Madrid hostels are available in a number of budget categories and with a wide range of facilities and amenities. This is because this city has a large number of young people who come to see the attractions of this magnificent capital city and to enjoy its vibrant nightlife. These young people, who come from around the world are often spending their summer backpacking, hitchhiking, or cycling through the continent. They are looking for cheap hostels in Madrid where they can spend a few nights, spend very little money, and have enough left over to fully enjoy the city sights before moving on to their next destination.

Madrid hostals are the most common kind of accommodation for young people to be found in the region. These are generally less expensive than regular hotels, and often have a modest restaurant or cafeteria type dining spot and, most importantly, a bar (because these younger tourists come to have a good time). Madrid hostals are similar to those that are commonly found throughout Spain, as well as in Mexico, Central America, and South America. They are generally small, family-run pensions with modest private rooms with en suite private bathroom. Some Madrid hostals are actually short-term apartment rentals. Some have rooms and apartments that sleep as many as six or eight people. Some rooms may sleep several guests dormitory style and might have shared bathrooms. The Hostal Puerta del Sol is located, as its name suggests, right in the heart of the city and is geared towards the gay community. Most rooms are private, with ensuite bathrooms, but some have shared facilities. It has a bar, a common lounge, and breakfast room. About three blocks north of the Academy of Fine Arts is the Hostal Metropole, which has a very nice bar, common room, and breakfast area. There are rooms for two to six persons, all with private bathrooms.

You will find Madrid hostels in the city center, and many of these are located in historic old buildings near the major attractions, especially in the neighborhoods around Puerta del Sol, the heart of the city. Typical of these is the Mad Hostel (pictured), located in a traditional corrala, an apartment building built around a central courtyard with interior balconies and staircases accessing the rooms and apartments. It is within a short walking distance of the internationally respected Reina Sofia Museum and Prado Museum and the Royal Palace (Palacio Real). Dormitory type rooms with bunk beds sleep four to six guests, and there are private double rooms. Some Madrid hostels actually have small dining spots that feature flamenco dancing and other entertainment. You can also find a few traditional youth hostels in the city that have little more than clean, safe dormitory rooms with shared bathrooms, a simple breakfast room, and an evening curfew.

Madrid Map

Many of the tourists who stay in Madrid are on their way to or from vacations on the beaches around Valencia, and Madrid is major hub for flights to legendary party islands like Ibiza and Mallorca. This means there are also hostels near Madrid airport in addition to excellent cheap hotels in the city center. Since the city’s major international airport is right on the edge of the city and only about six miles from Plaza Mayor, staying in hostels near Madrid airport means you are quite close to all the action. If city hostels near Madrid Airport aren’t for you, you will find some small pensions and bed and breakfast inns in the little countryside towns just to the northeast of the airport.