The Principal Madrid, Small Luxury Hotels

I always stay at The Principal when I’m in Madrid for work. The hotel has a great design, the staff are genuinely kind and lovely, and the concierge is excellent. They’re always helpful with my late arrivals and early departures, which makes work trips much easier. It just has everything I need, and I’m always happy to come back.

I would not stay here again, extremely overpriced compared to the value. No service came after clicking the button several times, I left clothes in the room that vanished, and after several attempts at communication with the front desk or house keeping we have not heard anything. Unexplained mini bar charges for items we did not consume. There are 5 star hotels, and then there are anomaly’s like this property. There are many wonderful properties to choose from and I would not pick this one again.

I rarely leave negative reviews, but I feel compelled to share this experience because it was quite disappointing for a 5-star hotel. We booked a family suite with a sofa bed for three guests. In previous hotels during our trip, the sofa bed had always been prepared before our arrival, so we expected the same here. However, when we returned to the hotel after 10 PM, the sofa bed had not been made. I called reception and asked if someone could help prepare the bed. After explaining the situation over the phone, a staff member came upstairs and asked me to explain again. He then told me to go downstairs to reception to explain the issue once more, which was confusing and frustrating, especially late at night after a long day out. At reception, I was told that someone had already been sent and that there was actually no reason for me to come downstairs — apparently there had been internal confusion between staff. What disappointed me most was not the missing sofa bed itself, but the way the situation was handled. Instead of apologizing for the inconvenience, the staff member joked that I should “take it as exercise” since I had to go up and down. He repeated this even after I made it clear that I was tired and frustrated. Mistakes can happen, and I understand that. But in a 5-star hotel, I expect better communication, professionalism, and basic empathy when handling guest concerns. This was the only time during our Europe trip that we felt genuinely disrespected as guests, which made the experience especially disappointing. Unfortunately, this experience fell far below the standard one would expect from a 5-star hotel.

Everything about this hotel was perfect. Great rooms, wonderful service, and absolutely perfect location. It was within walking distance from anything you'd want to see in Madrid as well as all the top shopping locations. Highly recommended if you're looking for a luxury stay on Madrid!