Top 5 hotels in Madrid for a city escape

By Loren in Madrid hotels

Are you planning to visit Madrid? Will you come alone, with friends or a couple? Madrid has it all. Everything is settled, ready to make you enjoy the most the Capital. Well then, here we have some of the best hotels in Madrid to spend your time this September. Take notes. They deserve it.

Stay in a historical building in Madrid

Choose an accommodation that gives you a new experience, a place that goes beyond just resting. In order to do that we suggest you to book in the oldest hotel in Madrid: Posada del Peine. Located in the Major Square, small but warm, this 4 star hotel is a boutique hotel, it has an exclusive design integrated to the historical building, that has been there since Madrid was named Madrid, aside from that the location, right in the centre plus other services such as: free Wi-Fi in the entire hotel, bicycles to ride through Madrid included, bedroom computers, hydro massage shower make it worth.

Posada del Peine Hotel

Posada del Peine Hotel

Hotel with rooftop terrace and a panoramic view to the Gran Vía

A new incorporation to the hotel industry in the city, a design hotel in the Gran Vía with one of the best rooftop terraces of the centre of Madrid. Under the firm of IBEROSTAR, Las Letras hotel offers you varied experiences: author’s cuisine in its gourmet restaurant, bedrooms for all tastes (it even has bedrooms with a terrace Jacuzzi in the Gran Vía) gym, Wi-Fi, the privileged location, close to the Congress, next to Las Letras, where you can go on a traditional tapas night in Madrid.

Stay in the Madrid’s first skyscraper

Since we are on it, why not to choose a completely different accommodation? If you’re up to, we have you the very first skyscraper in Madrid turned into a hotel, located near the Seville metro, between the Gran Vía and the Puerta Del Sol. Beautifully designed, a 70’s atmosphere, and a vintage touch, a place you want to take pictures since every corner looks charming. Bedrooms are furnished, with free Wi-Fi and computers. A 4 star hotel that has very affordable prices in the centre of Madrid.

High class hotel at a very affordable prices

Madrid isn’t a very expensive city regarding accommodation. Thanks to the big quantity of hotels, hostels and apartments available in the capital, some hotels offer really good prices, without losing quality (4 star or even 5 star hotels downtown). One of these high class hotel with low prices is the Catalonia Las Cortes. Business style. With classic design full of history, a hotel built in a XVIII century palace with wide and comfortable halls, you will be treated as a king without spending fortunes.

Stay in the Capitol Cinema

Yes, as we suggest, you can stay in the emblematic Capitol cinema building, this hotel in Gran Vía in Madrid, furnished like a cinema and full iconic film details, under the firm of Vincci hotels, one of the most exclusive ones in Spain is an authentic jewel, with bedrooms decorated according the kind of cinema with a 4 star service in Madrid, it also has, like Las Letras hotel, a beautiful terraces where you can enjoy the view of the Gran Vía. It also has a bar, buffet breakfasts, free Wi-Fi, and more. Make a plan with your friends or your couple, and live a movie like experience.

 

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.

The best season to visit Barcelona has begun

By Loren in Barcelona

Barcelona in May, is a luxury, and those who ever made a reservation during spring in this Mediterranean capital know it. The design, fashion and trend city shines radiantly this time of the year, when the heat rises and the sun can be enjoyed since morning.

So if you’re able to extend your stay a few days from the weekend, we recommend you a short trip to Barcelona and enjoy every single thing. In order to do that we have a tip list to enjoy it the most, keep reading and take notes.

1)    Accommodation in Barcelona. First of all, start right away to look for a hotel in Barcelona, an Airbnb accommodation or a hostel, since the accommodation is very crowded on this month thanks to the events (festivals, fairs, concerts, etc) and the prices will rise along with the market demand until June.

You already read our advices like a million times: book in a hotel in the centre of Barcelona if you have the chance. You really don’t need a car to move in the city, unless you want to know some towns from the Barcelona’s coast. The public transportation is perfect to move around the capital and it save you money and time.

Some of the featured hotels in Barcelona are in the Ramblas and Boquería zone, at the beginning of Eixample y Gràcia. However, another option would be opt for hotels in Plaza de las Glorias, the Pobre Now, and near Forum since they’re more affordable.

Prices may not be cheap, Barcelona is an expensive city, even more than Madrid, at least in accommodation, but the quality services are excellent, a high level service.

2)    Interesting routes. Besides Borne, the Gótico, the modern routes, the commercial areas and the best tapas y tascas zone, Barcelona has a variety of alternative touristic routes that you shouldn’t miss. The GoBcn offers us different activities, such as the hidden Raval route or the hidden Gracia, that will change the way you see this peculiar neighbourhood in Barcelona. This tours usually cost around 14 euros per person, they are in the morning and includes a vermouth and aperitifs. The web Turisme,is the entity that promotes the city tourism. You also have the opportunity to know the centre of Barcelona, both the classical and the modern areas, one of them is the Contemporary Barcelona which makes an itinerary of the city through its architecture from the xx to the xxI century.

3)    Downtown tapas Barcelona has thousands of excellent places to go and have some tapas and fresh cañas right in the centre of the city. The atmosphere in both the street and the buildings will captivate you, we recommend the Quimet I Quimet, the Esquinica (typical aragonese cuisine), the vermouth in the Xampanyet, the best cañas in El Vaso de Oro, the unique environment in the Gata mala and the unmissable San José Market (Boquería)

4)  Music and more music. May is the month of music in Barcelona, with international concerts with the best bands such as AC/DC, and to end the spring we will have the Primavera sound with the best independent groups nowadays, an excuse to come to the city and enjoy with your friends.

 

Barcelona never disappoints

By Loren in Barcelona

Book holidays at the last minute is never a good option if you want to save… Even so, if you are running out of time and have lost the opportunity of getting a good discount in your hotel by earlybooking, there are always destinations that, whatever the time of the year, combine a complete leisure and rest offer with more than affordable prices, both in transportation and accommodation. This is the case, for example, of Barcelona.

Barcelona never disappoints when you plan to organise holidays without room for budgetary manoeuvre. The Catalonian capital has a so wide variety of proposals that is ideal for all kinds of travellers, there converge the most multifarious motivations: seeing a certain exhibition, attending  a music festival or a special concert, having a party weekend with friends, going with the children to PortAventura…

Hotel rooms in Barcelona

Hotel rooms in Barcelona

Barcelona, besides its infinite plans offer for all tastes and ages, has the advantage of offering good connections and accommodations that, despite not being the cheapest, provide a very interesting price-quality relation, in particular, as regards hotels in the centre of Barcelona, where the competition is ferocious, making the hotels in Ramblas and Ciutat Vella to offer really attractive discounts.

Choosing your coast opens up a world of possibilities. Beach hotels in Pineda de Mar, Calella or Santa Susanna are good and cheap accommodation options in Barcelona that, besides offering access to the best beaches for family holidays, boast complete services at surprising prices. The ideal transport would be by own car or you can travel to Barcelona by plane and rent a car there.

These coastal towns are perfect for escaping and getting lost in the most sea-essence of Barcelona, where tradition, cuisine and beach are the main figures. If you travel with children, booking a hotel in Calella, for example, is one of the best options, since it is quieter than the city and offers very varied out of doors leisure possibilities.