I have never stayed in a hostal, I'm interested to know what the difference is between a hostal and a hotel. Is that like diff. btwn. hotel and motel? or is a hostal like a bed and breakfast?

Hi mencey!
You're pretty close in your description. Except these "motels of Spain" are usually even more sparse or "streamlined" than nearly all the motels I've ever seen in the USA. Hostels (called "hostales", plural" in Spanish, and not to be confused with "youth-hostels" -- it's a confusing distinction in Spain and Latin America) often have private, in-room bathrooms but not always. Also, they don't always have telephones or televisions. They don't usually have elevators nor do they serve any meals. Bed & Breakfasts are a world away from hostels.

Hope this helps and doesn't further confuse you.

Saludos, MadridMan

Thanks for the info, I guess my question now is, how common are bed and breakfasts in Spain? And what would they be called? Cama y desayuno? Duerme y come? Duerme,come,pague,vete? I am interested in starting a bed and breakfast in the canary islands w/ my wife, and am wondering if there is a market for a bed and breakfast?

Unlike America, most hotels in Europe serve breakfast. I don´t know how difficult it will be to break in to the market in the Canaries Isles but several TV programs have followed Brits trying similar ideas in Benidorm, a brit tourist hot spot and the competition is so fierce that the vast majority failed or they had to try something else to survive. Personally I would suggest you take a working holiday and check out the scene by talking to people locally. You have a lot of competition from the big boys, so you might try a franchise. I am staying in a local Best Western in Madrid and for the price it is good.

mencey, B&Bs don't seem to be common at all in Spain. They are rare. I only know of the website for one B&B "chain"/association in Madrid @ http://www.MadridBandB.com . You might also check out the "world wide" website http://www.bandb.com/

Good luck! Saludos, MadridMan

The Hotel Goyesca in Ronda is run along the lines of a bed and breakfast and tends to draw the bulk of its business through word-of-mouth. The man who runs it tries to get residents to spend time together...we sat around eating and talking together, all the meals were at one big, family-style table. The owner took us out at night for a tapas crawl and tour of the city. A couple from England who were there the same time we were went with the purpose suggested in an earlier post...that you get a feel for the possibilities. TOURISTS, and that includes Spaniards visiting the area, and not locals are the ones you have to appeal to, after all, so hanging out with them may give you some idea of what people want.

Thank you all for your information and suggestions. As many on the site know, my wife is from the Canary Islands, and you'd think that she would be "in the know" about the subject, but she does not know of any bed and breakfast's in the Canary Islands, seems odd that there wouldn't be any, so I thought maybe out of this collective group of MMers I'd find the answers I was looking for, and I did. Thanks again! Coming soon to an island near you, Mencey and Guacimara's B&B!

I really think the B&B concept is a "foreign" one to most Spaniards since they really don't even eat breakfast as we know it here in the USA or England.

MM, of course you're right, but the Spaniards who stayed at the place I mentioned were in it for contact with other people and for the personal touches, like the night tour. I've travelled with Spaniards a couple of times...both sets of newlyweds...and they seemed really interested in the concept of being with people from other countries in a situation where they could develop friendships. Perhaps the breakfast part would be deemphasized if appealing to a Spanish market, replaced by the evening get together dinner.

MadridMan writes: Don't leave out Ireland, MM. I just got back from a week there - the Full Irish Breakfast makes the English breakfast look small.

I have stayed in several Hotels in Spain where a 'buffet' breakfast is included: Bahia Vigo in Vigo (Pontevedra); Conde Duque in Bilbao; Santa Maria in el Puerto de Santa Maria; then there's: Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos, adjacent to the Basilica on Plaza del Obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela. The fact that three of those I mention are in the north (Galizia & Pais Vasco) may have something to do with it ...

I've often wished for a real B&B-type place in Spain, because I (like many Americans, no doubt) really NEED breakfast (and a pastry and cup of coffee won't really do it for me!). My two largest meals are breakfast and dinner--just the opposite of how Spanish people eat! I can get used to Spanish-style eating habits, but it always takes me a few days.

I loved staying in paradores for just this reason--the breakfasts were nice, and I didn't leave the place in the morning wishing for a bowl of Cheerios. I don't know that it's worth the extra Euros--but it sure made me happy!

I too have stayed at one or two hotels which served full breakfasts included in their price so I wouldn't call them a "B&B" as they're not the quaint, family-home-turned-inn kind of lodging establishment.

Just out of curiosity would a Fonda be the closest concept to a Bed & breakfast in Spain?
Or, a régimen de alojamiento y desayuno establishment? I have seen both.

Yes, booklady, fondas could be the nearest concept to a bed & breakfast though they used to offer also lunch and dinner. I say "used to" because you won't find many nowadays in Madrid. In fact, I don't know any.

"Régimen de alojamiento y desayuno" is usually heard in hotels. They offer "alojamiento y desayuno" (bed & breakfast), "media pensión" (half-board) and "pensión completa" (full-board).

In Spain very few hostels give breakfast and, of course, don't expect them to be the yummy buffets you can find in some hotels.

By the way, it's curious to me that after living for 6 months in England 3 years ago, none of the 3 different families I lived with had an English breakfast.

We stayed at a WONDERFUL place in El Puerto De Santa María that served a continental breakfast named Casa Nº6. It was the nicest Hostal we encountered during our entire trip!!! The family that runs it is kind and helpful, and the place was clean and gorgeous!!! Also, we had a nice continental breakfast at the Hotel Continental in Barcelona.