Where is it?
The Air Rooms Madrid Airport is a transit hotel located in terminal 4 at Madrid Adolfo Suárez Barajas. This is the only hotel actually located inside or with direct access to any of the four terminals. All other airport hotels require taking a hotel shuttle, a bus or the metro.
The hotel is located landside in the main terminal building of terminal 4 and although this in most cases would make the hotel fairly easy to locate, in reality it turned out to be surprisingly difficult. There were no signs in the terminal building, no maps available and the information desk in the arrivals hall was unmanned so there was no one to ask.
The exact location is in the basement of terminal 4, level -1, the floor below the arrivals hall.
If arriving by plane at terminals 1, 2 or 3 there is a free transfer bus going to terminal 4, which takes around 10 minutes.
The arrival experience
After a somewhat chaotic and not particularly smooth arrival, searching through the entire terminal building trying to find the hotel without a single sign to follow, things at least got a bit better when I finally reached the basement and saw a sign in the far distance which looked familiar from the confirmation e-mail. This could eventually be the right place, and it was.
Once inside what looked like a small house a friendly woman greeted me at the reception and was indeed expecting me. The normal check-in formalities were completed and we sorted out the payment straight away so I would not have to worry about it the following morning. She also personally took me to my room and showed me the features and the facilities in the room and how the air condition system worked, which was a nice touch.
The room
There are only 22 rooms in the transit hotel all located in a long corridor on the same floor. All rooms seemed to be identical with the only exception that some have a double bed and some twin beds.
The double room was modern and in good condition but felt a bit sterile with almost nothing on the walls. And since the hotel is located in the basement there are no windows, no view and no natural light.
But other than that the room had most facilities needed included a desk, a TV, a safe, bathroom with toilet and shower and air conditioning, which is definitely needed in Madrid in the summer.
There was also a mini bar in the room which was actually included in the rate. However there were no alcoholic drinks inside, just soft drinks, water and juices. But still rather nice. Coffee and tea-making facilities were also available in the room, also included in the rate.
Food and drinks
There is no bar or restaurant in the hotel but there are several dining options in the arrivals hall of the terminal building which are open late, just about a minute away using the lift or the escalator outside the hotel.
Other facilities
Newspapers and magazines are available at the reception where there are also internet computers. There is free wireless internet throughout the hotel.
Service
The reception staff were friendly, helpful and accommodating. Being escorted to the room and shown all the different features and facilities was a nice touch.
Breakfast
Although there is no proper restaurant in the hotel there is a small breakfast room and the breakfast is included in the room rate. As I had an early flight and was planning to have breakfast onboard the airplane I never tried the hotel breakfast but it seemed like a smaller buffet-style breakfast.
Final impression
A modern and well-maintained transit hotel, the only airport hotel in Madrid with direct access to one of the terminals. Friendly staff, free mini-bar and breakfast. Just too bad the hotel was so badly signposted in the terminal.
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