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BRAND WATCH CRASHING ITH W FR IENDS Despite the name, you don't have to shackup with strangerswhen you book with Room Mate Hotds, a new Spanish cnain. Enrique Sara- sola, a former olympic horseback rider,foundedthe brandbasedon the idea that the best way to seea city is to stay with friends. Sothe sevenproperties-four in Madrid, and one each in Granada, Valencia, and Mdlaga-are named forfictional friends and designed around their personalities. Iola, for example,is a danceinstructor in Milaga with a passionfor jazz, so rooms aredeco- rated mostly in black, white, and ctuome. The Migueletes brothers live nearthe Alhambra in Granada and collect wine; their "home" is a renovated 17th-century mansion with wood-beam ceilings and a gorgeous courtyard. And Marina is an oceanographer who lives 500 vards from Valencia'sMalvarrosa Leach. Room Mate'slatest outPost is the Oscar,whichwill openin April in Madrid s ultratrendy Chueca neighborhood-the perfect placefor an "extroverted daring, nocturnal" actor. Room-rnfltehotels. com, from $90. *Geraldine Campbell TAKE MY woRD "I wa,s in clamaicalast year researching a new novel, whlch" fi}ce Frwit of tlwl"eman, is partly $et on the island. .tAlhile there, I was irnrited to read at, the Calabash Internationa,i LiterarSr Festival, which ta,i<es place at Treasure Beach every May. For a magical fevr da5rs, $rriter$ from Nort'h America, Europo, and the wider Caribbean read a,nd discuss theirwork in front of more than I,SOO people. fhere's food,muslc, and con- versation irlto the night-- a,nd atl this a€ainst the most beautiful backdroP of the beachandblue sea beyond."-Anfi;eal*vy Fruit of the Lenpnwitl & reteased on February 1.Msit BudgetTravelonline.com to read an excerpt. Catabash Festiwl: May2H7, ?O0Z (cahbashf estlvaloq, fr€e). BudgetTravet 27 February 2007
