Staying at the Dormidcine is a real experience - none like I have ever had! My husband and I had the pleasure of staying here six nights in November in the Memoirs of a Geisha room. Each room has its own pop culture theme -- fun, fun fun! If you visit their Web site you get a good idea of the experience, so here are a few more details that I hope will help with your travel decisions. Remember: we had a fabulous time and would recommend this hotel without reservation, in some cases I am being hypercritical to give you a real "bird's eye" view of the place.
RESERVATIONS:
We purchased our stay through Booking.com and paid 91 Euro per night, which included breakfast. I have seen where other have paid less. Good for them! It was a great deal to us, as we have paid more for much less accommodating facilities. When we checked in, they had all of our information correctly. Check in and check out was easy, quick and painless.
STAFF:
The front-desk staff all speak English -- to varying degrees. Sara (the blonde) was extremely kind and helpful and always greeted customers with a big smile. The restaurant/cafe and housekeeping staff spoke very little English, but could communicate using hand gestures, etc. (Of course, as a visitor one should never expect people to speak your language, you are after all, visiting THEIR country.)
HOUSEKEEPING:
If you are a neat freak, you may have to adjust your expectations. Daily our beds were made, the trash was emptied, and new towels were supplied. However, our floor, bathroom mirror, and bathroom walls were not cleaned daily. (I was washing foundation off my hands and some of the water splashed the wall. The marks stayed there until we left, three days later.) Very minor issue. I developed a very bad cold on the second day, and used an entire box of tissues in one night. The tissue box stayed empty for two days. This was rather annoying, but obviously not earth-shattering. There is some attention to detail, however, as one light bulb was out in the chandelier (ambient light), and the following day it was replaced.
DECOR:
Much has been said about Dormirdcine's brilliant decor. Hat's off to them for a fresh take on the oh-so-tired hotel look. Each room appears to be similar in furniture and set-up: desk with chair, lighted cube bedstand, much lower bedstand with drawer, telephone, flatscreen TV, chandelier, and upholstered chair. (I wonder how wise it is to have a white upholstered chair in a hotel room? While I'm sure at one time it was crisp and mod looking, it's showing a bit of wear.) The DAMN fringe hanging over the closet drove us crazy! Great concept, but certainly not practical.
TOILETRIES:
They provide a shoe mit (to buff your shoes?), a few q-tips, shower cap, 2 oz. bottle of shower gel, 2 oz bottle of shampoo and a travel size piece of soap. The towels are thick, stain-free and smelled fresh. They also provide a courtesy pen, several candies and a little note pad that bears their logo.
BEDDING:
I found the bed to be quite comfortable. They provided an abundance of pillows, which was a nice touch. All the bedding appeared to be freshly-laundered and well cared for.
WiFi/TV CHANNELS:
We use all Mac products (iPod, iPad). We found the WiFi to be a bit spotty. (We were on the second floor.) If we really needed to secure something online, we would go downstairs to the lobby. Regarding the TV, beyond the typical offering, there are about 15-20 free movies, many which can be seen in English (excellent for the jet-lagged!) and several music channels.
NOISE:
We seldom, if ever, heard our neighbors. The Dormirdcine is open to the public for dinner and does host events on their ground floor, so at times we could hear live music and chatter, but it was in no way disruptive.
BREAKFAST:
Oh. My. Goodness. The breakfast alone makes the stay worthwhile: hot eggs, several types of ham and bacon, fresh pineapple, kiwi, oranges, apples, and pears, a potato-like quiche, a wondrous sampling of Spanish pastries, many kids of breads and rolls, various cheeses and cold-cuts, and cold cereals. There are at least 9 types of tea, and several fresh fruit juices, as well as coffee.
METRO:
To get to the hotel from the airport was a cinch. It is approximately a 30 minute ride. Take line 8 (pink) from the airport two stops to Mar de Cristal, line 4 (brown). Travel for six stops to Avenida De America. Follow the exit signs for Av. De America, come out of the station and walk towards the main crossing (passing the HONTANARES deli on the corner on your left). Walk straight across the road (two crosswlaks). The BBVA bank will be on the opposite corner. Continue past GENERAL PADINAS and take the next left onto Principe De Vergara. Dormirdcine is on the right hand side a couple of minutes walk away. read more