About us: Javier Sobrino and the Descubriendo Viajes team
Descubriendo Viajes is a Spanish site for choosing and booking hotels, mostly in Spain, published in Spanish and English. Its founders, Javier Sobrino and his business partner Víctor Redondo, visit the best hotels one by one to tell you their pros and cons first-hand. Javier has slept in more than 200 places to stay in more than 25 countries since the project began, and we only score hotels we have slept in. Spanish media call Javier a “probador de hoteles”, a hotel tester, and more than 80 outlets in 15 countries have quoted him or the site.
Key facts
The essentials about Descubriendo Viajes, as of .
- What it is
- A site for choosing and booking hotels, mostly in Spain, published in Spanish and English: descubriendoviajes.com. Its founders visit the best hotels one by one and explain their pros and cons first-hand, so readers get the information that usually isn’t online and choose the right hotel.
- Who runs it
- Javier Sobrino, founder, and Víctor Redondo, co-founder, friends since childhood. Cristina Gómez and Monika Araujo (Viajandoconmami) are contributors.
- When we started
- We have been posting hotel videos since and publishing reviews on the site since .
- Where we have stayed
- Javier has slept in more than 200 places to stay in more than 25 countries since the project began, including hotels, resorts and holiday apartments. We only score hotels we have slept in: more than 90 in Spain.
- How we score
- We only score hotels we have slept in, out of 10 on our own scale, aspect by aspect: cleanliness, bed and pillow, bathroom, breakfast, lunch and dinner, pools, beach and staff. We explain it in How we score.
- Who pays
- We paid for two in three of the stays in our public register. No hotel has ever paid us to film it, or for its score. The register, hotel by hotel, is on our transparency page.
- What we have published
- More than 70 reviews of hotels in Spain, nearly all by Javier and some by Cristina Gómez and Monika Araujo, and more than 100 hotel lists by area and theme, in Spanish, some of them also in English.
- Audience
- More than 400,000 followers on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube, and more than 200 million views of our videos.
- Press
- More than 80 outlets in 15 countries have quoted Javier or the site, including the Daily Mail, the Daily Express, The Mirror, El País and CNN Indonesia. Javier has appeared live on Herrera en COPE, on Spanish national radio (), and on IB3 TV’s 5 dies (); La Voz de Galicia interviewed him in . See the press coverage.
- Contact
- javier@descubriendoviajes.com, in English or Spanish.
Javier Sobrino
Founder of Descubriendo Viajes. A “hotel tester”, according to the Spanish press.
I’m Javier Sobrino and I founded Descubriendo Viajes. Since 2023 I have been filming hotels, mostly in Spain, and writing about them on this site and on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. I only score hotels I have slept in, and most of the time I book like any other guest, without saying I’m a content creator.
I studied Economics at the University of Alcalá and then did a master’s degree in Tourism Management and Planning at the University of La Laguna. I’ve always been passionate about entrepreneurship and travel. In 2013, while I was still a student, I started building websites and exploring the world of travel and hotels.
In June 2017 I won the YUZZ Tenerife award, Banco Santander’s entrepreneurship programme, with Social Rooms, a project for sharing hotel rooms. The award took me to San Francisco and Silicon Valley to visit Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and Airbnb. In 2024 I sold a hotel website I had launched in 2018 for $170,500 and, with Víctor, reinvested the money in Descubriendo Viajes.
I write for families and couples choosing a hotel in Spain: water slides, all-inclusive, short breaks with a hot tub. And the press quotes me for my advice on choosing hotels.
Milestones
Before Descubriendo Viajes
Javier starts building websites while studying Economics at the University of Alcalá.
With Face to Travel, he wins the 7th Technology-Based Business Creation Competition of the University of Alcalá (in Spanish), in the student category.
Face to Travel joins the first intake of HUB Emprende (in Spanish), the startup incubator of the Universidad Europea de Madrid.
The madri+d Foundation lists Face to Travel among the tech companies set up that year through its business plan service (in Spanish).
With Social Rooms, a project for sharing hotel rooms, he wins the Santander YUZZ Tenerife award (in Spanish). In October, the award takes him to San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
Social Rooms wins second prize at the TLP Tenerife Startup Party (in Spanish), run by the island council of Tenerife.
He joins launchTF (in Spanish), the startup accelerator of the University of La Laguna.
He spends five weeks at Impact Hub Zagreb on the European Coworkings programme (in Spanish) of Spain’s School of Industrial Organisation (EOI).
He completes his master’s in Tourism Management and Planning at the University of La Laguna with a dissertation on his startup, Social Rooms (in Spanish).
Descubriendo Viajes
We post our first hotel video on Instagram.
Our first review goes up on the site: the Hotel Don Marcos (in Spanish).
He sells on Flippa, for $170,500, a hotel website he had launched in 2018 and, with Víctor, reinvests the money in Descubriendo Viajes. Flippa told the story as a success case.
Cordópolis and desdeSoria pick up our mathematical ranking of Spain’s glamping sites.
Cristina Gómez and Monika Araujo join us, reviewing stays of their own in Spain under their own bylines.
Travelling for Business and the Daily Express US quote Javier on the hotels you should never book.
Javier appears live on 5 dies, on IB3, and his advice on choosing hotels reaches the press in the UK, Argentina, Portugal and Spain.
We start publishing, hotel by hotel, which stays we paid for and which were hosted, in the register on our transparency page.
La Voz de Galicia interviews Javier, and so does Herrera en COPE, live. By the end of the month, media in eleven countries had quoted his advice.
We pass 90 hotels in Spain we have slept in, and more than 50 places to stay in the year.
The team
Javier and Víctor sleep in the hotels and film them. Cristina and Monika also review stays of their own in Spain.
Víctor Redondo
Co-founder and filmmakerHi! I’m Víctor, the one behind the camera: I film, write the scripts, scout new hotels and plan the routes. Javi and I have been friends since childhood.
I write our guides to Koh Lanta and Chiang Mai, in Thailand.
“Take a look at my articles (in Spanish): I’m sure they’ll help you pick the best hotel.”
Cristina Gómez
Contributor: family travelHi! I’m Cristina, a mother of two who loves family outings. I share tips from my own trips to make travelling with children easy and fun.
Her topics on the site: family trips to inland towns such as Toledo, Segovia and Almagro, and cave houses.
Monika Araujo
Contributor: family travel (Viajandoconmami)Known as “Viajandoconmami”. Since 2012 I’ve run my website, viajandoconmami.com, and my Instagram account (@viajandoconmami) is a go-to for family travel ideas. I contribute here to inspire your next family break.
Her topics on the site: hotels and campsites with water slides, and days out with children.
Cristina’s and Monika’s stays carry their own bylines and are not counted in Javier’s figure.
How we work
What we cover
We focus on hotels, resorts and unique places to stay, mostly in Spain. Our commitment is to tell you, first-hand and honestly, the good and the bad of every hotel.
No hotel has ever paid us to film it, or for its score. We pay for most stays ourselves, like any other guest: two in three of the stays in our public register. We publish which stays were hosted, hotel by hotel, on our transparency page.
Our business model
We don’t make money filming hotels. Our priority is to provide the best and most honest content to our followers and readers.
That’s why the hotel comes second, and we avoid commercial contracts that compromise our opinion. We are funded through our affiliate links, at no extra cost to you.
See our transparency sectionHow we score
We only score a hotel we have slept in. If we visited without staying the night, it may appear in an article, but without a score and without a review.
The score is out of 10 on our own scale, not Booking’s or Google’s. We score aspect by aspect, with the sheet below: cleanliness, bed and pillow, bathroom, breakfast, lunch and dinner, all-inclusive, pools, facilities for adults and for children, staff and beach. We cite other sites’ scores as context, never as ours.
The scorecard is the reference: if a published review does not match it, we correct the review. And we publish which stays were hosted, hotel by hotel, on our transparency page.
Descubriendo Viajes in the Media
Since 2017, and above all since 2024, more than 80 media outlets in 15 countries have quoted Javier or Descubriendo Viajes. Below are the pieces you can read or listen to, each with its date and link.
Among them
“We’re not harsh, rude or ill-mannered, but we tell it like it is.”
Javier Sobrino in La Voz de Galicia (translated from Spanish)
La Voz de Galicia ·
Interview in La Voz de Galicia
In La Voz de Galicia, a daily newspaper from Galicia, in north-west Spain, Noelia Silvosa asked Javier how a hotel tester works: what he checks as soon as he walks into the room (cleanliness, the bed and the pillow, which he sees as Spanish hotels’ great weak spot), why he tries the food several times before scoring it, and why he and Víctor often don’t say they are content creators, so that they are not treated differently.
Read the interview (in Spanish)Spanish radio and TV
Radio · COPE ·
Live on Herrera en COPE
Javier spoke live on Herrera en COPE, the morning show of COPE, one of Spain’s national radio networks, about how to choose a hotel: book well ahead, read other guests’ reviews carefully and avoid rooms ending in 01, which tend to be next to the lift and the stairs.
- Listen on cope.es (in Spanish, posted on )
- Watch a clip on COPE’s YouTube channel (in Spanish)
TV · IB3 ·
Live on 5 dies, on IB3
Javier joined 5 dies, a programme on IB3 Televisió, the Balearic Islands’ public TV channel, live by video call. The programme introduced him as a “provador d'hotels”, Catalan for hotel tester. The image is a screenshot of the broadcast.
Javier has also been covered by laSexta and Onda Regional de Murcia in Spain, Televisión del Este in the Dominican Republic and, in Ukraine, the 24 Kanal TV channel and Lux FM radio. They are in the full list below.
Our own work in the press
Two pieces of our own work reached the press. Our mathematical ranking of Spain’s glamping sites was picked up by Cordópolis, elDiario.es’s Córdoba site (), and by desdeSoria, a news site from Soria (). Our list of 2024’s most viral hotels was picked up by COPE Huelva, COPE’s station in Huelva (), and by the Alicante edition of El Español (). All four are in Spanish.
Read the glamping study (in Spanish)In the UK and US press
In English, Javier has been quoted by the Daily Mail, the Daily Express and its US edition, The Mirror, the Daily Star, the Liverpool Echo, WalesOnline and Travelling for Business, among others, between May and August 2025.
· Travelling for Business · UK
Hotel Expert Who’s Visited Hundreds Reveals 5 Types You Should Never Book· Daily Express US · US
Travel expert issues urgent warning - never book a hotel with any of these 5 signs· Travelling for Business · UK
Hotel Expert Reveals Why You Should Always Request A Room On THIS Floor· Liverpool Echo · UK
Travel expert says 'never trust' one thing when booking holiday rentals· The Mirror · UK
Hotel expert says 'always avoid' rooms ending on 01 for a better holiday
All appearances, oldest first
· El País · Spain
Ahorra en hoteles: comparte tu habitación (in Spanish)· Sapos y Princesas (El Mundo) · Spain
Guía de vacaciones familiares para el 2024 (in Spanish)· El Confidencial Digital · Spain
Viajar y probar hoteles: un trabajo que nos cuenta Javier Sobrino (in Spanish)· Periodista Digital · Spain
Un hotel diseñado para el anonimato es ahora el más famoso de España por un vídeo mega viral (in Spanish)· Cordópolis (elDiario.es) · Spain
Un alojamiento de Córdoba, el mejor 'glamping' de España según un estudio matemático (in Spanish)· desdeSoria · Spain
Un estudio matemático coloca un glamping de Soria como el séptimo mejor de España (in Spanish)· Onda Regional de Murcia · Spain
Uno de las mejores instalaciones de "glamping" de España está en la Región de Murcia (in Spanish)· COPE Huelva · Spain
Estos Han Sido los Hoteles Más Virales del 2024 y los Influencers que los Han Viralizado (in Spanish)· El Español (Alicante edition) · Spain
El hotel a menos de una hora de Alicante en el que sentirás que estás en Asia sin salir de España (in Spanish)· HuelvaYa · Spain
Los hoteles de Huelva prevén una ocupación del 68% para el puente del 28F (in Spanish)· Ávilared · Spain
Las cabañas más virales de Ávila gracias a un influencer de hoteles (in Spanish)· Andalucía Información · Spain
El influencer viral que se aloja en hoteles crea una lista con los mejores a buen precio (in Spanish)· El Plural · Spain
5 errores que pueden arruinar tus vacaciones familiares, según un influencer de viajes que lo ha visto todo (in Spanish)· El Bierzo Digital · Spain
Las vacaciones ya no las eliges tú… las eligen los algoritmos (in Spanish)· Travelling for Business · UK
Hotel Expert Who’s Visited Hundreds Reveals 5 Types You Should Never Book· The Mirror · UK
Travel expert issues warning - 'never book a hotel' with these 5 warning signs· Daily Express · UK
Travel expert issues warning – 'never book a hotel' with any of these 5 warning signs· Daily Record · UK
'Never' book these 5 hotel types as they can ruin your holiday, says expert· TourProm · Russia
Никогда не бронируйте отель, если есть хоть 1 из этих 5 признаков (in Russian)· Glavny.tv · Russia
Эксперт Собрино рассказал о признаках худшего отеля для бронирования (in Russian)· Daily Express US · US
Travel expert issues urgent warning - never book a hotel with any of these 5 signs· Travelling for Business · UK
Travel Expert Shares Top 5 Spanish Routes That Deserve a Drop-Top Drive· Travelling for Business · UK
Hotel Expert Reveals Why You Should Always Request A Room On THIS Floor· CNN Indonesia · Indonesia
Pakar Sarankan Jangan Menginap di 5 Jenis Hotel Ini Saat Berlibur (in Indonesian)· UNIAN · Ukraine
Експерт назвав п'ять типів готелів, яких варто уникати (in Ukrainian)· Cursorinfo · Israel
5 тревожных сигналов, что отель испортит отпуск – названы главные ловушки для туристов (in Russian)· Limon (Postimees) · Estonia
Эксперт назвал пять типов отелей, которых стоит избегать (in Russian)· Cursorinfo · Israel
Топ-5 видов отелей, в которых лучше не останавливаться (in Russian)· Lux FM · Ukraine
Ніколи не бронюй ці готелі: експерт назвав 5 червоних прапорців (in Ukrainian)· Daily Mail · UK
I'm a travel expert - these are the hotel rooms you should always avoid and how to spot if you've been booked into one· The Mirror · UK
Hotel expert says there’s one room you should always avoid booking· Daily Express · UK
Travellers advised to always request a room between these floors for 'safety and comfort'· Sözcü · Turkey
Otellerde bu oda numaralarından uzak durun (in Turkish)· Fanatik · Romania
Numărul de cameră de hotel pe care să îl eviți când vrei să te cazezi. Această greșeală îți poate ruina întreaga vacanță (in Romanian)· Știri pe surse · Romania
Evită camera de hotel cu acest număr. Un detaliu aparent banal care îți poate strica vacanța (in Romanian)· Estadio Deportivo · Spain
Si viajas de vacaciones a un hotel rechaza hospedarte en la habitación con el número... (in Spanish)· WalesOnline · UK
Travel expert names one hotel room number you should never stay in (also on Yahoo News UK)· Daily Record · UK
Room number tourists should 'never' pick when booking a hotel· Devon Live · UK
Travel expert names one hotel room number you should never stay in· Liverpool Echo · UK
Travel expert says 'never trust' one thing when booking holiday rentals· 20minutos · Spain
El número de habitación que debes evitar cuando llegas a un hotel: "Ellos no te van a informar" (in Spanish)· NoticiasTrabajo · Spain
Este es el número de habitación que jamás deberías reservar en un hotel: son las más ruidosas en casi todos los alojamientos (in Spanish)· La Provincia · Spain
Un experto te dice cuáles son las habitaciones que tienes que evitar si vas de hotel este verano (in Spanish)· Travelling for Business · UK
Booking a Holiday Rental? Avoid This ONE Mistake, Says Travel Insider· Infobae · Argentina
¿Sueño interrumpido en hoteles? El número de habitación podría ser el culpable (in Spanish)· postal.pt · Portugal
Silêncio ‘garantido’: evitar os quartos de hotel que terminam neste número é a solução ideal para umas férias (muito mais) tranquilas (in Portuguese)· Yahoo Creators (Yahoo’s contributor platform) · US
This is what a White Lotus vacation would actually cost· laSexta · Spain
Un experto en viajes revela el número de habitación de hotel que NUNCA tienes que pedir (in Spanish)· Las Provincias · Spain
Cómo conseguir las mejores habitaciones de hotel sin pagar más y los números en los que nunca te debes alojar, según un experto (in Spanish)· Diario Sur · Spain
¿Te vas de vacaciones a un hotel? Este es el número de habitación que debes evitar (in Spanish)· Business Insider España · Spain
Esta es la peor habitación para reservar en cualquier hotel: tus vacaciones serán una pesadilla (in Spanish)· Daily Express · UK
‘I’m a travel expert - stay on these hotel floors for your own safety’· El Español · Spain
Javier Sobrino, experto en viajes: “Estas son las habitaciones de hotel que siempre debes evitar” (in Spanish)· SUR in English · Spain
Staying in a hotel during your holiday? There is a room number you should try to avoid· Novyny.LIVE · Ukraine
Експерт розповів, на яких поверхах безпечніше оселятися в готелі (in Ukrainian)· El Periódico de Aragón · Spain
El número de habitación que nunca se debe elegir en los hoteles (in Spanish)· The Objective · Spain
Errores comunes al elegir habitación de hotel que pueden arruinar tu descanso (in Spanish)· La Voz de Galicia · Spain
El número de habitación de hotel que puede arruinar tu viaje: esto es todo lo que tienes que saber para reservar (in Spanish)· El HuffPost · Spain
Los expertos animan a rechazar las habitaciones con este número en el hotel: alientan a pedir el cambio (in Spanish)· Travelling for Business · UK
Travel Expert Exposes the Hidden Tactic Airlines Use to Keep You Awake – and Spending· Scottish Daily Express · UK
Flight attendants reveal the 'uncomfortable truth' about budget airlines· YourTango · US
The Shady Reason Some Airlines Try To Make Your Flight As Uncomfortable As Possible, According To A Travel Expert· Zahav.ru · Israel
Никогда не бронируйте отель, если есть хоть 1 из этих 5 признаков (in Russian)· La Voz de Galicia · Spain
Javier se dedica a probar hoteles: «He estado en 200 en el último año y medio» (in Spanish)· La Voz de Asturias · Spain
Javier se dedica a probar hoteles: «He estado en 200 en el último año y medio» (in Spanish)· GN Diario · Spain
El secreto de los expertos para elegir la habitación perfecta de hotel (in Spanish)· COPE, Herrera en COPE (YouTube channel) · Spain
¿Qué es lo primero en lo que te fijas a la hora de elegir un hotel? (in Spanish)· IOL · Portugal
Nunca escolha estes quartos de hotel: especialista revela quais os melhores para uma noite sem barulho (in Portuguese)· El Economista · Spain
El truco de los hoteles que pocos viajeros conocen: por qué nunca deberías reservar una habitación que termine en '01' (in Spanish)· ABC · Spain
Un experto en hoteles explica por qué jamás se aloja en habitaciones que tengan este número: «Hay un problema» (in Spanish)· HuffPost España · Spain
Piece on rooms ending in 01 (in Spanish)· TVI, Dois às 10 · Portugal
Evite estes quartos de hotel: especialista indica os melhores para dormir sem ruído (in Portuguese)· Infobae España · Spain
La advertencia de un ‘probador de hoteles’: “Intenta evitar esa habitación y, si te la dan, díselo inmediatamente” (in Spanish)· Sözcü · Turkey
Oda numaranızın sonu 01 ile bitiyorsa "kabul etmeyin" Otel görevlisinden altın uyarı... (in Turkish)· En Son Haber · Turkey
Otellerde "01" ile biten odalarda sakın kalmayın! İşte sebebi (in Turkish)· postal.pt · Portugal
Especialista avisa: nunca aceite quartos de hotel terminados nestes números e esta é a razão (in Portuguese)· 24horas (TVN) · Chile
El número de habitación que jamás debes escoger, según experto hotelero (in Spanish)· Meganoticias · Chile
Experto revela los números de habitaciones de hotel que nunca debes aceptar si quieres descansar (in Spanish)· Infobae España · Spain
Un probador de hoteles advierte de lo que ocurre con las habitaciones terminadas en 01: “Intenta evitarla” (in Spanish)· La Vanguardia · Spain
Javier Sobrino, probador de hoteles: “Cuando viajes intenta evitar estos números de habitaciones si quieres tener una experiencia tranquila” (in Spanish)· TuNota · Honduras
Este es el número de habitación que jamás debes escoger, según experto hotelero (in Spanish)· postal.pt · Portugal
Férias num hotel? Estes são os números de quartos que deve evitar e não é por superstições (in Portuguese)· OKDIARIO · Spain
El número de habitación que debes evitar en los hoteles: un experto en viajes revela el truco que casi nadie conoce (in Spanish)· COPE, Herrera en COPE · Spain
Esta es la habitación de hotel en la que debes evitar alojarte durante tus vacaciones: avisa en recepción (in Spanish)· El Español · Spain
Javier Sobrino, experto en hoteles: "Si tu idea es descansar, intenta evitar estas habitaciones" (in Spanish)· 20minutos · Spain
Por qué siempre deberías evitar las habitaciones de hotel que acaban en '01', según un experto en viajes (in Spanish)· The Mirror · UK
Hotel expert says 'always avoid' rooms ending on 01 for a better holiday· Liverpool Echo · UK
Travel expert explains why you should never take hotel room ending in 01· Bristol Live · UK
Travel expert warns against ever taking a hotel room ending in 01 for this reason· Cornwall Live · UK
Travel expert warns against ever taking a hotel room ending in 01· Daily Star · UK
Expert says hotel room numbers ending in 01 could ruin your holiday· El Español · Spain
Javier Sobrino, catador de hoteles en España: "Si quieres descansar en tu estancia, evita alojarte en estas habitaciones" (in Spanish)· The Manual · US
Think twice before booking—travel expert warns against these 5 hotel types· postal.pt · Portugal
Aviso de especialista: deve evitar os quartos de hotel que acabam nestes números (in Portuguese)· CNN Indonesia · Indonesia
Pakar Sarankan Tamu Hindari Kamar Hotel dengan Nomor Akhiran 01 (in Indonesian)· detikTravel · Indonesia
Pakar Perjalanan: Jangan Menginap di Kamar Hotel dengan Nomor Berakhiran 01 (in Indonesian)· Libertad Digital · Spain
Un probador de hoteles revela cuál es la habitación que debes evitar a toda costa si quieres descansar (in Spanish)· Koran Jakarta · Indonesia
Pakar Travel Larang Menginap di Kamar Hotel Nomor 01, Bisa Bikin Liburan Jadi Mimpi Buruk! (in Indonesian)· 24 Kanal · Ukraine
Номери готелю з цими цифрами найгірші: про спокійну відпустку можна і не мріяти (in Ukrainian)· Novyny.LIVE · Ukraine
Експерт пояснив, чому варто уникати номерів готелю з "01" (in Ukrainian)· TourProm · Russia
Туристам раскрыли секрет: номера отелей, заканчивающиеся на 01, могут испортить вам отпуск (in Russian)· RBTV Disway · Indonesia
Pendiri Descubriendo Viajes Sarankan Wisatawan Hindari Nomor Kamar Berakhiran Ini (in Indonesian)· Diario del Hotelero · Argentina
Un probador de hoteles revela cuál es la habitación que debes evitar a toda costa si quieres descansar (in Spanish)· 24 Kanal · Ukraine
"Червоні прапорці": 5 популярних типів готелів, яких варто уникати (in Ukrainian)· Cursorinfo · Israel
Важный момент, который туристы упускают при бронировании отеля, назвали эксперты (in Russian)· CNN Indonesia · Indonesia
Saran Pakar untuk Tamu Hotel: Hindari Kamar Bernomor Akhiran 01 (in Indonesian)· femturisme.cat · Spain
Mejores hoteles de lujo en Cataluña (in Spanish)· CNN Indonesia · Indonesia
Tamu Hotel Perlu Hindari Kamar Nomor Berakhiran 01, Kenapa? (in Indonesian)· HaiBunda · Indonesia
Tamu Hotel Perlu Hindari Kamar Nomor Berakhiran 01 Menurut Pakar, Ini Alasannya (in Indonesian)· Tempo · Indonesia
Nomor Kamar Hotel yang Harus Dihindari (in Indonesian)· 24 Kanal · Ukraine
Никогда на них не соглашайтесь: эксперт по туризму рассказал о худших номерах в отелях (in Russian)· Diari de Girona · Spain
Vas de vacances? Alerta amb aquest número d’habitació si vols dormir tranquil a l’hotel (in Catalan)· Beautynesia · Indonesia
Menginap di Hotel? Pakar Sarankan Hindari Kamar dengan Nomor Akhiran 01, Ini Sebabnya (in Indonesian)· Bávaro Digital · Dominican Republic
Alcalde de Verón-Punta Cana recibe creadores de contenido turístico para impulsar promoción del destino (in Spanish)· Akir Digital · Dominican Republic
Alcalde de Verón Punta Cana recibe a representantes de la plataforma turística Descubriendo Viajes (in Spanish)· Televisión del Este · Dominican Republic
ALCALDE DE VERÓN PUNTA CANA RECIBE A REPRESENTANTES DE LA PLATAFORMA TURÍSTICA DESCUBRIENDO VIAJES (in Spanish)· Olanews · Dominican Republic
Descubriendo Viajes pone su mirada en Verón-Punta Cana tras reunión con el alcalde (in Spanish)
Received by Verón Punta Cana Town Hall
In July 2026, the mayor of the tourist municipal district of Verón Punta Cana, Ramón Antonio Ramírez, known as Manolito, received us in his office to talk about the destination: its commitment to zero-waste resorts and what Punta Cana needs to keep growing. One thing in particular caught our attention: he told us he was glad that we paid for the resorts ourselves and genuinely recommended the region.
That’s what we do: we pay for most stays ourselves and publish which ones were hosted on our transparency page. And that’s why, when one of the more than 20 Punta Cana resorts we have slept in isn’t worth what it costs, we can say so.
For journalists
If you are writing about us, or looking for someone who has actually slept in the hotels you are covering, this is what you need. We reply in English or Spanish.
Press contact
Email javier@descubriendoviajes.com, in English or Spanish. If you need other photos, of Javier, Víctor or a hotel, ask for them in the same email.
About us, ready to copy
One tap or click selects all the text.
Descubriendo Viajes (descubriendoviajes.com) is a Spanish site for choosing and booking hotels, mostly in Spain, published in Spanish and English. It was founded by Javier Sobrino, who runs it with his business partner, Víctor Redondo: they visit the best hotels one by one and explain their pros and cons first-hand. Javier has slept in more than 200 places to stay in more than 25 countries since the project began, and they only score, out of 10, hotels they have slept in. Spanish media call Javier a “probador de hoteles”, a hotel tester. He has been interviewed on Spain’s COPE radio, and more than 80 outlets in 15 countries have quoted him or the site, including the Daily Mail, the Daily Express US and CNN Indonesia.
How to credit us
“Javier Sobrino, founder of Descubriendo Viajes” or “Javier Sobrino, hotel tester and founder of Descubriendo Viajes”. If you link to us, please link to this page or to the review of the hotel you are writing about.
Topics Javier can talk about
- Spain’s family resorts, from Benidorm and the Costa Blanca to the Almería coast: we have stayed in 15 hotels in and around Benidorm and in 16 in the province of Almería, 6 of them in Mojácar. Start with our family hotels in Benidorm.
- Family hotels in Spain, from water slides and kids’ clubs to all-inclusive: our family hotels in Spain, scored out of 10, and our tried-and-tested guides to Malaga, Majorca and Salou.
- Choosing and asking for a room: rooms ending in 01, which floor to ask for (the third to the sixth) and why to stay away from the lift and the bar. He has explained it in El Español, on Herrera en COPE and in Travelling for Business.
- When to book and how to read reviews: book well ahead and look at what other guests say about sleep, location and services, not just the overall score. He explained it on Herrera en COPE, as Infobae reported (, in Spanish).
- Hotel types to avoid: as he told the Daily Express US and Travelling for Business.
- How a hotel tester works, and how we disclose hosted stays: the La Voz de Galicia interview, the Herrera en COPE audio and our transparency page.
- Thailand, with Víctor, who writes our Koh Lanta and Chiang Mai guides; Javier writes the Bangkok, Koh Samui and Koh Phi Phi ones. They are all on our Thailand page.
Our own data
They come from our scorecards and the record of our stays. You can quote them crediting Descubriendo Viajes.
- Breakfast is what we score lowest: 7.7 out of 10 on average across 42 hotels in Spain, against 8.7 for cleanliness, the best-rated item.
- Of the 41 family hotels in Spain we have stayed in and documented, 33 have water slides and 36 a kids’ club.
- In 2026 we have slept in more than 50 hotels, resorts and holiday apartments.
- Our most-watched video, on Loob Valencia (review in Spanish), has passed 11 million views on Instagram.
Photos of Javier for the press
You may publish them with the credit “Photo: Descubriendo Viajes”.
Three quotes
“We will never say that we liked a hotel when our experience was not good.”
“Our videos average about 300,000 views. I think it’s because we tell the story of each hotel naturally and honestly and, very often, after paying for the stay ourselves.”
“If you want to rest, try to avoid that room, and if you’re given it, say so straight away and see if they can give you the one at the end of the corridor or a quieter one.”
Professional Contact
You can contact me or my team through any of my social media channels or via email for press proposals, collaborations, or inquiries.