The Hat Madrid
Hostel on Calle Imperial a minute from Plaza Mayor, with a terrace bar over the rooftops and women-only rooms
The Hat Madrid is at Calle Imperial 9, about a minute from Plaza Mayor and a few minutes from Puerta del Sol, with La Latina three minutes away and Gran Vía five. Rooms range from doubles to shared rooms of 4, 6, 8 and 10 beds, in mixed and women-only versions, plus apartments. The rooftop terrace serves food, beer and cocktails, and guests have laundry with washers and dryers. Rated 9.0 from 4,001 reviews.
The Hat Madrid sits on Calle Imperial, a three-minute walk from Plaza Mayor and about eight from the Prado. The building was renovated as a hostel in 2014 and looks the part — exposed brick, industrial lighting, mid-century furniture in the lounge rather than the usual plastic-and-pine setup. It attracts a slightly older crowd than Generator or Ok Hostel (couples, solo travelers on 4-to-7-night stays, freelancers), and the atmosphere is correspondingly quieter: social, not stag.
The rooftop is the signature. Open 19:00-01:00 with fairly priced cocktails, an unobstructed southwest view that catches the Palacio Real silhouette at sunset, and a DJ on Friday and Saturday evenings. It is open to the public but hostel guests skip the queue. That rooftop alone is worth a night.
Rooms split between 4-, 6-, and 8-bed mixed dorms, a 6-bed female dorm, and private twins (some with balcony). All have air conditioning that actually works in July, reading lights, plug sockets by every bed, and lockers. Bathrooms are shared but clean, with separate shower stalls and proper water pressure. Breakfast is a paid continental add-on and the shared kitchen is fine for a pasta-and-wine evening.
- 01The terrace over Madrid's rooftops
- 02Women-only rooms alongside the mixed ones
- 03La Latina and the Rastro a few minutes away
- About a minute from Plaza Mayor, a few minutes from Sol
- Doubles and shared rooms of 4 to 10 beds, mixed or women-only
- Rooftop terrace serving food, beer and cocktails
- Guest laundry with washers and dryers
- Sangria classes and bar outings with other guests
“Nice hostel, very central and clean. The rooftop is the real draw — went up at sunset three evenings in a row.”
“Loved the rooftop bar and the welcoming staff. Dorm was spotless and the beds were more comfortable than I expected for a hostel.”
“Location is perfect, design is lovely, staff went out of their way with restaurant recommendations that were spot on.”
- Plaza Mayor3 min walk
- Puerta del Sol6 min walk
- Mercado de San Miguel4 min walk
- Palacio Real10 min walk
- La Latina metro5 min walk
- Prado Museum15 min walk
