Hotel, Dulce Hotel

Joaquín Sabina's 'Hotel, Dulce Hotel' is a song that delves into the transient nature of a romantic encounter, set against the backdrop of a hotel room. The lyrics paint a picture of a clandestine meeting, where the protagonist requests a room with a view of the sea and prepares for the arrival of a lover. The mention of fake names and the secrecy surrounding the encounter suggest an affair or a relationship that thrives on its fleeting moments away from the public eye. Sabina's storytelling is vivid, creating a scene that is both intimate and tinged with a sense of impermanence.

The chorus, 'Hotel, dulce hotel / Hogar, triste hogar,' juxtaposes the sweetness of the hotel, a place of temporary comfort and pleasure, with the sadness of home, which in this context, may represent the routine and obligations that the lovers are escaping from. The phrase 'Estatuas de sal' (statues of salt) could be a reference to the biblical story of Lot's wife, who turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back at the city of Sodom. This metaphor might imply that the lovers are frozen in time during their hotel stay, unable to move forward or return to their regular lives without consequences.

The song also touches on the theme of resisting domesticity and the mundanity of a settled life. Sabina sings about the absurdity of trying to schedule desire, hinting at the unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of passion. The fear of becoming 'adultos y aburridos' (adults and bored) in front of the television is a clear rejection of conventional relationships, favoring instead the intensity and excitement of a love that is experienced in stolen moments.