On a recent trip, none of the available flight itineraries were particularly appealing, so I picked an itinerary with an overnight layover in Madrid. The shortest option had me arriving around 10:30 pm and departing early the next morning. While I’ve certainly spent enough nights trying to get some sleep in airport terminals, those days are behind me when I can avoid it. Since I didn’t need to be at my destination for a few days, I opted for a later outbound flight and decided to spend the night at a hotel near Madrid Airport.

After looking through the available options, I ended up at the Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center.

Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center Basics

Despite being advertised as an airport hotel, the Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center isn’t actually at Madrid Airport.

It’s located about 6 kilometers from Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), between the airport and central Madrid.

It’s also enormous, with 869 rooms and a substantial convention operation featuring 56 event rooms and an auditorium seating up to 2,000 people. The hotel is organized into four blocks along a central spine, with four ‘towers’ and pairs of guest-room wings extending from each.

In other words, the hotel is designed more like a massive convention hotel than your typical airport hotel.

But you won’t forget you’re near the airport. It’s the crew hotel for a number of airlines, including Emirates, so you’ll see uniformed crew coming and going frequently.

And thanks to its efficient airport shuttle schedule, it works logistically well for an airport layover.

Booking the Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center

I procrastinated on booking a hotel until the last minute and ended up booking the Marriott a few hours before my inbound flight to Madrid.

The rate was about $100, which put it right in the middle in terms of airport hotels offering a complimentary shuttle to and from Madrid Airport. I would have paid cash either way since this was a business expense, but I checked the points value, and it was well under my 0.5¢ valuation for Bonvoy points.

I booked directly to ensure that I’d get my Marriott Bonvoy Platinum benefits.

Getting to the Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center

My flight to Madrid ended up being slightly delayed, but I headed directly to the busy hotel shuttle pickup area at Madrid Airport Terminal 4. After waiting for about 10 minutes, the Marriott shuttle arrived, and we headed to the hotel.

Terminal 4 is the first stop on the shuttle’s route back, so after picking up passengers (including a pair of very obnoxious American siblings) at terminals 2 and 1, we arrived at the hotel in 20 minutes.

For reference, the hotel’s current shuttle schedule is below (also accessible here).

I also took the shuttle back to the airport the next day, arriving a couple minutes before departure, but finding plenty of space. Everyone on the shuttle was headed to Terminal 4, so we went directly there, making it a quick 10-minute ride

Check-in

I received a notification from the Marriott app that mobile check-in was available, but as seems to frequently be the case when abroad, a mobile key was not available, so it was pretty much a waste of time. I’d have to do a physical check-in.

I was one of the first off the shuttle when we arrived (benefits of only having a carry-on), so I headed directly to the check-in desk. There were three check-in agents and two desks available, so I was immediately assisted. The check-in experience was relatively efficient.

While Platinum Elite members are eligible for upgrades, none was offered, and I didn’t bother asking about one for a one-night stay. I did confirm a late checkout for 2 pm.

I was offered the choice between a 10€ credit at the hotel bar and 1,000 points. I didn’t feel like heading to the bar, so I picked points. They explained that breakfast would be served in the executive lounge from 7:30 to 11 am. I also asked about the shuttle schedule back to the airport and was shown the schedule above. After that, I headed to the room.

Premium King Room

I was assigned room 3308, which is on the third floor in the third tower (the blue dot on the map above). A card they include with your keys helpfully explains where your room is located.

After a walk through the hotel, I found my room and understood why the front desk agent remarked that “at least it’s not as big as the airport!” while checking me in.

The room is laid out like a standard hotel room. When you walk in, the main portion of the room is ahead of you, and there’s a closet to your left and the bathroom to your right.

The closet is to your left as you enter the room and is compact but functional.

A pair of bathrobes and two pairs of slippers are provided.

On the other side of the closet are the safe, hair dryer, iron, ironing board, and a mini fridge (which contained complimentary refreshments consisting of four small water bottles along with some cans of beverages, including Pepsi and tonic water).

Then, there’s a small counter under which is the kettle and various teas and instant coffee. Aside from this, there was no coffee equipment, so I was especially thankful to have access to the executive lounge for my caffeine fix.

Continuing along the wall after the closet, the room had a suitcase stand and a desk below some appropriately generic art.

Interestingly, Marriott describes the room category as having a living/sitting area, and its photos show a table with two chairs, no desk or armchair. That wasn’t what I found during my stay. Instead, the room had the desk and a single armchair next to the bedside table. No table with two chairs.

The bedside table had a phone and a directory of hotel services accessible by QR code.

The blinds were closed when I arrived, but I opened them in the morning to let in some light and check out the view. The light was nice.

Premium King Room Bathroom

As is typical, the bathroom was located off the entryway. It was efficiently laid out with a vanity with a single sink directly ahead when you walk in, the shower to the left, and a toilet and bidet to the right.

Shaving, dental, and vanity kits were already in the room. This is particularly thoughtful at an airport hotel. Many guests are likely staying just one night after arriving, before an early departure, or, like me, during an overnight layover, and may not want to rummage through their luggage just to find a toothbrush or toothpaste.

The walk-in shower to the left is fairly unremarkable. Thankfully, despite the lack of a shower door, it avoids the surprisingly common European hotel problem of water spilling out onto the bathroom floor (or beyond!). There’s no rainfall shower here, unfortunately, so guests will have to rough it with just a handheld shower head mounted on an adjustable rail.

Toiletries are in pump containers rather than individual packages and come from thisworks’ In Transit line.

Unfortunately, the hotel did not provide washcloths, something I frequently encounter when traveling outside North America and Asia, even at major-brand hotels. Confusing.

Finally, the toilet and bidet were to the right. And yes, there’s a toilet phone!

Air Conditioning

When I entered my room, it was quite warm, and the air conditioning was off, so I quickly located the thermostat. Initially, I was pleased that I could lower the temperature to my ideal sleeping temperature (17°C). Unfortunately, my happiness was ephemeral. The air conditioning was not very powerful. After a sweaty night, I checked the thermostat in the morning and it seemed to be set not to go below 24ºC (~75ºF). Not good.

Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center Lounge Breakfast

The elite breakfast benefit at this hotel is offered in the Executive Lounge from 7:30 to 11 am. I tossed and turned for most of the night, courtesy of the weak air conditioning, before getting out of bed still quite tired to head to the lounge for breakfast.

The lounge is located in floor “E” above the reception (so back to “tower 1” of the hotel). Signage on floor E was limited, but the directions from the front desk the night before were clear enough, and I had no trouble finding the lounge.

The lounge is one big room with various types of seating laid out.

For breakfast, an extensive buffet was laid out with cold cuts, pastries, cereal, fruit, plenty of drinks, and other common items.

There was an extensive selection of drinks on offer. Beyond the usual juices, sodas, and coffee machines, wine and beer were set out. This breakfast definitely passes my mimosa test!

I ordered my standard: an egg white omelette with spinach, onion, tomato, and mushrooms, along with an almond milk cappuccino. Then, I grabbed some fruit, avocado toast, and smoked salmon from the buffet.

After a restless night, breakfast hit the spot. Then again, I’m pretty easy to please when it comes to breakfast. Nothing quite compares to a good breakfast in Asia, but give me a cappuccino with plant milk, an omelette, something with avocado, and fresh fruit, and I’m good to go.

Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center Gym

I also made a quick trip to the gym to get a little sweat in during my layover. To find the gym, head to tower 2 on floor E and look for the black door labeled “Fitness & Pool”. The gym is open 24/7.

The gym is at the end of a long hallway to your right along with the sauna and pool. (I visited the pool twice but it was full of young children both times, so I did not take any photos).

The gym has a good selection of equipment split into zones for cardio, strength training, and TRX.

Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center Sauna

Adjacent to the gym is the sauna. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to enjoy it. The temperature is adjustable up to a maximum of 80ºC.

Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center Bottom Line

I left the hotel with mixed feelings. On paper, it checks most of the boxes for an airport hotel with a complimentary shuttle, a lounge, a solid breakfast, and an impressive range of facilities, all at a reasonable price when there isn’t a convention in town. Unfortunately, the weak air conditioning made for a poor night’s sleep, which is hard to overlook when sleep is the main reason to book an airport hotel in the first place. I’d be reluctant to stay here again during the summer, but travelers who don’t mind a warmer room may find the Madrid Marriott Auditorium a very good value near Madrid Airport.