The short answer
- Closest and best placed: Hotel Opera, Hotel Meninas and Room Mate Mario, 300 to 350 yards from the palace.
- Most upmarket: Palacio de los Duques, a Gran Meliá hotel scoring 9.3.
- Easiest by metro: Principe Pio, at 400 yards, scoring 8.8 from nearly 5,800 reviews.
- The district: Ópera for evenings at the Teatro Real, or the Austrias for the lanes of old Madrid.
Five hotels compared
| Hotel | Distance from the palace (Booking) | Booking score | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Opera | 300 yards | 8.6 (1,545 reviews) | couples, short visit |
| Hotel Meninas – Boutique Opera | 350 yards | 8.9 (990 reviews) | boutique hotel, getaway |
| Room Mate Mario | 350 yards | 8.6 (3,841 reviews) | design style, small group |
| Palacio de los Duques, Gran Meliá | 400 yards | 9.3 (1,318 reviews) | luxury, special occasion |
| Principe Pio | 400 yards | 8.8 (5,787 reviews) | travellers by train or metro |
Hotel pick: Hotel Opera (Booking score 8.6, read 30 October 2026): the closest of the five, 300 yards from the palace. Limit: its score (8.6) is, with Room Mate Mario's, the lowest in the group.
Hotel pick: Hotel Meninas – Boutique Opera (Booking score 8.9, read 30 October 2026): a boutique hotel in the heart of Ópera. Limit: only 990 reviews, fewer than the others on the list.
Hotel pick: Room Mate Mario (Booking score 8.6 from 3,841 reviews, read 30 October 2026): well rated for its position near the palace. Limit: a lower score than the Meninas and the Palacio de los Duques.
Hotel pick: Palacio de los Duques, a Gran Meliá Hotel (Booking score 9.3, read 30 October 2026): the best score on the list, 400 yards from the palace. Limit: it is a luxury hotel, so generally the dearest of the five.
Hotel pick: Principe Pio (Booking score 8.8 from 5,787 reviews, read 30 October 2026): well rated and near a major metro and commuter-rail station. Limit: west of the palace, the walk to Puerta del Sol is longer.
Which district to choose
Ópera is liveliest in the evening, around the Teatro Real and the Plaza de Oriente. The Austrias, to the south, are quieter and older. Whichever you choose, terrace noise is louder at weekends: ask for a courtyard room if you sleep lightly.
Visiting the palace from your hotel
The Royal Palace of Madrid opens early, and sleeping next door lets you arrive before the groups. To choose between tickets, read Royal Palace tickets: which offer. Around the palace, the walk around the Royal Palace and where to eat near the Royal Palace round off the visit.
Compare with other districts
To sleep more centrally, see where to stay at Puerta del Sol; to compare all of Madrid, where to stay in Madrid.
