Hotels in Guadalajara

Guadalajara, Spain's, not Mexico's, is a provincial capital in Castilla-La Mancha about an hour northeast of Madrid on the Henares river, and its great calling card is the Palacio del Infantado, the Mendoza family's fifteenth-century palace with a famously ornate Isabelline Gothic facade and courtyard, rebuilt after heavy damage in the Civil War and now home to the provincial museum. A handful of churches and the domed Panteón de la Duquesa de Sevillano round out a compact sightseeing list.

Be honest: much of the city is modern sprawl, it functions largely as a Madrid commuter town, and most visitors give it half a day rather than a week. Its real value is as an affordable base for the Alcarria countryside and day trips to Sigüenza, Pastrana or nearby Alcalá de Henares, with regular trains to Madrid. With a small hotel selection, stay in the historic centre around Calle Mayor and the Palacio del Infantado so the main sights, restaurants and the old-town atmosphere are all within a short walk.