Ideas for travelling before New Year’s Eve

By Loren in Destination

Countdown for the end of 2015. Supermarkets are crammed with nougat candies, firms start to look for a day for the business meals, mum has already called 5 times to organise Christmas gatherings… Everything smells of Christmas and we are still on November. But do not let yourself be carried away by the social Christmas frenzy and take a break before Christmas Eve. Make the most of your last holidays and enjoy a getaway on December’s long weekend. It’s now or never. Carpe diem and let’s dream.

We have asked different travel experts for advice and they have given us some ideas for travelling at the end of the year that will help you find the perfect excuse for getting into the adventure. Unique accommodations, snow and mountain destinations, getaways to the Mediterranean looking for the sun… Everything. Take note. And keep us informed about your plans 😉

Plan 1) Sierra Nevada from the highest mountain hotel in Europe

Do you fancy a snow getaway, taking out the skis, escaping from the city, getting to Granada and crowning Sierra Nevada? Then this is the perfect option for you. This year stay in a 5-star hotel with spa, gourmet gastronomy, state-of-the-art services in Monachil and direct access to the slopes: the Vincci Selección Rumaykiyya. It is said to be the highest hotel in Europe, and it is definitely a paradise for winter sport lovers. The average prices are about 150 euros per night (taxes included).

Plan 2) Madrid with friends

Few destinations are as versatile and varied as Madrid for a winter getaway. During these dates, the capital shines more than ever, with endless plans, parties, new theatre and music shows and irresistible gastronomic options. Regarding the accommodation, Madrid is relatively cheap when talking about a good hotel in the centre (the best option if you want to travel around the heart of the city without worries). There are very interesting design hotels in Madrid for groups: the Clíper Gran Vía Hotel or the Alcalá Torre Hotel are two good examples, as both feature spacious and fully equipped rooms ideal to be shared. If you want to surprise your group of friends, the Vincci Capitol, located in the same building as the mythical cinema theatre of Madrid, may be the perfect option for you.

Plan 3) 5-star Majorca

The summer island may also be a perfect plan for winter. The actions taken to make Majorca’s capital, Palma, a complete destination for any time of the year are yielding positive results and today’s option is attractive enough for a long relax and leisure holiday in the city, beyond the typical sun and beach. If you do not want to miss any plan, either you travel with your family or with friends, the best option is getting an accommodation near Palma, like the resorts and hotels in Playa de Palma, which will allow you to stay within a 15 minute drive to the city centre, to which they are connected through a pleasant seaside promenade ideal for walking or cycling. Prices are affordable during this time of the year, whenever you do not include New Year’s Eve, when prices rise again.

Cabogata Garden Hotel, Almería

Cabogata Garden Hotel, Almería

Plan 4) Almeria, nature and sea

Maybe you haven’t thought of planning a getaway to Almeria in winter before, but it is during these months when the Andalusian capital shows a special charm and colours. Its stunning natural landscapes, full of contrasts and with the Cabo de Gata Níjar Natural Park as its main exponent, make it an ideal destination for nature, outdoor sports and trekking lovers. But Almeria is much more, it is relax and good gastronomy. Almeria’s gastronomy is one of its hallmarks: do not miss the opportunity to try some of the typical specialities of this magic land. Regarding accommodation, the most recommended establishments are the resorts in Cabo de Gata, near the park. Prices are usually cheap and include exclusive services.

Plan 5) Caceres, a paradise of golf and peaceful ambience

Heritage, culture, calmness and nature come hand-in-hand in Caceres to offer you the perfect winter getaway. The most interesting option is planning a trip to Isla Valdecañas, a natural oasis specially designed for the wellness and leisure of the most demanding travellers of the XXIst century. The most recommended accommodation in Isla Valdecañas is the boutique hotel near the Monfragüe Natural Park, which includes access to the spa, horse riding school, sport courts, areas for events, swimming pools, golf courts, gastronomy… It is a 4-star hotel with a good quality price ratio ideal for travelling with your couple or with children.

Plan 6) Barcelona and its coast

Visiting the great capital of the Mediterranean is always a good option, but we recommend you to travel along its coast. If you love outdoor sports, quiet villages and traditional cuisine, this coastal area will offer you everything you need for your last 2015 holidays. Besides, it is the cheapest plan of all: the hotels on Barcelona’s coast offer good prices and a wide variety of options which include from the classic hotels in Calella and the hotels in Costa Brava, specially designed for relax and entertainment, to the hotels in Santa Susanna or the accommodations in Pineda de Mar. All of them offer a good personal attention and exceptional locations.

What does the ideal hotel room look like

By Luke Durden in Urban Hotels

Furniture from the 50’s, decoration inspired by the sea or a Norwegian forest, New York style, spaces with a Scandinavian essence… The decoration and design of the rooms of the hotels in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and other major cities and coastal centres of Spain can surprise even the most travelled. Gone are the days when all the hotel rooms were virtually the same: bed, bedside table, desk and bathroom (and not in all cases). Today, 3 and 4 star hotels in Spain, offer a differential touch, seek to create spaces with personality that provide a bonus to the clients experience. This generally translates into loyalty, while at the same time it models and strengthens the brand image of the hotel chain.

This renovation, remodelling and redecorating work to the rooms of the hotels has occurred mostly in large chains such as Barcelo, Melia and Iberostar and in small boutique hotels in Majorca, Levante, the Catalan coast and the charming cities such as Seville or Salamanca.

The ideal room, despite all the efforts of differentiation and equipment that have carried out the majority of the 3 stars establishments, is still the one that offers a space adapted to the capacity that is booked for, comfortable beds, soundproof walls, room with private bathroom, comfortable and versatile, simple but functional, and with modern amenities such as free WiFi.

Hoteles Petit Palace in Valencia

Hoteles Petit Palace in Valencia

The pillow menu, King Size mattresses or the hydro-massage in the rooms are a plus that allows the hotel to offer superior rooms at a higher price, and that for the moment, is working very well. Today’s travellers are willing to pay for that added value and extra quality, as long as it is indeed something else.

The rooms of city hotels in Madrid or Barcelona, for example, have a premise to meet, its location. After that, the other most valued feature by travellers who want to enjoy an urban accommodation, whether for pleasure or business, is how comfortable the furniture is, the condition it is in, and its functionality.

Having a TV in the room is considered an advantage, but only if the channels available are adequate and in the languages the usual guests speak. For example, a hotel in Majorca with Spa and golf, that does not include in their rooms a system with international channels, will certainly loose many points in the eyes of the guests. Something as simple as television or an apartment with a microwave can be the decisive element.

Business rooms

Hotel Petit Palace Plaza Malaga

Hotel Petit Palace Plaza Malaga

The business side of the vast majority of these hotels in Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, Seville and Bilbao means that the rooms also have an executive design to it. Today, a good 4 star hotel in the centre of Barcelona or Madrid can even offer a exercise bike in the room, a special minibar, Ipad with free WiFi access to the internet, and portable WiFi to take around the city, an option that was recently launched at a hotel in the centre of Malaga belonging to the Petit Palace hotel chain.

Most of the executive rooms have a special decoration, oriented to booking a workspace and provide a more sober space, simple and with exclusive services designed to ensure the best rest and comfort for those traveling for business reasons. It is usually a demanding and regular client, so the bar is set quite high for these rooms.

The location, in these cases, is also important, but it is not necessary that the hotel is in the centre or next to the main tourist points of interest of the city but rather close to communication accesses, such as train stations, metro, airport and motorways. Also, it is ideal that they are near the trade fairs, business parks and business and convention centres.

Family rooms 

The perfect room depends on the type of guests that is has to accommodate. Those traveling with children, for example, have no doubts: the best family hotels should have rooms for up to 4 people, or at least, communicating rooms. It is difficult, for example, that a couple with kids book a double hotel room in Majorca with a sofa bed for over a week. However, sometimes there is no choice because the current offer still includes quadruple rooms, which in reality are really little more than a room with a living room and sofa bed. The trend, however, is to give the user more suitable premises and tailored to their needs. That does not mean they are larger, but that they are optimised and are, above all, more comfortable for everyone.

One of the best models of family rooms are those of the hotels in the centre of Madrid and Barcelona managed by the urban hotel chain Petit Palace. They include, in the same space a double bed, bunk beds for kids, office desk with work area and computer, full bathroom with hydro-massage, built-in wardrobes, reading lamps, welcome gift for children, bathroom amenities…

 

Good reasons for spending a summer in Madrid

By Loren in Uncategorized

No one thinks of Madrid in August. The capital is empty, streets become long runways where distracted tourists walk under the sun while residents escape to the coast or to the mountains when they get a break from work.  Shops are an authentic oasis where we can relax during several hours, and beers go here and there because thirst does not go away. People say Madrid is not for summer… Today, we are ready to refute this statement here. Do you join us?

POP ART IN MADRID

It is true: Madrid is too hot in August. We will not deny it, but it is also true that it is a city with thousands of possibilities for getting away from the relentless sun’s rays of the tableland, at least during the central hours of the day. One of the most recommended plans for enjoying Madrid in August is to make one of its art tours. Museo del Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofía Museum, the new and surprising CaixaFórum… All these museums offer a complete schedule with exhibitions and activities during the whole month of August 2014. Mitos del Pop is an interesting collection with more than 70 Pop Art works. It will be on exhibition until September 14th in Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.

MADRID NIGHTS

Who can resist a weekend getaway to Madrid to enjoy one of the best nightlife in Europe? The Spanish capital is a unique place full of music, dance and fun until the dawn. The advantage of doing it in August is that bars are much less crowded than usual and it is a real pleasure to occupy the dance floor and be the party master. Places such as Malasaña San Bernardo still have a full agenda of interesting night plans with top level independent music sessions. Huertas is another interesting neighbourhood: more commercial music, more eclectic atmosphere and much more touristic. Chueca does not sleep, must visit place for enjoying a funny night, dancing songs you have not heard since many years ago or attending one of those unforgettable parties. Another plan is to take advantage of summer to enjoy the flat roofs of Madrid. Placing a pub, a cocktail bar or even a Chill out disco on the roofs of some of the most emblematic buildings in the centre of Madrid has revolutionized the summer nights in the capital. There are certain tours you can do: if you are a photographer lover, try to visit it at dusk, not just because it is less hot, but also because the light and sunset are striking.

AGAINST OPERATION BIKINI

As the idea of this post is to refute theories. lets kill two birds with one stone: take advantage of your getaway to Madrid to enjoy some of the best Spanish tapas. The cuisine of Madrid is one of the main attractions and, considering that there is less people in August, it is easier to find a place in those bars and pubs which are usually crowded in winter weekends. Besides, the vermouth in Cava Alta and Cava Baja, where a lot of new charming terraces have been opened, is a balm for the body in this time of the year: beers, gazpacho, salmorejo for fighting off heat and no end of tapas: from typical to innovative and crazy alternatives such as pea hummus and green smoothies, undoubtedly more healthy than the traditional dishes or the famous Lucio´s Scrambled Eggs.

Another interesting gastronomic option is to visit some of the new gourmet restaurants opened in Madrid in the last months: it is easier to find a free table without needing to book much in advance (which is very usual during the rest of the year). Some hotels with restaurant in the centre of Madrid also offer very interesting alternatives for tasting some of the most creative dishes in Spain, the same happens with markets, such as San Miguel market. Nevertheless, it is recommended to seek well, compare and keep the senses awake because it is a whole world waiting for you to discover it and quietly taste it.

HOTEL EXPERIENCE

The advantage of going in August to Madrid is that it is low season in this capital and prices and offers of hotels in the centre of Madrid are more affordable than ever. Looking for a good accommodation with free WiFi next to Puerta del Sol or a design hotel in Gran Vía is easier and more economical in August. The refurbishment of many hotels in the centre of the city, in the interest of offering a different and personalized experiences to their guests, has created a new range of possibilities for those travelling to Madrid and wanting to spend some days full of good moment without giving up to comfort. 60’s inspired hotels next to Circulo de Bellas Artes, historic hotels in the old Madrid such as Posada del Peine or family accommodations located in Preciados street, next to the best shops in the capital, the variety is infinite and prices are in the region of 50 euros per night in a double room. A really affordable price if we bear in mind that they are 4 star hotels in Madrid with high level of quality.