Room Mate Leo

Reviewed by Laura Dibben


LEO…OLÉ!!.........

When it comes to finding excellent locations for their small and trendy design hotels, the Room Mate Hotels know what they are after! Room Mate Leo, newly opened in summer 2008 tucks unsuspectingly into Granada’s historic quarter and best (pedestrianised) shopping area. At a stone’s throw from the Cathedral, Plaza Nueva, Albaicin and the “Alhambra Bus”, all the highlights of this vibrant city are within easy reach. We now feature their Hotels in Madrid, Malaga and Granada, with Barcelona, Oviedo and Salamanca coming soon. All are in superb locations, with each “Room Mate” having a character of its own.

As you step off the lively Calle Mesones and into the Hotel’s small, yet welcoming reception area, complete with wrought iron doors, stone columns and typical Mudejar ceiling, you will be greeted with a smile. The young, friendly and upbeat members of staff are at hand to advise on the “must sees”, restaurants, nightlife and all you need to know to make the most of your time in Granada.

A few steps lead up to a corridor where one of two glass-sided lifts will whisk you up to the stylish interiors, and a small roof terrace and salon on the top floor that affords a superb view of the Alhambra Palace. Comfortable seating and a couple of sun-loungers on the terrace make this an excellent place for a night cap (raid your mini-bar!!) and to view the Alhambra in its floodlit glory before retiring to your room.

The 33 bedrooms comprise of Standard Doubles and Executive Doubles, all of which vary in size and layout and are arranged around the central atrium over five floors. As with all the Room Mate Hotels, the use of light and space has been well planned throughout and the rooms have been smartly decorated in a palette of white, black, beige and silver. Designer Lorenzo Castillo has given “Leo” a handsome and refined feel, with a punch of pizzazz in accessories like striking black and white draperies and decorative bejeweled cushions.The Standard Doubles are interior rooms and whilst quieter they do not receive as much natural light as the Executive Double rooms which are on the exterior, some of which have balconies. Noise from passersby in the pedestrian shopping street below does get through the double glazing throughout the day, so we do recommend the Standard Double rooms for light sleepers who like a lie-in! The beds are comfortable and the bathrooms (or shower rooms) are functional, with modern fixtures and fittings. All rooms are equipped with mini-bar, safety deposit box, flat screen TV (not too many non-Spanish channels as yet), direct dial telephone, individual heating and air-con, hair dryer as well as free-of-charge Wi-Fi access (which worked very well in both my Co-Director Michael’s room and my own room). We stayed in Executive Double rooms and found them to be of a reasonable size for a city hotel.

Buffet breakfasts can be taken until noon in the glassed-in breakfast room which is situated in the interior patio on the 2nd floor. As with all the Hotels belonging to the group, the ample buffet breakfast is included in the room rate thus adding to the value.

Owing to Room Mate Leo’s location in this pedestrianised area, the Hotel is not accessible by car (very common in the cities). For those arriving by car, special rates are available at the Plaza Puerta Real car park which is a few minutes on foot from the Hotel.

An ideal Hotel for those who want a simple design Hotel in a great location in the city at an excellent price/quality ratio.