Few Barcelona hotels offer this refreshing fusion of classic comfort, architectural interest and opulence. It’s apparent from the moment you cross the outstretched pathway into the lobby, this is not a hotel for the nouveau riche, but neither is it stuffy or snooty.
Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola has transmuted this into a chic contemporary retro 98-room boutique hotel. Urquiola has carefully chosen the layout and furniture design, the soaring ceilings and the stunning hand-woven carpets, reminiscent of the world’s great classical hotels. All indication of its former banking days are obliterated, with the allowance of the revamped security boxes in the sleek, hip Banker's Bar where Catalan’s élite comes to imbibe the overpriced cocktails.
The hotel’s ninety-eight rooms are breezily decorated with shades of white and subtle oriental touches, which make them feel larger than they are—they are quite small considering the hefty price. Little expense is spared on the extras, from large Asian inspired wall screens and lacquered Chinese boxes to swanky aromatherapy toiletries. There is also a lovely arrival gift of macaroons, fresh fruit and exotic chocolates on arrival. The bathrooms, complete with vast walk-in showers, are adorned with Mutina and Bisazza mosaics conceived as boxes of sparkly, tinted glass.
A beacon on the Barcelona landscape, The Gaudi-inspired spirit of the Mandarin Oriental peers with a certain self-confidence down Paseo de Gracia.
Passeig de Gràcia, 38 08007 Barcelona, Spain
+34 931 51 88 88
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