Urban hotels: the Pinterest model

By Loren in Urban Hotels

How many times have you been in a hotel and you couldn’t resist to upload a photo to Instagram because it was incredibly beautiful?  Many? So you are probably a traveller that prefer a hotel in the city, an urban tourist that have travelled a lot and is demanding. Yes, a Pinterest model that appreciate design, architecture, spaces, décor details, daily art, the magic of those places where you always leave a trace.

Pinterest is one of the social networks with fastest growing and, despite the years, it has not lose an inch of interest from its users, gaining always more followers, collecting some of the best images in the world in terms of interior design, architecture, fashion and decoration. Pinterest has created its own style: crystalline, bright, full of attractive details, small touches of craftsmanship coexist with the most frenzied technology and modernity. Colours, forms, textures…

The Pinterest model is the model that prevails in shops, coffee shops, restaurants and hotels from all over the world.  First Ikea with its Nordic taste. Now this style between hipster, naif and minimal. When you arrive to a hotel perfectly decorated and designed according to the basic canons of this social network, it is almost irresistible to share that detail that captivate us with the rest of our followers. It is impossible. It is necessary.

Hotels know this and have seen it. The coffee shop recently renovated, investing in decoration, in furniture and curtains. The coffee shop full of visitors, although coffee is more expensive. Well, it is the same with accommodations.  As we have previously mentioned, this is more usual in urban hotels, not only because the tendency has been implemented before, but because coastal and beach hotels are always fighting with the beauty of the surrounding landscape: the sea that captivate everyone. Besides, it is not easy to transfer the Pinterest design to traditional beach resorts, where tropical model still prevails. Now, we must bear in mind that this is what many of their visitors are looking for.

This is different in cities. That design and décor invites and evoke experiences. It offers an extra benefit to guests, a differential touch that leads them to share, to think: I want everyone to see this incredible hotel where I am. We are not talking about services or about the deep details, we are talking about the superficial, the image. It is true that the image without a good service is not useful at all.  But we must also recognise that those who are investing in this type of design hotels are doing it really well.

Searching in portfolios, we have found some Catalonia Hotels: design hotels in Barcelona, some of them are business hotels; hotels in the centre of Barcelona offering fashionable services such as rooftop pool, Japanese restaurant, gym, spa, beauty salon… Everything in one accommodation (in this case, Catalonia Barcelona Plaza). More examples: Catalonia Sagrada Familia and Catalonia Ramblas.

We cannot forget Petit Palace: hotels such as Museum Barcelona are a treasure not only of the Pinterest model (it is impossible not to share the beauty of its spaces) but also of the Barcelona’s modernism, since this hotel is situated in the old Garriga Nogués house, one step away from Ciutat Vella. But in Madrid is where we find the most outstanding ones: the emblematic Posada del Peine, with an exquisite refurbishment; Art Gallery or Embassy Serrano can fill the Instagram gallery of any self-respecting traveller.

Even hotels with a lower category such a modern hostels (Generator Hostel in Barcelona, for example) are joining this fashion. And they are even competing with really affordable prices. Big chains of beach resorts are beginning to apply this tendency: IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts has just opened this year a renovated and charming hotel in La Gran Vía, next to Barrio de los Poetas, following this trend: IBEROSTAR Las Letras, with a rooftop where you can contemplate the centre of Madrid.

Some may think this is a passing fashion or a simple detail, but in our opinion this is an extra benefit you should appreciate. And it is on the rise.

Culture: an essential trip motivation

By Loren in Destination

These are bad times for culture. The economic crisis that has affected administrations and private investments has reduced the quantity and quality of what we can enjoy in Spain. Nevertheless, fight continues and it seems that, right now, with few money, is when both institutions and businessmen notice that the cultural plans of a destination can make the difference and it can even turn it into one of the most efficient tools to make tourism less dependent on seasonal factors in Spain.

Culture has been always one of the most important travel motivations, especially in urban destinations. Cities of all over the world have worked in this concept and have polished it making it the philosopher’s stone for their tourism. Bilbao is a great example in Spain, as well as Barcelona, and now Madrid is also standing out in this sense.

Hotels in the centre of Barcelona and Madrid have joined this cause and there are many accommodation in these cities giving their guests tickets and cultural plans as incentives to close a sale. Musicals, museums with high quality temporary exhibitions, concerts or festivals… Now we see how initiatives like the indie music festival BBK Live, that this month is celebrating 10 years of existence, have achieved to fill hotels in the centre of Bilbao in dates that used to be deserted because of the high competition of beach destinations.

The same happened with the pioneer celebration in the capital of Catalonia, that year after year fill the rooms in the centre of Barcelona with the celebration of two of the most powerful music festivals in the country: Primavera Sound and Sonar, every one with a special style and combined during the year with other both professional and leisure events: opera seasons, concerts of big international groups, football, design and fashion catwalks…

Madrid, which has been always much related to the business trade thanks to the unstoppable schedule of IFEMA, is gaining ground in terms of culture. Besides the classic musicals that have always attracted a large number of tourists to the capital, they are investing in theatre, live music and specially, in gastronomy. Yes, gastronomy as a cultural option… or the bar culture, but in a more select way than now: tapas specialising in different tours, gourmet restaurants with unique proposals, renovated markets such as San Miguel, next to Plaza Mayor… This type of events and cultural attractions of the city (which keeps opting for night as its mainstay) are filling hotels in the centre of Madrid even during summer months, and not precisely with foreigners.

Cultural plans for children are also an important investment in the main cities of Spain, as well as cinema: some examples are San Sebastián and Málaga, which have made their film festivals a real international attraction. In fact, it is not strange if the first thing you see in hotels in the centre of Málaga and San Sebastián is a fully booked poster during these dates.

Cultural industry keeps thinking that efforts to support these initiatives are very few. The cultural VAT (21%) is not very helpful. This is the current battle: to achieve a more affordable access to culture for all social classes because there are all types of travellers and affordable prices are always welcome.