Arriving at Madrid Airport from Athens on Aegean Airlines at 01:20 in the morning meant booking an airport hotel for convenience and close proximity before heading into central Madrid later in the day. An Uber ride cost 14 EUR from the airport to Crowne Plaza Madrid Airport. The driver spoke limited English and took us to a Marriott first, then after showing him my phone with Crowne Plaza as the destination, he drove back onto the highway and dropped us off another mile down the road at the hotel entrance.
After spending the previous week in Covid isolation at the Holiday Inn Thessaloniki, Greece cramped in a double size bed with little to do but lie in bed a good part of the day, walking into the Crowne Plaza Madrid Airport hotel room with two Queen beds looked dreamily spacious with his and her beds waiting for our heads.
We struggled to figure out how to work the TV. I spent a couple minutes trying to turn the TV on using the remote. We managed to find a weather forecast alerting us to the 100+F. temperature later in the day. TV sound kept going in and out, so I spent a couple minutes more trying to turn the TV off.
The bath towels felt luxurious compared to towels we used for our week at Holiday Inn Thessaloniki in Greece. Another feature I liked was the ability to close the hall door separating the bathroom and bedroom.
We still had perishable food we brought from Greece and popped those items in the refrigerator.Â
After about 5.5 hours of sleep I was up and ready for morning coffee.
In contrast to the TV issues, WiFi was blazingly fast at the hotel and I used the opportunity to download apps and music onto our phones in the morning hours before waking Kelley.
At check-in we booked the 12 noon complimentary shuttle back to Madrid Airport, where we could ride the Metro into central Madrid.
All in all, Crowne Plaza Madrid Airport fulfilled its airport location function for us providing a bed soon after arrival in Spain for some rest before heading to Hotel Indigo Princesa for a day and night in the big city.
Crowne Plaza Madrid Airport
I paid 15,000 points for the night when the room rate was 93 EUR, about $100 USD at the time. Using $75 in IHG points did not offer much savings, but no reason to pay more than necessary when there are plenty of opportunities during the year to buy IHG points for $5 per 1,000 points.
The hotel had an upscale look and functions as an event and meeting space too. Crowne Plaza Madrid Airport offers a gym, restaurant and bar. I did not check out these facilities during our 10 hour stay. The surrounding area appeared to be a hotel and business park district with limited stores and restaurants around the hotel.
