When you find a winner you stick with it. Every time I travel to Spain it is usually on half business half holiday. I usually spend the first few days at meetings under high pressure in both Madrid and Barcelona and then the rest of the week, or weekend if I can schedule it, I become a tourist and enjoy the country where my business success has come from. My winner in either city are the hotels of the Derby Hotels group.
In Madrid it’s the Villa Real where my monthly visits are always started with a gracious welcome from the staff. The Villa Real is a truly charming five-star hotel in the centre of Madrid that truly stands out among the city’s other hotel options. During those first few hectic days of business meetings and paperwork, I really appreciate the exceptional cuisine at its in house restaurant, The East 47. And as a partial business traveler I enjoy the little amenities like laundry and ironing service.
When my travel plans take me to Barcelona, it’s usually a work all week visit. That’s when the accommodations need to be a bit more business and less play since I spend most of my Barcelona time at my laptop and eating in the room. That’s why an aparthotel makes the best sense when here. But even though I need to forgo the highly responsive staff I don’t want to miss the 5 star amenities.
So even in an aparthotel, I stick with the Derby Hotels group and stay at Barcelona’s Suites Avenue aparthotel on Passeig de Gràcia. Instead of appreciating the fancy restaurants, bars and other in house luxuries the Derby Hotels are famous for, here at Suites Avenue I enjoy the high speed Internet, easy parking and room service.
There is a fully staffed reception desk should you need something but unless you seek them for something special in the way of concierge services, like a personal shopper, a masseuse at the gym or help organizing a business lunch or excursion, you’ll never know they are there.
