#hosted by BobW; opinions are my own

Located in the Atocha section of busy downtown Madrid, we were so expectant to arrive into Madrid after one month living in Tenerife, Spain. Although our family tends to get overwhelmed by big cities, we were excited to experience a different area of Spain in its mainland. We arrived after a quick flight from Tenerife and were immediately impressed by Madrid’s large airport. We secured a rental car and were off on our way to explore Madrid!

For starters, I would not get a rental car in Madrid unless you know you are leaving the main areas of downtown. We had prearranged plans to spend some time in the suburbs of both Alcala de Heneres and Tres Cantos so a car seemed inevitable for us but it is very hard to secure parking downtown. At a steep $42/day, we found car parking but it still required quite a bit of a walk to the BobW Arte location.

Our Two-Bedroom Roomy Family Apartment

We had the perfect amount of space for our family of four at the BobW! With a full kitchen and a family room space, we loved as we did in Tenerife to not have to eat out every meal. Across the street from the BobW Arte was a fruit shop with delicious fresh fruits and a Mercadona which offered access to groceries. There was also an open-air market full of fresh meat and fish stands, perfect for grabbing to prepare for dinners.

Besides a kitchen and living quarters, the bros had bunk beds! They absolutely love having bunk beds at hotels so this was the perfect arrangement for us. When they weren’t happily hanging out in their room, they were checking out the Atari gaming system that was available for them to play in the living room. So fun! We had our own master bedroom and the spacing was all ideal for a family.

The First Night in Madrid

The first night arriving to Madrid felt a little overwhelming as we had just left the slow pace of the beach life to desperately trying to find parking in one of the biggest cities in the world. So after all of that was settled, we walked around a corner from our first dinner and stepped into pure Spanish magic: Plaza Mayor lit up at night! Plaza Mayor is a famous row of shoppes and restaurants in Madrid but there is just something about it at night! The bros, Logan and I were in awe of the beauty of the plaza.

The Camera Challenge

BobW challenged our bros to take an InstaPix camera provided to them around the city of Madrid and to capture memories. Of course, they were up for the challenge! Everywhere we went, including the public Renfe railway system, the bros took selfies to capture the moment. It was the sweetest.

The Suburbs of Madrid

We spent a day strolling the streets of nearby suburb Alcala de Heneres and it was super beautiful! Cobblestone streets and bright colored buildings with lots of shopping. If you’re headed to downtown Madrid, I recommend visiting Alcala de Heneres to experience a bit of a slower pace. This town is also accessible through the public transportation system, not just a rental car.

Another suburb we spent time in while visiting Madrid was Tres Cantos. This area is more residential but the views of the mountains that way are great! If you’re looking to escape the big city, this is another great option.

Two Must-Visits in Madrid

One must-do while in Madrid is a visit to Retiro Park. This park was great for the bros to connect with other kids their age and kick the soccer ball around. It was also a great break from a fast-paced city having such a large park, similar to Central Park, to enjoy.

Our Favorite Things about a Stay with BobW

There were so many things we loved about BobW for our family! We loved the keyless entry system, so we did not need to have a key to come and go. It was super helpful to not stress about where I was storing the key. We also had a large window at the front of the apartment that was ideal for looking out of and enjoying the views of the city. Our oldest son, Landon, would regularly call out to people and say “hola!” from the window.

We were also so glad to have laundry service access while at BobW. Having services available like laundry and a full kitchen made everything so much easier to with kids. Being climate-concerned was what made BobW a good fit as they focus to do their part to better the world. If you’re traveling as a family, I highly recommend a stay at BobW.