AC Hotel La Finca, a Marriott Bonvoy Hotel in Madrid [In-Depth Review]

I can’t remember the last time I woke up excited at the end of a hotel stay — anxious to check out and leave the hotel.

Some hotels, you don’t want to leave, and checkout brings a melancholy feeling. Not so at the AC Hotel La Finca on the outskirts of Madrid. My wife and I were very happy to leave this property.

From lackluster service to cold showers, this wasn’t a great experience. I’ve stayed at some pretty crummy hotels in my life, but none of them were in a major hotel chain. Congratulations on breaking the mold, I guess.

Here’s a look at our 3-night stay in late May 2025 at this property you should avoid.

Booking AC Hotel La Finca

AC Hotels is one of Marriott’s many hotel brands, and the AC Hotel La Finca participates in the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program. That means guests can earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points here.

For our 3-night stay in late May, the AC Hotel La Finca charged 81,000 points for a Standard Twin guest room as the most basic option.

Alternatively, the cheapest paid rate was $284 per night, including taxes. We redeemed points because spending 81,000 points to save $852 (the cost for 3 nights) meant we used Marriott points at 1.05 cents apiece — a good amount higher than our average valuation of Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each.

The cheapest rate was the discounted rate available with my Marriott Bonvoy Business^® American Express^® Card. This card offers up to a 7% discount on hotel rates, though it’s not always the cheapest rate — and definitely falls short of a 7% discount on some stays. For those without this card, the cheapest rate (a prepaid rate) was $299 per night, which was $15 per night more expensive.

Hot Tip:

Marriott Bonvoy offers several credit cards, each offering a welcome bonus offer, ongoing perks, and bonus points on spending at Marriott’s hotels. However, if you don’t stay with Marriott regularly, a rewards credit card that offers points in a more general “travel” category might make more sense to you than earning points in a program you don’t use frequently.

AC Hotel La Finca Location

The AC Hotel La Finca is in the Somosaguas neighborhood in western Madrid. The hotel sits west of the giant Casa de Campo park, which is home to the Madrid Zoo Aquarium and an amusement park.

The closest public transportation to the hotel is either the Pozuelo Oeste or Somosaguas Centro stop on the ML2 tram line. Going east on the ML2 tram leads to the Aluche station, which can be used to access the subway and the C5 regional train for travel to various locations in Madrid.

Reaching the hotel from Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) by car takes about 30 minutes, depending on traffic, while the trip takes about 1 hour by public transportation. Central Madrid and its train stations are roughly 20 minutes away, and these provide access to long-distance trains around the country.

Checking In

We were surprised to find an AC Hotel logo on top of a mirror-covered building that sat at the end of numerous mirror-covered buildings. The AC Hotel La Finca was in a financial district full of identical buildings, and we drove in through the front gate to the small parking lot. (Both the gate and the fence seemed purely cosmetic, as we never saw a guard or the gate closed.)

The hotel had a spacious lobby, accessed through either a revolving door or 2 regular doors flanking it.

To the left, we found the hotel’s reception desk. The sole employee at the desk stopped the game he was playing on his phone to assist us — without a smile.

He found our reservation quickly after checking our passports and asked for a credit card to use for incidentals since our stay was booked on points. He also asked whether we would prefer a room with 2 twin beds or 1 king.

While confirming our preference for a king-size bed, I asked if there were any upgrades available. He didn’t acknowledge my question, so I let it go.

After receiving our key cards and being told to enjoy our stay, we spun around and started walking … only to realize we had no idea where the elevators were. He hadn’t told us, so we hunted for a sign. That put us in the rear lobby (which led to the nearby business park), where we found the hotel elevators.

Elite Benefits

Elite benefits? This hotel doesn’t seem to believe in them.

If we had paid cash, I would’ve earned 75% bonus points as a Titanium Elite member of Marriott Bonvoy. Additionally, as a Titanium Elite member, I had the right to a 4 p.m. late checkout, but we didn’t need this — and the reception employee never offered it to us.

The hotel already offered complimentary Wi-Fi for all guests, and my inquiry about a room upgrade was ignored. However, the employee did offer us the king-size bed, which cost $22 per night more than the 2 twins, and gave us a coupon for 1 free drink at the bar (only valid Monday to Thursday).

The employee also asked if we wanted breakfast every morning, since it wasn’t included in our rate — an odd question that left me trying to remember what Marriott’s elite perk for breakfast is at AC Hotels properties. (I don’t like how confusing the list is because of moments like these.)

After going to the room and consulting the Marriott Bonvoy elite benefits list, I saw that the welcome benefit at AC Hotels is a choice of 500 bonus points or a daily $10 food and beverage credit for the member and 1 guest in their room. I went back to the desk to inquire about this and was told that the hotel doesn’t provide this, which is why I received the coupon for the free drink.

Bottom Line:

The elite benefits during this stay were minimal. I was later able to claim my daily food and beverage credits, which I’ll discuss in the service section below. Our check-in experience lacked smiles and the elite perks my status should confer.

Standard 1 King Room

The AC Hotel La Finca only had 2 floors, and we stayed on the top floor, in room 239.

The halls had black and white carpet, white walls, and wooden accents, while the doors were made of matching wood.

Rooms wrapped around an open area in the center (which wasn’t accessible by guests), and windows along this open area let natural light into the hallways.

The doors were thin, and we could hear every noise in the hallway from inside our room.

Our room had an L-shaped layout, with the bathroom to the immediate right when we entered. Next to the bathroom door, we found a simple thermostat.

Further along the right wall, there was a small minibar. A shelf held a single-serve coffee maker, pods, sugar, cups, and a bottle of water.

There was a small safe below the minibar, and under that we found a minifridge. There was a price list inside the fridge (and a bottle opener!), and items for sale included Pringles, KitKat, Pepsi products, juices, and beer.

Looking left from the entrance, there was a coat rack in the corner and a wooden desk with a pair of chairs. The desk had a phone and a lamp.

The only outlets near the desk were on the floor inside an industrial panel that felt very out of place in a hotel room.

Straight ahead, the room had a dresser, a wooden coffee table, and a pair of armchairs. The dresser had 3 empty drawers and a TV on top, and there was a cushioned bench that made for a great spot to lay our suitcase.

Following the bend led to the king-size bed. It was comfortable, though the 4 pillows were rather useless.

Each side of the bed had a lamp and a small wooden nightstand. Each side also had a master light switch and USB-A and USB-C outlets. The only regular power outlets were those under the desk.

One nightstand had a phone, while the other had a bottle of water and a paper with a QR code for the room service menu.

Along the wall that the bedroom shared with the bathroom, there was a large closet with sliding doors and frosted glass. Along with hangers and shelves, the closet had a list of hotel services, a laundry bag, and a laundry price list.

Bathroom

A frosted glass door near the room’s entrance led to the bathroom.

The bathroom had black tile walls, which made it look very different from the bedroom. Straight ahead, there was a combined shower and tub with a half-wall glass partition that could swing open. Pump bottles hung on the wall, and the showerhead was adjustable and could be removed to use as a wand.

One side of the bathroom had a bidet and a toilet.

The other side had a mirror above an interesting glass sink.

This single piece of glass provided the sink and a fair amount of counter space on both sides of it. On the counter, we had a washcloth and 2 pump bottles: soap and lotion.

A small cart below the sink held a pair of drinking glasses, another washcloth, and several individually wrapped amenities, including a shoe mitt, shower cap, and dental kit.

Amenities

The hotel’s list of amenities is small, as it has a no-pets policy and doesn’t have a pool.

Parking

The hotel had on-site parking for guests. Though the hotel’s website lists a cost of €15 ($17) per day, parking was actually complimentary. At least, that’s how it worked for us, as we weren’t charged even though employees knew we had a car.

There were EV charging stations available, though these cost extra (based on usage).

Additionally, the parking lot only had about 15 spaces, which wasn’t sufficient. Because of the lack of available spaces, we often saw cars parked on the street nearby or double-parked.

Internet

The hotel offered complimentary Wi-Fi for guests. It wasn’t overly fast, but it was consistent.

Meeting and Event Spaces

The hotel offered 10 different event rooms, 6 breakout rooms, and capacity for up to 170 people in its largest room, Gran Forum A. The total available space across all facilities was 6,663 square feet.

Gran Forum A offered 1,862 square feet of space, while the smallest option, Privado 2, offered 172 square feet.

Fitness Center

The AC Hotel La Finca had a small gym on the second floor that said it was open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. In practice, it was open 24 hours a day, because you didn’t have to tap a key card to get in, and the door was rarely closed.

One side of the fitness center had a multifunctional weight machine and several sets of dumbbells, while the other had a treadmill and a pair of exercise bikes (which didn’t match).

The shelves recessed into the far wall contained towels, yoga mats, a speaker, and a water machine (which was empty after the first day of our stay). The hand sanitizer container on the wall was also empty.

Inside the gym were also toilets and a shower. Strangely, the frosted door for the shower didn’t have a latch or a lock.

This room also had a Turkish bath, though signs said it was out of order.

Elevators

The hotel had 3 elevators, found in the rear lobby.

The elevators were small, and having 4 people inside felt very full. The back wall of the elevator was a mirror, while the sides had a frosted glass look.

We only saw 2 of the elevators moving during our stay, which made me think the third wasn’t working.

Laundry

Laundry was available for guests, and a price list (plus a laundry bag) was available in the bedroom closet.

Food and Beverages

AC Lounge

The hotel’s sole dining outlet was the AC Lounge, which offered Spanish fare, including tapas, and drinks in a casual atmosphere.

We couldn’t get a clear answer on the restaurant’s hours. The hotel’s website says the restaurant isn’t open for breakfast, but it definitely was during our stay. Additionally, the website says the restaurant is closed on weekends, but some employees said that wasn’t true.

The central seating area at the AC Lounge had a tall, wooden table with several high chairs and sets of standard tables with 4 chairs each.

The front seating area had dimmer lights and lounge-style seating. There was also a TV here.

There was a bar at the rear of the AC Lounge, which included a handful of barstools.

In the mornings, AC Lounge had a breakfast buffet that included juices, cereals, granola, and several hot dishes like eggs and beans.

A central island in the restaurant had multiple types of bread and individual spreads like jelly and butter.

Lobby Market

Immediately next to the reception desk, a small market offered chocolate bars, chips, spreads, beer, wine, bottled water, and cold sodas. Items didn’t have price tags, so asking staff at the desk was necessary.

Service

Service at the AC Hotel La Finca was more bad than good.

First, there was the issue with the front desk agent ignoring my question about room upgrades at check-in and not offering the welcome amenity choice between points or a daily food and beverage credit. Even worse, I was told the hotel didn’t offer this benefit — something they’re required to offer.

I sent a message to Marriott on X and was told that I needed to inquire again with the hotel before I could make a claim under Marriott’s compensation program for elite members who don’t get their promised perks. With this message and a Spanish version of the elite benefits list, I inquired at the reception desk the next day, and the story changed. Magically, the benefit now existed, and we were able to use the daily credit at either the market in the lobby or the hotel’s restaurant.

Speaking of the restaurant, our only visit was shortly before checkout on the last morning, as we still had food and beverage credits that we could use. We asked for 2 lattes with oat milk. A few minutes later, we received 2 black coffees, and then the waitress disappeared. After a few minutes of waiting, I went to the buffet and found some soy milk to put in our coffees. If we had been paying, rather than using credits, I would’ve been unhappy; instead, I was just annoyed.

On the second day of our stay, the hot water ran out during my wife’s shower. When we left on the third day, the hot water was still out — not just for us but for other guests, as well — and we took fast, freezing cold showers on our final morning.

There were also issues with the Turkish bath being out of order, the hotel website having wrong information (about the parking cost and the restaurant hours), and the water cooler in the gym being empty.

There were a few small positives with service. An employee we saw several times at the desk was friendly. She was the one who helped me obtain the food and beverage credits, and she also charged several items from the market to our account when we requested them.

The manager who helped erase charges from our bill at checkout was also friendly, even indicating that we could still purchase more items from the market before leaving, since we hadn’t maximized our credits yet.

Final Thoughts

I definitely don’t want to return to the AC Hotel La Finca. This property on the outskirts of Madrid struggled to offer basic items like correct information and hot water in the shower. There were also multiple issues with things being out of service, issues getting a simple latte, and difficulties obtaining elite benefits.

This is definitely a hotel to avoid.