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Hesperia Sant Just

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  • FREDERIC MOMPOU 1
     Barcelona, Spain 08960
    34 93 4732517
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koshkha
koshkha
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
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In the Pink at the Hesperia

  • February 9, 2009
  • Rated 4 of 5 by koshkha from Northampton, United Kingdom
In the Pink at the Hesperia

Once upon not so long ago business travelers were mostly men and service suppliers built their products around what they thought men wanted. Hotel décor was of the 'dark wood - black leather - lots of chrome' variety that's apparently supposed to appeal to the boys. If you were a woman staying in business hotels in Eastern Europe might find yourself the only woman in the hotel paying for her room. Being the only 'non-prostitute female' in the hotel is at one end of the spectrum, but less extreme examples of not feeling completely at home include being frequently called 'sir' by hotel staff, getting a trouser press but no iron and finding that there's only one towel in the bathroom.

Then about 10 years ago some more hotel chains twigged that quite a lot of women were passing through their hotels and a few even decided to do something about it. Early attempts at 'feminising' hotels tended to focus more on issues of security and less on comfort. Rooms would have enhanced security features such as door chains, peep holes, even panic alarms. To be honest, I have to say that I found all that sort of stuff a bit over the top and at times a tad silly. The Spanish hotel chain Hesperia has taken a more indulgent approach to the whole 'girly-room' challenge with their 'Pink Room' concept which I experienced at the Hesperia Sant Just on the outskirts of Barcelona.

I'd probably been in the room for about an hour before I twigged that something odd was going on. I'd vaguely registered that there was a glossy magazine on the coffee table but it was in Spanish and since a lot of hotels have magazines. I'd clocked the immense number of freebie toiletries in the bathroom including such non-standard delights as a bath sponge, conditioner, make-up removal towel, lip balm, deodorant, nail file and cotton buds but even with the discrete little box with tampons and sanitary towels, all I'd registered was 'hmm, I wonder if that's standard?' I'd marveled at the black furry bathrobe and wondered how many teddy bears had been slaughtered to give their pelts to that, and I'd doubly marveled when I got out of the shower, grabbed the bathrobe and found a hair turban in the pocket - genius! The thing which finally slapped me in the face that this was a girly room was when I took the bedroom slippers out of the wrapper and found the words 'pink' on one and 'room' on the other.
I discovered that Hesperia had listened to feedback from their women guests and realised that we were sick of massive bathrobes, slippers that were a zillion times too big trouser presses but no iron, the wrong kind of coat hangers, a shaving kit but no cotton wool, lousy lighting in the bathrooms all those other little niggles. Hesperia had then set about designing a more customised woman-friendly experience - and why not? Women travelers statistically spend more time in the hotel, eat over-priced room service meals and spend more time in their rooms - so why not make that a better experience if it means we're more likely to choose Hesperia next time? The hotel also makes a donation of Euro1 per stay to a breast cancer charity. The one thing that was missing - and I think was quite a serious omission - was a peep-hole in the door. With so much attention to the 'little things', Hesperia had missed one of the most basic security requirements for anyone staying in a hotel. Not being able to check who's knocking is one of the features that most hotels put in place many years ago.
And before the boys reading this get angry that the girls are getting special treatment, relax - Hesperia gives you lots of boy-goodies too and just remember that if you want to leave the toilet seat up in your rooms, that's just fine, we won't force you to put it down again and if you want to leave all your stubble shavings in the sink, feel free. We'll be hunkered down in our pink rooms.
**Where is it?**

The Hesperia Sant Just is on the airport side of Barcelona in the suburb of Sant Just Desvern. If you are a glass-half-full kind of person it can be described as 'at the end of the Diagonal' but if you are a realist it's more accurate to say it's 'a bit too far from the centre' of Barcelona. It's a lovely hotel but if you are looking for a place that's handy for the city, I'd have to say this isn't the right place for you. Getting into the city on my second evening took nearly half an hour in the heavy traffic and cost Euro15. Getting back again we were ripped off by a taxi driver who decided to take the long way back which took almost as long as the traffic jam on the way in but cost twice as much. So if you are tempted by this hotel, check out the underground maps and see if there's a lower cost way of getting around - it may still be worth it because these hotels on the outskirts are often a lot cheaper than central hotels.
At just ten minutes from the airport, this is also a good option for anyone with an early flight and I believe it's possible to do your check-in and print your boarding pass at the hotel business centre and express check-outs are available
**First Impressions**
The lobby is a grand open space with high ceilings and plenty of big comfy sofas and chairs. There's a bar and area for light meals, an area set up like a library with two public-access internet computers and of course, a big check in desk and a corridor leading to the main restaurant. The weight-bearing pillars that hold up the high ceiling are clad in a really fascinating textured tiling that I really wanted to stroke but feared looking like I'd escaped from a 'place of security'. The overall impression was stylish and bright.
**Room Layout**
My room was on the larger side of average and laid out essentially the same as almost every chain hotel room I've stayed in recently. There was a king sized bed with a nice upholstered bench at the bottom of the bed - nice looking but I'm not entirely sure what its purpose was supposed to be. In the absence of a case-stand, it became the place where I put my suitcase. There were bedside tables either side, each with a lamp and one with a phone. There was a comfortable arm-chair with a coffee table and a tall reading lamp as well as a desk with lamp and a funky black leather work chair. The TV was a flat screen and there was a mini-bar below. There was a full length mirror on the wall and a small vase with a silk flower - each probably indications of the 'Pink Room' status. The colour scheme was exceptionally beige but pleasant and reminded me of the childhood friend whose family couldn't agree on colours for any rooms in their new-build house and so had the entire place painted magnolia. It was funny at the time but it seems to be the norm these days. There was a large fitted wardrobe with a safe and an iron and board inside.
The door to the bathroom was frosted glass and the bathroom contained a loo, bidet, big broad sink unit, bath with shower over and a set of scales. The sink unit was made from grey/white marble and everything was in great condition although the large mirror was slightly tarnished at the edges. The selection of toiletries, as already mentioned, was second to none.
**Check In**
Check-in was quick and simple - the usual registration documents, handing over the credit card and passport. I pinched a big glossy green apply from the check-in display; it looked like something from Snow White. I was informed that there was free wi-fi although I had to call down from my room later to get the sign in codes. Free Wi-Fi is my favourite hotel freebie when I'm on business.
**Drinking and Dining**
On my second night a colleague and I had a drink in the bar which wasn't cheap, but not overly expensive either. I was surprised in the land of tapas culture that we weren't offered so much as a bowl of old peanuts.
I had breakfast on my second morning and found a really good selection of hot and cold dishes, displayed on several serving areas, thus designed to utterly confuse a half-asleep guest. The breakfast cost Euro15 which is ridiculouse but about standard for a Spanish 4-star.
**Other facilities**
The hotel also offers a gym and a squash court, a business centre and 8 meeting rooms, a sauna, several restaurants and parking.

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