3 Madrid Hostels with a Proper Rooftop Bar
3 top-rated hostels with rooftop bar in Madrid Handpicked for travelers who want the best.
Madrid's rooftop hotel culture is expensive — a cocktail on top of The Principal Hotel runs €18. These three hostels run their own rooftops at a fraction of that cost: The Hat's sunset view over Palacio Real, Generator's two hot tubs plus bar, Bastardo's small sun terrace over Malasaña rooftops. Pick based on whether you want the view (The Hat), the feature (Generator's hot tubs), or the calm late-afternoon hang (Bastardo).
Madrid's relationship with rooftops is different from Barcelona's. Barcelona rooftops are about pool-party social proof (DJ, bottle service, Ibiza-energy). Madrid rooftops are about the view and the late-afternoon light — Malasaña's red-tile rooftops catching sunset, the Palacio Real silhouette framing the western horizon, the Sierra de Guadarrama visible north on clear days. Hostels that understand this offer rooftops as viewing platforms, not nightclubs. The Hat gets it right. Generator is a compromise between the two approaches. Bastardo leans deep into the calm afternoon philosophy.
🍻Why Madrid is Perfect for Rooftop Bar
The Hat's rooftop is the signature hostel rooftop in Madrid. Open 19:00-01:00 with unobstructed southwest views catching the Palacio Real silhouette at sunset, DJ Friday/Saturday evenings, cocktails at €8-10. Non-guests can go but queue; guests skip the queue. The view competes directly with Salvador Bachiller, The Principal, and other Sol hotel rooftops, at roughly half the cocktail price. Worth booking a bed at The Hat for one night just to use this rooftop.
Generator's rooftop is smaller than The Hat's but comes with two hot tubs, which is unusual in any European hostel at this price point. The view is north-facing (not as dramatic as The Hat's west-facing Palacio view) and the atmosphere is younger — Erasmus-era Interrailers in the hot tubs, a DJ bar adjacent, happy hour 2-for-1 extended to the rooftop. The hot tubs open 10:00 and are nearly empty before 14:00, which is the quiet-hang window.
Bastardo's rooftop is the smallest and most unassuming — 20-seat capacity, no DJ, closes 22:00. But the view over Malasaña's rooftops (mid-afternoon sun, looking southwest toward Gran Vía) is quietly beautiful, and because it's small it feels private. This is the rooftop for a book + beer on Wednesday afternoon, not the rooftop for Saturday night energy.
Traveler's take
“Friday, 18:45, The Hat rooftop. The sun was setting southwest over Palacio Real, the DJ had just started a low-BPM playlist, the cocktail menu ran €8 for a gin-tonic or €10 for a proper G&T with a premium spirit. Three travelers I'd met at check-in showed up at 19:15 and we spent two hours watching the sky turn pink over the Royal Palace. At 21:00 we descended for dinner on Calle Mayor, came back at 23:00 for another round. The rooftop closed at 01:00. That two-hour sunset window was the single best memory of the trip — and it cost €16 instead of the €45 a Sol hotel rooftop would have charged for the same view.”
Our Top 3 Picks
Hostels in Madrid with rooftop bar, sorted by guest rating.
The Hat Madrid
Sol / Plaza Mayor
Wonderful
4,001 reviews
Design-forward 9.0-rated hostel one block from Plaza Mayor, famous for a proper rooftop bar that catches Madrid sunsets over Palacio Real. Female dorms, private twins with balcony, shared kitchen, walk-everywhere location.
From
€32//night
Why travelers love The Hat Madrid
“Reviewers mention the rooftop (screened in most reviews as 'the best sunset in Madrid'), the calmness of the building despite being 150 m from Plaza Mayor, and the proper mattresses — rare for the price point.”
Bastardo Hostel
Tribunal / Malasaña border
Excellent
3,861 reviews
Design-led hostel on Calle de San Mateo, two blocks off Fuencarral and three from Tribunal metro. Industrial interiors, on-site restaurant, rooftop terrace, live music + culture classes — a mid-sized hostel sitting on the seam of Malasaña and Chueca with breakfast served until 11.
From
€29//night
Why travelers love Bastardo Hostel
“Reviewers repeatedly call Bastardo 'the good-looking hostel' — industrial design, proper coffee, and a restaurant that serves actual dinner (not just snacks). Live music evenings + flamenco intros in the lounge get specific mentions.”
Generator Madrid
Malasaña / Gran Vía
Very Good
12,150 reviews
200-bed Generator property on Calle San Bernardo, one minute from Gran Vía metro and right at the edge of Malasaña. Rooftop terrace with two hot tubs, in-house restaurant, daily DJ in the lounge, happy hour nightly.
From
€34//night
Why travelers love Generator Madrid
“Reviewers mention the rooftop hot tubs (rare in Madrid hostels), the proper buzzing ground-floor bar, and the easy walk to Gran Vía theatres. Flagged downside: 200 beds mean it gets loud and queues build at reception on Saturday check-in.”
💡Tips for Choosing a Hostel with Rooftop Bar in Madrid
- 1The Hat rooftop fills by 19:30 on weekends — arrive 18:45 to claim the SW-facing corner for the Palacio Real sunset, or wait until 22:00 when day-tripper tourists clear out.
- 2Generator's rooftop hot tubs are free for guests but fill by 17:00 in summer — the 10:00 opening slot is genuinely empty and is the move for the photo-op view without the crowd.
- 3Bastardo's rooftop closes at 22:00 for neighbour respect — don't plan a late-night drink here, plan a 19:00 sunset session instead.
- 4Cocktails on The Hat's rooftop are €8-10, Generator's €7-9, Bastardo's around €6. All three undercut Sol hotel rooftop pricing (€12-18) by a noticeable margin.
- 5Non-guests can use The Hat's rooftop but pay a queue of 15-30 min on Friday/Saturday. Guests skip the queue — worth booking a bed here just for this.
More Vibes in Madrid
Other vibes you might enjoy in Madrid.
Rooftop Bar in Other Cities
Explore hostels with rooftop bar around the world.