Review of Room Mate Alicia, by Maxine Jones

Room Mate Alicia takes up the whole corner of Plaza Santa Ana and Calle de Prado. My suite ran round this corner, with three huge windows giving me a panoramic view of the bustling street scene. Yet not a sound penetrated my sleep that night - tough glass and automatic blinds shut everything out from this boutique hotel.

The minute you enter the Alicia's bright reception area - more like a minimalist gallery than a boutique hotel's lobby - the hip, personable vibe of this place strikes you. The staff are genuinely courteous. Breakfast was in a funky café attached to the hotel, with a larger than usual breakfast menu, including sausage, bacon, egg and tortilla.

The 36 rooms of this boutique hotel are full of designer touches - mirrored panels, slate tiles, original lighting (I particularly liked the bedside reading lights). Plumbing is a feature, with a generous shower and a huge, free-standing bath. I luxuriated in the signature toiletries, having first checked that all blinds were closed and I wasn't an inadvertent free spectacle for a busy square and two vibrant side streets.

Well stoked up and rested, I only had to wander down the road for a morning of culture at the Prado.