Chic & Basic Colors Hostal Madrid (Gayfriendly)

The location of the Chic & Basic couldn`t be any better. It is in Old Madrid, between Sol and Paseo del Prado. I never had to use my metro ticket - you can reach most of the places of interest by walking! Prado and Thyssen collection are about 5 min walk away. There are a lot of tapas bars and drinking holes close to the Chic and Basic, it isn`t an exceptionally rumorous street though. It has 10 rooms, which are- as the name says- chic and basic. Room design uses only one colour - orange, red, green... in combination with white. I had the green room, which should have a calming effect according to the rules of chromotherapy :). Actually I felt comfortable in this room, it had a plasma TV, a radio, aircon and a wireless internet connection. In the bathroom was a nice dark wooden floor. Some rooms also have a french balcony. It didn`t feel like staying at a hotel or hostel, more like having a room in a private apartment. They have a central meting area with a computer to surf the internet, magazines to read and a breakfast table, which was more like a bar - you`ll get to know your room mates there for sure :). Breakfast is self service, you just take out of the fridge what you need. They have cereals, toast, magdalenas, croissants, yoghurt, ham, cheese and fresh fruits. There are also different kinds of juices. I also appreciated the a nespresso coffee machine. You have access to this breakfast area at any time, so you won`t miss breakfast after a long night out :). The guys there are very friendly and cordial. The only disadvantage is that rooms aren`t really soundproof, if you are a light sleeper this might be a problem. I reccomend the Chic and basic especially for a stay with friends for example - it isn`t exactely the right location for a romantic weekend :). Guests were approximately between 20 and 40.