well. I get off on the proper floor, find the room number and knock on the door.

I seriously hope this is the correct hotel and not some strangers room. That cold be awkward. Claude opens the door and greets me.

I’m starting to feel the wooziness of jet lag kicking in. We greet each other warmly and start to catch up on the last few days.

Melia Serrano Madrid Hotel Room

It’s no surprise that Claude got a suite. He likes his suites when we travel. It’s convenient if we’re both on different time schedules.

The hotel room is cute. It has a small but cute living space separated by a sliding wood door to the bedroom. The living room has a sofa, two desk spaces. There’s a snack bar (not free) and a separate table for eating and such.

The bedroom is nice. We’re in a corner room which means we’ve got windows on both sides.

The only draw back at the moment is the construction happening right outside our windows. The men are literally outside with hammers and other tools. They’re going at it at 7 in the morning. If we open the window they can see us frolicking naked on the bed! That’s not our fault, why you looking at us!? Do your job!

We have a queen size bed, a giant flat screen TV and black-out curtains which make it pitch black. It’s perfect.

The Restroom

The restroom is super cute. It has double sinks and great lighting. There’s a giant window next to the shower. Luckily, the shower curtain hides our naked bodies from the men working outside. Although, I’ve heard the Spanish do very well around nudity. I don’t want to test it now though… Maybe later.

The restroom has its own entrance from the bedroom and the living room. This is great because I awoke at 2am these first few nights and lounged in the living room while Claude was asleep. There’s no need to go into the bedroom if you need the restroom.

The only weird thing about the restroom is the toilet area. It’s separated by a sliding door inside the restroom, which I find smart. However, the lights are motion censored, or not. I literally cannot figure it out. Half the time, I’m using the toilet in the dark. There’s no switch. At times, the light come on when you close the door. Other times it doesn’t.

The construction made it noisy. I don’t mind it though. The power goes out at least once a day. Fortunately, I haven’t gotten stuck in the elevator.

Other Amenities at The Melia Serrano Madrid Hotel

Apart from the great suite, this room came with club level access. The Level, as they call it, has tapas all day long. Champagne is free-flowing throughout the day. The beautiful outdoor/indoor terrace has a nice street view. It’s very nice.

I’m making sure to take advantage of all this free food for sure! In fact, I’m on my way there now. Gonna stock up on my breakfast needs before Claude leaves today.

They have all the essentials. Breakfast churros. Donuts. Pastries. Ham. Eggs. Coffee and more coffee… and for all my alcoholic friends, champagne for breakfast! Yass! Get it!

They also have a few restaurants downstairs, which I haven’t been to yet. I like my free stuff better. Although, Claude’s already tried them, he says they’re good. I’ll take his word for it.

The Pillows

One thing I took full advantage of is their pillow menu. I love sleeping with lots of pillows. I got a body pillow to use all night. The funny thing is they called this the Cervical pillow. I was so confused. Is this translation correct? What am I missing? I looked up cervical just in case. It actually means or refers to the neck region, not the vagina region. Either way, my ‘cervix’ was pampered all night!

The Gym

The gym on the top floor is quaint but it has everything you need. It has two stationary bicycles, two treadmill and one elliptical. There are two full body machines and freeweights. Other than that, they have plenty of water and towels to choose from. It has a couple of lockers and space on the floor for two yoga mats for the avid yogi’s out there. It’s not the best gym, but it gets the job done!

Let Me Break It Down For You:

The Melia Serrano Madrid Hotel is a Spanish hotel located at Calle de Claudio Coello, 139, 28006 Madrid…

• Starting prices go for $150 per night depending on the room
• They have a small gym
• Great pillow menu
• Their club lounge, called Level is pretty and offer free food and drinks all day long
• Currently the hotel is  under renovation and the power goes in and out…
• The suites are decent.

Do I recommend it? Yes. The Melia Serrano Madrid Hotel is a great hotel. It’s located near a shopping district and easily accessible by Metro. If you’re looking for a nice hotel, this is a good option. To be honest, it’s not the greatest hotel we’ve ever stayed in, but I definitely enjoyed it.

Check out their website for more info: https://www.melia.com/es/hoteles/espana/madrid/melia-galgos/index.html