A design hotel that chose the right asset
Granada has no shortage of places to sleep in historic buildings. Room Mate Leo went the other direction: 67 colourful, contemporary rooms in a building on Calle Mesones, renovated in 2024, with a heated rooftop pool that stays open year-round. The rooftop bar looks north toward the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada behind it. When the pool deck clears out after sunset and the fortress lights come on, the positioning pays off.
The hotel is 600 metres from the Alhambra's lower entrance — a 10-minute walk uphill via Cuesta de Gomérez. That's close enough to walk up without a bus or taxi, and back down after a long day inside the complex without the same effort.
The renovation and what it changed
The 2024 renovation was thorough. The rooms have a signature Room Mate palette — bold colours, contemporary furniture, the kind of design sensibility that photographs well and ages better than most 'boutique' hotel aesthetics. Standard rooms are sized competitively for the historic centre; they're not large, but the design makes efficient use of the space. Air conditioning is modern; the WiFi infrastructure was part of the renovation.
Breakfast runs 7am–12pm with gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options alongside the standard spread. The late closing time is genuine — you can eat at 11:30 on the morning after a long night in the tapas bars without rushing. The bar operates into the evening and the rooftop is open to outside guests too, so the terrace can get busy on warm evenings from May onward.
The neighbourhood and what's walkable
Calle Mesones is a pedestrian street that connects the main commercial drag (Gran Vía de Colón) with the area around Granada Cathedral. You're central without being on the noisiest tourist circuit. The Cathedral and Royal Chapel are five minutes on foot. The Alcaicería — the reconstructed 14th-century silk market lanes — is two minutes. The Albaicín entrance via Plaza Nueva is ten minutes.
For tapas, the Calle Navas circuit starts about seven minutes south of the hotel. The covered Mercado de San Agustín, where locals buy fish, meat and vegetables, is three minutes away and worth a morning visit even if you're not self-catering.
Trade-offs
The contemporary design will not suit guests who come to Granada specifically for Moorish architecture and want the hotel to continue that atmosphere. The rooftop terrace skews toward a younger crowd, particularly on summer evenings, which changes the atmosphere. There's no spa or fitness room beyond the pool.
For the 60–180€ price range, the rooftop pool, the central location, the recent renovation and the proximity to the Alhambra make Room Mate Leo one of the better-calibrated options in Granada's mid-range tier. The pricing is honest about what it offers.
