We stayed here on our way to Chicago for the weekend, and overall had a great stay. The Crowne Plaza Madison is an older property and its far from the "fun" part of Madison, but the friendliness of the staff really made the stay decent for us.
Tom at the front desk was especially welcoming and personable. He made check-in a breeze.
We did see a few of the issues listed by other reviewers. The hallways had a "smell" which can be attributed to the age of the hotel. Also, the wallpaper in our room was peeling in spots. Our pillows were quite awful, but in the morning I noticed that they offered a selection of other pillows, had we just called the front desk. I'll give them a pass there.
Overall the place is alright. The friendly staff made up for some of the other shortfalls. It wouldn't be my first choice in Mad-Town, but really the location is the only issue that will keep me from coming back.