Room Mate Collection Alba: Staying and Resetting in Madrid
Image credits: Room Mate Collection Alba website
Some cities you remember for their streets, others for their food. And then there are places where the hotel quietly becomes part of the story. Not just somewhere you drop your bags and disappear for the night, but a space that shapes how the city feels from the moment you wake up to the moment you come back tired, slightly sunburnt, and wondering how you walked that much.
In a city like Madrid, that matters. The pace, the light, the way days stretch - your hotel becomes a pause between it all. It’s where mornings start slowly, where you reset after walking for hours, where you look out the window and feel the city rather than just visit it.
The hotel I’m writing about has that rare quality of carrying Madrid’s own spirit inside its walls. It’s authentic, vibrant, and confidently itself - lively without being exhausting, elegant without being stiff. Staying here didn’t feel like escaping the city, but like Madrid politely followed me inside and let me rest for a bit. A place that reflects the city’s charm rather than copying it, and quietly becomes part of the memory you take home.
Room Mate Collection Alba: The Experience
First Impressions: Right in the Middle of Everything (Which Is Exactly the Point)
Some hotels are just places you sleep. Others quietly decide how your entire trip is going to feel. Room Mate Collection Alba belongs very firmly in the second category.
I arrived, dropped my bag, and within minutes realised I was exactly where I needed to be. Steps from Plaza Santa Ana, right on Calle de las Huertas in Barrio de Las Letras - one of those streets where something is always happening, but never in a way that feels chaotic. Bars, cafés, conversations, literary quotes literally engraved into the pavement… Madrid doesn’t whisper here, but it also doesn’t shout.
And somehow, the moment you step inside the hotel, everything softens. The noise stays outside. The energy stays, but the stress doesn’t. Which is a small miracle in a city centre.
The Location: Walk Out the Door and You’re Already There
Address: C. de las Huertas, 16, Centro, 28012 Madrid, Spain
This is the kind of location that makes you feel smug about your booking choice. Prado, Reina Sofía, Thyssen? Close enough that you don’t need a plan. Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, Gran Vía? Five minutes, maybe ten if you get distracted (you will). Retiro Park? A pleasant walk that feels like part of the experience.
What I loved most was not having to think. No taxis, no schedules, no “I’ll do that tomorrow.” You walk out the door and Madrid immediately presents itself. Restaurants, wine bars, flamenco spots, people enjoying their lives - all of it happening around you like it’s perfectly normal. Which, here, it is.
The Room: Calm, Elegant, and Dangerously Comfortable
The room was exactly what I hoped for after long days of walking: calm, beautifully designed, and genuinely comfortable. Soft blues, warm wood, subtle patterns.
The bed deserves a warning label. Extremely comfortable. The kind of bed where you tell yourself you’ll just lie down for five minutes and then wake up questioning what year it is. The room was spacious, well soundproofed (a real achievement given the location), and perfectly set up for actually resting.
And then there was the bathroom. Clean, elegant, and joy of joys - a bathtub. A real one. In a city hotel. Rare. After hours of walking Madrid, this felt like winning a small but meaningful battle in life.
Some rooms have little balconies overlooking the street, which I loved. It made me feel connected to the city without being overwhelmed by it.
The Lobby: Where Stories Definitely Start
The lobby deserves its own moment. This is not a pass-through space where you check in and immediately escape upstairs. This is a sit down, look around, and accidentally stay longer kind of lobby.
Patterned marble floors, rich textures, botanical prints lining the walls, velvet chairs you actually want to sink into - it feels dramatic in the best way. Warm lighting, layered details, and that slightly theatrical elegance that makes you feel like something interesting is about to happen. Or already has.
I couldn’t help but think this is exactly where Carrie Bradshaw would sit, notebook out, legs crossed, writing her next column. I couldn’t help but wonder… is basically built into the atmosphere. It’s intimate, stylish, and just a little bit nostalgic - like a place made for conversations, pauses, and people-watching.
It’s the kind of lobby where you don’t rush through. You arrive, you sit, you observe. And suddenly, the hotel isn’t just where you’re staying - it’s part of the story you’re living in Madrid.
The Little Things That Made Me Smile
There’s a gym. A proper one. And they don’t really advertise it. Which means it’s usually empty. Which means you can use it without feeling watched or judged by someone who clearly wakes up at 6am on purpose.
Cold water, a private bathroom down there - thoughtful details that make you realise someone actually considered how people use the space, not just how it looks in photos.
Also: the windows. Impressive. Slightly intimidating. I highly recommend asking the staff for a quick tutorial before attempting to open them on your own. Learn from me.
The People: The Kind That Make You Feel Welcome, Not Managed
The staff were genuinely lovely. Friendly, calm, helpful without hovering. The kind of people who remember you, make eye contact, and actually seem to enjoy working there. Special mentions come up again and again in reviews for a reason - people remember kindness more than thread counts.
I never felt rushed, ignored, or like just another room number. Which, honestly, matters more than most hotel amenities.
Breakfast, Drinks, and Slowing Down Properly
Breakfast was generous and well thought out - fresh, varied, and easy to enjoy without rushing. And then there’s El Bar de Alba, the hotel’s lounge bar. Stylish, relaxed, good cocktails, good wine. The kind of place you go for one drink and then realise you’ve stayed longer than planned.
It fits the hotel perfectly: elegant, warm, unpretentious.
Who This Hotel Is Perfect For
This is a great choice if you:
Want to walk everywhere
Care about design but hate stiff hotels
Travel solo or as a couple
Want comfort and character
Like feeling part of the city, not separated from it
Final Thoughts: A Hotel That Feels Like Madrid
Room Mate Collection Alba has that rare quality of feeling like an extension of the city rather than an escape from it. Vibrant, warm, confident, but never exhausting. Staying here felt like Madrid followed me inside, handed me a good bed and a bathtub, and said, you’ve earned a rest.
It didn’t just support my trip - it became part of how I’ll remember Madrid. And that’s the kind of hotel that stays with you long after you’ve checked out.
I Needed This Sauna
Image credits: Revive Spain website
After days of walking Madrid until my step counter felt personally offended, I booked a sauna session at Revive Wellness Hub Justicia - and it was exactly the reset I didn’t know I needed.
Revive isn’t just a wellness space, it feels like a place where people come to train properly and recover properly. It’s part gym, part recovery hub, part lifestyle spot. They run group workouts, strength training, and functional classes, and there’s even a coffee bar where everyone looks like they lift heavy things and know where to get good espresso.
I went specifically for the dry Finnish sauna (sauna seca), which costs €40 - and honestly, worth every euro. The sauna runs at around 80–90°C, encouraging deep sweating that helps relax muscles, reduce stress, improve circulation, and support recovery. It’s the kind of heat that feels intense at first and then incredibly grounding once you settle into it.
What I loved most was how calm and intentional the space felt. No rush, no noise, no spa clichés. Just warm wood, soft lighting, and that quiet moment where your body finally catches up with your mind. By the time I stepped out, my muscles felt loose, my head felt clear, and Madrid suddenly seemed very manageable again.
Revive really understands the balance between effort and rest. You can train hard there, but you’re also encouraged to recover properly - sleep better, move better, and actually enjoy the process. It’s not about burning out, it’s about resetting and going again.
If you’re travelling and feel like your body needs a pause - not a lazy one, but a good one - this is a place I’d genuinely recommend. A proper sweat, a proper reset, and then back into the city feeling lighter.
