I last visited Barcelona in 2009 when I stayed at Hotel Arts (Ritz-Carlton) and saw Casa Fuster. (My hotel reviews from that site visit are here.) While Hotel Arts has perhaps the best room product in Barcelona, if not Spain, the hotel is located adjacent to Olympic Harbor and requires a taxi ride to get downtown and back.

More recently, I visited Barcelona two weeks ago. Here are my admittedly subject impressions of my visits — along with some photos.

Mandarin Oriental Barcelona

For now, the MO is the newest luxury hotel in Barcelona. This is a contemporary building on Passeig de Grŕcia, a former bank building that has been transformed into a hotel. I booked a Deluxe room and was upgraded to a Terrace Suite where I spent two very comfortable evenings. My suite was extremely large and spacious and also provided very large bathroom: soaking tub, two vanities set in a long terracotta counter, a large step-in rain shower, and a WC. Additionally, the suite had a large walk-in close whose light thoughtfully turned on whenever you entered.




In addition to my suite, I was shown a Deluxe Boulevard room as well as the mock-up of a new room design. Read on...



Pictured above is one of the hotel's Deluxe Boulevard rooms. While the room had everything one might want, its "long and narrow" dimensions made the room feel small. The front door opened to a narrow hallway, a small bathroom to the left and the bedroom straight ahead. The bathroom provided a single vanity, WC, and a tub (but no step-in shower in this particular room). Be sure to indicate your shower/tub preference when booking.



The new "test" room pictured just above is wider room to begin with, which creates a hint of spaciousness. Existing rooms have a somewhat industrial feel; the new room product is softer with warmer colors, a variety of textures, and a more residential ambiance. However, this particular test room lacked a desk, which fact I pointed out to the manager leading the tour. While the thinking behind this choice is based on the fact that the majority of the hotel's guests are leisure travelers, I offered the opinion that many guests will prefer to have a work space.


Bottom line: the Suites are great. If they work with your budget, you'll be extremely happy at the Mandarin Oriental. If you can live with smaller guest rooms and prefer a contemporary hotel in the heart of the best area of Barcelona, the MO would be my top choice.


The Majestic

The Majestic is an historic, family-owned hotel, that has enjoyed its prime corner location on the Passeig de Grŕcia since 1918. A traditional hotel with a sense of place, a lot of local residents patronize the bar and the Sunday Buffet (a 57€ meal that features unlimited pours of Moet Chandon and an elaborate buffet with canapés, entrees, and desserts — you could make a meal of champagne and raw oysters, if you chose!).



Rooms are on the small side, but their more square dimensions help. However, avoid the extremely small lead-in Deluxe rooms (only 23 sqm). An Executive Room (35 - 40 sqm) such as one pictured above will be a lot more comfortable.

Walls are covered with padded silk wall paper with a pattern of vertical stripes, and the room feel "homey." Bathrooms are small but provide everything you'd expect. Most rooms and suites offer step-in showers, so be sure to specify whether you want a shower or a soaking tub.


The Almanac Barcelona

Not only is the Almanac a brand new hotel, it is a brand new brand. The owner's vision is the creation of a boutique luxury hotel company. The Barcelona property will be its first opening with future openings planned for Vienna, Prague, Budapest, and Zagreb.



Reservations are being accepted at this brand new hotel as of September 1, 2017, although you may be able to get in as early as August. I was not able to tour inside the building, but this is a photo of a Cube King guest room overlooking Gran Via Avenue. The room is not large (32 sqm), and the design looks to be clean, simple, and contemporary. Room rate for this room for 1SEP is just 445€, including a Full Breakfast and free WiFi. The Almanac anticipates applying for Virtuoso membership.

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