Slanted white panels in varying sizes reflect the sunlight off the modern Room Mate Emma, creating an effect that is a vast departure from the more traditional facades of the buildings next door. The playfully suggestive question “Do you want to sleep with me?” is painted on a glass panel greeting guests as they enter the futuristic-looking lobby with its blue carpeting and white ambient lighting. The funky breakfast area has mosaic fuchsia and clear glass tiles and a matching fuchsia floor with long white booths lining the walls. The color palette from the restaurant is matched in the tiled showers of the guest rooms. Other bold, artistic details, such as swirly lines that climb the walls and cross the ceilings of guest rooms, add to the modern, edgy vibe.

Room Mate Emma is located in Barcelona’s Eixample neighborhood, three blocks off Avinguda Diagonal. There are plenty of shops, bars, and restaurants nearby, and it’s a 20-minute walk from Plaza Catalunya and Las Ramblas. Celebrated Gaudi buildings -- Casa Mila and Casa Battillo -- are within walking distance. The Diagonal metro station is a short walk away, putting the Sagrada Familia within a 20-minute commute via subway. The airport is within a 20-minute drive.

The bold rooms of the Room Mate Emma are stylish and different, with playful fuchsia or purple carpeting and white sleek furniture. Rooms have artistic details, such as abstract art or designs decorating the walls. All rooms have flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, minibars, and free Wi-Fi. The Penthouse Deluxe room has a stone terrace with a small pool and an elevated daybed with pillows for sun tanning or star gazing. The nifty packaging for the bath gel and shampoo is much cooler than the basic small bottles at other hotels.

The best feature of the hotel is the eye-catching interior designed by Tomas Alia. The futuristic vibe of the place makes entering the lobby or eating at the breakfast buffet a special event. Pod-like chairs and a huge circular couch offer guests sitting areas in common spaces, and the lobby has a computer where guests can log on to the internet, but there’s no full restaurant, fitness center, or pool.