Learn Spanish Abroad

Spanish Language Schools

Accommodation

Spanish Host Families

Family accommodation is available throughout the year. Most families live near the school and are rarely more than 20 minutes away by public transport. Very occasionally, a family may be up to 30 minutes from the school as some of the most elegant districts of Barcelona are on the edge of the city.

All host families are carefully selected, and the program includes:

• Private single or double bedroom (for students traveling with a companion, who previously request this) with proper heating and lighting
• Laundry service and change of sheets and towels once per week
• Hot water for a daily bath or shower
• An adequate continental breakfast and a substantial evening meal if students requested half board

NOTE: Dinner time in Spain is usually served later than you may be accustomed to, usually after 9 p.m. You can always speak to your hosts regarding mealtimes, in case you find this inconvenient.

Be aware that all of our host families live in flats (apartments), as there are practically no individual houses in Barcelona. Apartment buildings (both old and modern) are rarely more than 8 floors high. A typical flat will have 3 or 4 bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, a dining room and living room. Some flats have terraces; almost all of them have balconies.

All host families treat students as their family guests, and behave in a friendly and hospitable manner.

Student Guest House

The guest house occupies the entire first floor and ground floor of a large apartment building. There are 49 bedrooms in total, including single, double, some triple rooms. All of the bedrooms have wardrobe space and tables, and 6 of the bedrooms also have their own private bathrooms. There are 22 bathrooms in total.

The residence also has 5 comfortable TV lounges - one larger than the others - a large dining room, a kitchen, a laundry room and a very large terrace/garden. The residence is extremely well maintained and kept very clean.

Students can select a meal plan for bed and breakfast and half board, and full board accommodation can also be arranged on request. The menus are varied and balanced and the quality and quantity of food provided is very good. Water is provided with meals and other drinks are available from a vending machine. Breakfast is from 08.00 to 10.00 and dinner from 20.00 to 21.30. Students are not permitted to use the kitchen to cook in, but they are allowed to keep food in the refrigerator and make use of the microwaves. There is one refrigerator in each flat, 8 in total.

Students have access to a washing machine, iron, etc. The washing machine functions with tokens that cost 2 euros each. Bed linen is changed every week and towels are changed twice a week. Each student is given a key and is free to come and go as he/she pleases. There are public telephones in the residence for students' use and incoming calls.

The residence is in a very convenient part of the city, in a quiet residential area close to shops, bars and restaurants at adjoining streets. There is always a member of the residence staff available and on-site during the day and at night there is a residence guard.

Shared Apartments

All apartments are centrally located and are therefore between 10-20 minutes from the school on foot or by public transport. Students normally have their own individual bedroom although some larger rooms are also available for two or more students. Students traveling to Barcelona with friends or family can therefore request to share a bedroom in an apartment.

Apart from a bed (or beds) each bedroom also contains a desk and at least one wardrobe. Each apartment also has a kitchen, bathroom and living room which students share. These apartments are fully furnished and facilities include a washing machine and TV. Some apartments also have telephones, but these are programmed to accept incoming calls only. Students are provided with sheets, blankets and towels, but they should bring their own beach towels. The apartments are cleaned once a week and bed linen is also changed weekly.

Each student is provided with a set of keys so that they can come and go when they please. Students arriving on the Sunday before the course begins should make their own way to their apartment (unless a transfer has been requested).

Note: When possible, students of the same age and sex will be placed together in the same apartment. As this is not always possible however, if students do not want to share an apartment with people of different ages or sex, they should make this very clear on the application form.

Hotels / Hostels

There are a number of options located near the school. Please contact us for a list.



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Instituto Mexico Americano de Cultura
IMAC Spanish Language Programs