Spain wakes up to the benefits of the siesta
MADRID – The siesta is making a comeback, rebranded as “Iberian yoga”.
Hoteliers in Seville are trying to lure visitors back from the beach by offering rooms between 3pm and 7pm at 30% of the normal rate, to slumber through the hottest hours.
The idea is that you emerge refreshed to enjoy the late afternoon, sunset and after dark, which Spaniards savour as the best time of the day.
As part of the campaign, which has adopted the slogan: “After eating I sleep”, diners can even book their afternoon snooze from the very restaurant where they enjoy a leisurely, wine-soaked lunch.
“Every decent lunch deserves a period of repose or rest afterwards. And every day in this hot season needs a period of refreshment for the mind,” said Manuel Otero, president of the Association of Sevillian Hoteliers.
But a spokesman for the local union of hotel workers complained, “It could be a way of dignifying the old custom of hiring hotels by the hour.”
Spain tried to ban the siesta when it joined the European Union but old habits die hard and even the bureaucrats in Brussels may have to go along with the Seville Snooze.
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025