The Don Joaquín Universe
From Mexico City hostels to Parisian hotels, Tuscan farmhouses to Rio beaches. One hospitality empire. Five languages. 60+ characters. Learn the way you'll actually speak — through people, not textbooks.
Founder
"Every conversation reveals something new — about the world, and about yourself."
The turning point came in 1998. A guest returned from Oaxaca, frustrated — her textbook Spanish had failed her everywhere. "They laughed at me in the market," she said. "I knew every conjugation but couldn't order lunch."
Don Joaquín understood immediately. Language isn't learned from books. It's learned from the bartender who remembers your order. The concierge who knows your story. The street vendor who tests your patience. Through forty years of hospitality across five countries, language was always the thread — the thing that turned strangers into regulars, tourists into locals, guests into family.
That's why every character in this universe teaches. Not through curriculum — through conversation.
Fifteen Properties. Five Languages.
Each location has its own story — acquisitions, partnerships, family legacies. Explore by language to discover characters who'll teach you the real thing.
Every Type of Person
The patient teacher. The impatient chef. The gossipy bartender. The no-nonsense fixer. You'll meet them all in real life — so you'll practice with them here first.
We Succeed When You Leave
We're not trying to replace human conversation. We're preparing you for it.
Messy, Not Textbook
Regional accents. Slang. Difficult people who won't coddle you. Real language is messy — so we teach it that way.
Memory, Not Sessions
Characters remember your mistakes, your progress, your story. Like that waiter who knows your order after the 8th visit.
Conversation, Not Drills
You can drill if you want — but you don't have to. Many learners reach fluency through pure conversation, fixing mistakes naturally.