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.

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

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…