Subjunctive with abstract class of items

[Queli]

This one is very confusing to me--if you have a class of items that you know exists but you are talking about it in the abstract (i.e. not talking about specific examples of this class), do you use subjunctive? In other words--

Prefiero libros en los que hay personajes fuertes.
o
Prefiero libros en los que haya personajes fuertes.

Siempre elige hoteles que no cobran por el uso de Internet.
o
Siempre elige hoteles que no cobren por el uso de Internet.

There are actual elements in each class, so it's not hypothetical in one sense--but you are not concerned with any specific example so it is hypothetical in another sense. And I have seen examples with both moods so I know I'm not the only one confused!

Thanks in advance for any insight.

[chileno]

Even though I don't know grammar, I would use the subjunctive when talking about any book in which there are strong characters and any hotel in which they do not charge for internet...

[Perikles]

As I understand it, the difference is one of whether you are being specific or not:

Busco un libro que tenga 200 páginas.
Busco un libro que tiene 200 páginas.

In the first, you don't know which one it might be, but in the second, you have a specific book in mind (one which, say, you lost and which has that as one of its characteristics).

Necesitamos una señora que cuide a los niños (she is not yet identified).
Busco a una niña que lleva una falde amarilla (I already know who she is).

So in your two cases, no identification is yet made, so subjunctive as Chileno has already confirmed.

[aleCcowaN]

Originally Posted by Queli

This one is very confusing to me--if you have a class of items that you know exists but you are talking about it in the abstract (i.e. not talking about specific examples of this class), do you use subjunctive? In other words--

Prefiero libros en los que hay personajes fuertes.
o
Prefiero libros en los que haya personajes fuertes.

Siempre elige hoteles que no cobran por el uso de Internet.
o
Siempre elige hoteles que no cobren por el uso de Internet.

There are actual elements in each class, so it's not hypothetical in one sense--but you are not concerned with any specific example so it is hypothetical in another sense. And I have seen examples with both moods so I know I'm not the only one confused!

Thanks in advance for any insight.

A - Siempre elige los hoteles que no cobran por el uso de Internet (He always chooses those hotels)

This is the standard, natural way. Some piece of information is introduced by the sentence and it's dealt as a new piece of information.

B - Elige siempre hoteles que no cobren por el uso de Internet (I recommend you to do that)

If you intended "Siempre elige los hoteles que no cobren por el uso de Internet" as A and not as B (B is what I suspected you have tried to say), well, this is used to cast attention to such a fact. It looks like the person bases his or her hotel choice mainly by the fact that they won't charge web usage. Or maybe because you are saying that person is pretty cheap or stingy. Or a lot of difference nuances depending on the context.

"Prefiero los libros en los que hay/haya personajes fuertes"

depends exclusively on the context and there's little difference between them. Foreign language teachers may have a hell of a theory behind those, but in fact only context can tell the difference between two sentences that are virtually indistinguishable in meaning when they are standing alone.

[Queli]

Even though I'm still confused (which is, I think, a normal state of mind with respect to some subjunctive questions), this is very helpful. Asking myself about context--is the reference to something specific or general? and is the attention on the items in the class or the class as a hypothetical entity? It also explains why I found usages with both indicative and subjunctive.

Thanks to all!