Location. The Gran Hotel Conde Duque is located in Madrid, Spain, in a quiet garden square to the north of the city centre, two kilometres from Almudena Cathedral and four kilometres from the Palacio de las Cortes. Hotel Features. The Gran Hotel Conde Duque is set in a grand 19th-century building with a terracotta facade, surrounded by lush greenery. Currency exchange is available at the 24-hour front desk, and wireless Internet access is available. There is a tea shop and snack bar, and room service is available 24 hours a day. Garage parking is available.

The La Vendimia restaurant at Gran Hotel Conde Duque serves a range of Mediterranean dishes in a contemporary setting. There is an ornate wood-panelled bar serving snacks and cocktails, a breakfast buffet, and a tea room with a range of 70 different kinds of tea, with regular musical entertainment from a professional harpist.

Conference rooms are available on site, the largest holding up to 90 persons.

Complimentary access to a nearby gymnasium can be arranged at the hotel. Other recreational facilities commensurate with a capital city can be found nearby.

Guestrooms. The 143 air-conditioned guestrooms at Gran Hotel Conde Duque have richly coloured fabrics, wooden floors, and marble bathrooms with hydro jet bath tubs, bathrobes, and hair dryers. All rooms are equipped with satellite television with pay channels, direct-dial phones, Internet access, and minibars. Smoking rooms are available.

Expert Tip. The University of Madrid was founded in the 13th century and remains the largest university in Spain. Its alumni include playwrights Lorca and Lope de Vega, and film-maker Louis Bunuel.

Room Types:

Standard room:   One double bed. Traditional furniture and polished wood floors. Air conditioning, satellite television, direct-dial phone, Internet access, and minibar. Marble bathroom with jetted tub, bathrobes, and hair dryer.

Driving Directions: From Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD): Distance to Gran Hotel Conde Duque is 15 kilometres, approximately 25 minutes' drive.

Getting there. A regular underground metro service runs from the airport to central Madrid. The station is located in terminal 2 and is on line 8 (pink). Change at Mar De Cristal and take line 4, stopping at San Bernado metro station 100 metres from the hotel. The single fare is 1.75 EUR. An airport bus runs to central Madrid's Plaza de Colon terminal. The bus departs every 10 minutes and tickets cost 2.40 EUR. Taxis into the city centre and direct to the hotel cost approximately 30 EUR, including an airport surcharge. The hotel also offers an airport transfer for surcharge. Prices are all subject to change.

Getting around. The squares and narrow streets in central Madrid are best explored on foot. An extensive public bus and metro system offers a cheap and efficient way to get around the city. Single tickets can be bought from bus drivers or machines. A 10-trip Metrobus ticket, costing 6.40 EUR, is ideal for those making multiple journeys. Taxis can be hailed on the street and are reasonably priced. Price is subject to change.

Driving directions. From the airport, take Maria de Molina road towards Madrid centre. Continue along Calle Serrano to Plaza Xolon. At the roundabout, take Alonso Martinez until the next roundabout, where Glorieta de Bilbao exit should be taken. Continue onto Glorieta de Ruiz Jimenez and then turn right onto San Bernardo, then Plaza Conde Valle Suchil, where the hotel is found.