Abalu Hotel - Madrid, Spain 

We were 2 young couples who stayed at the hotel for 6 nights and we found it was very conveniently located, the staff was very friendly and the decor was ideal for a small funky hotel (especially the coffee shop) in the centre of Madrid. Would definitely recommend it to young people, but go for the superior rooms as the standard rooms are very small.

I'm a sucker for interiors and style in less polished areas (yes, there is a lot of graffiti in the area. There's also some interesting clubs, independent design shops, lower prices, and a sense of being in a place where people live, not just tourists). the decor is fabulous though the rooms are a bit small, and all the edges don't quite meet - a bit unfinished. The lounge is a great place to relax on a hot pink sofa and read Vogue while the sweet staff try to fix the free wireless internet that didn't work at all while I stayed there. The cafe where you can buy breakfast is charming and a nice place for locals. Like most Spanish hotels, it's pretty noisy with thin doors meaning you can hear everything going on in the hall. It was calm and funky, though slightly shambolic, and if you can go with the flow in a frivolous way, will probably have fun.