HadesNL

Background

After making a pilgrimage to Lourdes & Montserrat by bus from Amsterdam with a group tour,
i strongly urged me mum to ditch the grueling bus trip from Sagrada Familia Barcelona back to Amsterdam,
by tempting her to consider the ability to fly back from Barcelona to Amsterdam in reasonable comfort
AND to recover for 3 nights at Intercontinental Barcelona with a comfy room and club privileges.

I stayed at this hotel before when it was the Crowne Plaza Fira and was curious to see how the refurbs elevated the experience to Intercontinental Barcelona levels....


Fortunately mum was swayed, citing after an intensive spiritual experience at Lourdes and MontSerrat one needs time to process the impressions and messages from the beyond.

I myself was ecstatic that she chose to ditch the group, there is only a limited amount of hallujah & hossanah i could take .... especially as the bus had nonstop karaoke of praising songs in varying quality singing voices ..... my nerves took a beating but i will admit fully, the mood was nonstop peppy in the bus ... relentless though....


So i booked a standard twin room at the IC BCN and emailed beforehand my requests.
I received within 24 hours an email from Miss Eliza of the Club Lounge whom replied that were most happy to host us.
Utter delight as she reconfimed the early check in at 11 AM morning (RA-benefit) and that our room would be ready at arrival.
A good thing for my weary mother and for my shattered nerves to return back on mother earth in sheer bliss luxury.


(if anyone is wondering: S/O stayed home to tutor the kids for their exams,
one can say my prayers were directed that the kids will get on 14th June excellent results back,
and that i can cope with the empty nest syndrome as they will be going abroad to study)

An even more surprise is that we were upgraded from standard twin to [ 1 bedroom suite balcony twin beds club lounge access]
So there is someone up there smiling favourably and RA is still welcomed here ....

I'll show you my sketch of the room.
It's a pretty big room where one can walk around circles in your suite from area to area.
It was a welcome amount of space, we had to repack a lot of souvenirs due to nonstop heavy duty reli-shopping......
It needed all to fit the max 30KG per suitcase for airtravel ....

room #402 is located on level 4 and faces the top of the street's trees.
it is quite sheltered from prying eyes ....


Just a scribble but you get an idea that it is a pretty smart designed room
The room is at the end of the corridor / hotel building and next to the emergency exit stairwell




And chums let's go on ...
Standing from the balcony

Look into the living area,
- far left is the entrance door from the outer corridor
- behind the room divider is the desk
- the sofa is collapsable to turn into a bed
- two airconditioning units (living + bedroom)


looking back into the living

Look at the desk area,
for those wondering, the roomdivider was dustfree: it passed the youtube: Kevin FlipFloptraveller test



Looking towards the front entrance door

Left: door to corridor hallway
Right: closet space and refreshment center



Daily complimentary water is replenished

Kettle with Nespresso capsule machine





Stocked mini-bar
Drinks start at €4 p.p.



Now back with our view on the double sliding balcony doors that keep street noise out




Look from sofa to balcony, right the bedroom
You can see from my mum's reflection that she felt right at home
and was glad she didn't opt for the 18hour busride back from Barcelona to Amsterdam
I was even more happier but the karaoke songs still stick to my brain ....

The balcony is in good shape

Spacious covered balcony facing east


With the views...

View from the balcony to the right (next building)




View from the balcony to the left (have to say all this green soothes the nerves)



And we look back into the living room

Look back into the living,
we now go left into the bedroom (can be closed by sliding door)



A view on the double queen beds and the sliding door
Beds were very comfy and no complaints




The bedroom has a TV and ample space



Bedside charging of electronic devices is easy


And a look at the double framed windows ... they keep the noise out

Left Window can however be opened and comes with blackout curtains

Looking back

View from bed into living room and bedroom's closets





View from bedroom into bathroom



bathrobes + slippers are provided

Storage space in bedroom




Single sink with mounted Byredo Bal d'Afrique amenities





Shower with overhead and handheld,
pressure was excellent




One can close the glass door for privacy between sink/shower and toilet/bath area

Calling ninjalad : this hotel does provide a bar of soap !


And fortunate ....,

Toilet and bidet
Ah that makes life much easier ...
And caters to the ME-crowds

Apologies for the awkward angle

A spacious bath
(Wouldnt fit on a normal landscape photo)


Floorplan layout






Verdict
The room can feel dark because the windows are small and the balcony faces east and the hue trees.
This is however the best room for sleep recovery and can be praised for being excellent insulated against noise.
Ample lights scattered across the room counter this dark effect and actually with all curtains wide open and the balcony door open, it was much lighter and airy to my surprise.

The room showed no wear and tear and was serviced by housekeeping daily.
I have stayed at this hotel when it was a Crowne Plaza and at a similair suite without balcony and i can honestly say, always go for the balcony suite as it generates much more space and light to your stay!

Can recommend this room type!

HadesNL

Please find below the menu for information purposes

HadesNL

As we were hauling 3 suitcases at each 30 KG back to Amsterdam,
I opted for the easy way of booking a transfer via the hotel.
Marc from concierge staff was very helpful in arranging it all, stressing out a taxi was cheaper.
Yet fully understood the transfer was the better choice when i told him we needed to transport 90 KG back home .....

Anyway the cost is also EQP ....



In theory: taxis + uber are the cheapest /
other luxury sedan options are available but i just settled for the van






In practice: on time ready with pleasent driver : the images + reli-shopping purchases made it all safe home .....

HadesNL

Analysis, Mr Spock?

It's suites but not as we know it Jim!


The hotel's website lists the following suites
https://barcelona.intercontinental.c...tegory/suites/
Please find the type of suite with the corresponding location


RED Circle : Premium suite (with balcony) : Calle de Lleida

BLUE Circle : Balcony suite : Avenue de Rius i Taulet

YELLOW Circle : Executive suite (no balcony) : Corner Avenue de Rius i Tauket / Calle de Lleida
Has been reviewed by John from LL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRK_...e=emb_imp_woyt


For floors 1- 6 the floorplan layout is about the same : yet the 6th floor has also the presidential suite

HadesNL

Having stayed for 3 days at the hotel,
i can only say words of praise for all staff members as they stay calm and collected when dealing with the waves of Barcelona visitors from foreign lands!
The amount of tourist English spoken might match Amsterdam and Venezia

2 guys with excellent English skills and great friendly likability are:


Marc from the concierge team,
Takes the time to listen and reply and follows up swift on action items
He knows everything about MontSerrat and the Holy Black Madonna
My transport arrangements were arranged by him to full satisfaction
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_...ntserrat_Abbey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_of_Montserrat
You will be in good hands with him.



Marc from concierge team helping guests plan their Barcelona tickets for the hop on hop off bus : the stop is close to the hotel
https://city-sightseeing.com/en/17/barcelona
https://www.barcelonabusturistic.cat/en



And another great friendly bloke is
David from the doormen team,
A strong guy that can tackle a lot of suitcases at once ....

He was patiently explaining in excellent English to this American travel group going to the Barcelona Cruise Terminal,
that unfortunately a normal standard certified Barcelona taxi could not take all 4 of them and their luggage,
citing local and safety constraints, discretely mentioning the space constraints.
He advised to take 2 taxis instead and let each taxi take 2 persons and divide the luggage between them.

Some of the travelling party were not obvious to his suggestion,
untill the lady said "€50 or $50 I don't care aslong as all my suitcases make it to the ship"



And to show you that he knew what he was talking about ...
This is what they wanted to take into 1 taxi + themselves

And people pack a lot for their cruise: there seems to be safety in the number of suitcases one can surround onself with or people are packing to be stranded at a deserted tropical island and don't fancy wearing a grass skirt and a bikini made of coconuts as Brooke Shields in the Blue Lagoon movie ...

HadesNL

Hotel's welcome letter and Club Lounge's welcome letter,
Always handy to have and read,
Informative because it lists which venues are open on what days and what time,
Especially as after much reli-karaoke, orally transmitted information was cloughed up in my ears,
Even better because me mum could plan her whole stay around it.

So this is the hotel's welcome letter






And this is the welcome letter for the club



And as John mentions on LL
https://loyaltylobby.com/2023/04/21/...ccess-letters/
These welcome letters are appreciated !

HadesNL

On the top floor on level 7 is the meeting space Montju�c Terrace located.
It has a retractable roof and has views on the palace:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palau_Nacional



With the roof open





With the roof closed against the rain and direct sun






All set up for an event






The palace as seen from the terrace

It boasts a museum of the region's unique Catalan identity:
https://www.museunacional.cat/en

HadesNL

Glad to see the hotel has put in some extra green space, as in the past during the Crowne Plaza times this was just a tiles roof with nothing.
The garden is reached by level A and some steps across from the club lounge.
The garden is open daily from 10.00 till 19.00 and is a nice quiet space to read a book, to bring your own drinks & snacks.
and to see which botanical ingredients make it to your plate at restaurants Arrel / Quirat & bar Gebre.
The honey available at breakfast is produced by the hotel's own resident bee population.



The garden seem from above : it catches most sun from the west making it a cool place of shade during hot summers




Insects also have their own hotel
Queen bee might be Royal Ambassadors too?




A much improvement, greening rooftops is beter than grey tiles
Garden is surrounded by two sides by residential flats and the police station




Places to sit




Spot the ingredients being harvested for use at the hotel's F&B




I parked myself on this bench reading a book while housekeeping was servicing our room :
Am bingereading Manly P. Hall 's fascinating : the secret teachings of all ages

HadesNL

I'll continue later,
Seems the kids want to do heavy duty downloading and i seem to be slowing their bandwith down ....
More to come tomorrow:
- rooftop terrace 173 pool + food
- restaurant Quirat
- club intercontinental lounge

HadesNL

To be honest i had no idea what to expect....
I was however very delighted to learn that all elements of the dishes were Catalonian sourced
and the emphasis was on showcasing the unique and distinct wines & tastes of Catalonia.

Restaurant Quirat is lead by Victor Torres:
https://www.7canibales.com/actualida...victor-torres/
https://www.jre.eu/en/chefs/victor-torres
https://guide.michelin.com/en/catalu...taurant/quirat

We had booked this for a saturday night as a celebration dinner to end our pilgrinage to Lourdes & MontSerrat.
S/O is normally of the fancy dining and pressed me on in trying Quirat, he likes destination hotels that have posh dining,
Nothing beats the ease of crawling into the elevator after a heavy night of fine wine & dining extravaganza.....

Note,
We chose the 18K menu of €70 p,p.
A reason to return with S/O for the 24K menu of €110 p.p.

You might think , what's this .....Hades eating deer .....
Hasn't he learned his lesson from last Christmas at the Hilton Rotterdam,
Did he lose a bet with his eldest son ......
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34863647-post211.html

Well i thought to give my son not the last laugh and emailed the restaurant beforehand that even my stomach has limits.
Fortunately they replied that would be no problem and there would a safe substitution



Phewww, dodged the deer!
This the primavera menu so it could change soon to the summer menu,
I am posting this anyway so one can have their expectations managed.


So let's have a look

Street entrance:
hotel guests can access the restaurant comfortably indoors via the lobby







This shows the total amount of seating minus the private room,
i can attest the seating was pretty comfortable,
not much in views though




Behold the French honeymooners,
left the Ma�tre explaining the Catalonian link of each of the dishes,
right their very swift French translator


Apologies,
We have no photos of our first and second dish ....
So good we forgot to capture it ...


But back to sane :

At every stage one can sample a different type of bread,
a tasting of local sweet Catalonian olive oil " Solo Picual" can be sampled and compared to the extra virgin olive oil
(the sweet olive oil is pretty interesting and unique)





So this is our third dish from the menu

Maresme peas, cod brandade and tripe and ham broth
P�sol del Maresme, brandada i tripes de bacall� i brou de pernil Guisante del Maresme,
brandada y tripitas de bacalao y caldo de jam�n




The fourth dish

Market fish "Cim i tomba" and alioli foam
Cim i tomba de peix de llotja i aire d'all i oli
"Cim i tomba" de pescado de lonja y alioli


There is a special wine menu and wine coupling available

The sommelier had poured us upon request only local/regional wines
- TERRA ALTA DO MA AIA CINTA ORIGEN
- Juv� & Camps ESSENTIAL P�RPURA RESERVA
- PERFUM DE PANSA BLANCA BOTRYTIS CINEREA Ravent�s de Alella 2015





Fifth dish

The substitution dish of the orginal "deer" dish
White asparagus, kokotxas and "pil Dil"
Esparrec blanc, Kokotxas 1 pil pil
Esparrago blanco, kokotas v DIl DIl


Sixth dish

Gin, lemon and citronella
Ginebra, Ilimona i citronella
Ginebra, lim�n y citronella
(won't let my mother in law see this : gin jellies, she'd go spruce up the usual jello)


Seventh dish

Foodie alert!
If i am buried alive, i want to be buried into above,
Major food or*asm:
Pear, vanilla and licorice
Pera, vainilla i regal�ssia
Pera, vainilla y regaliz
(Like an angel touchdown on your tongue)


And i know my son is reading flyertalk,
For him a shot of the next table getting served.......
The aforementioned:
Deer "civet" with chocolate crumble

Civet de c�rvol amb crumble de xocolata

Civet de ciervo con crumble de chocolate





Final presentation

Friandises


It was a most enjoyable 2 hour discovery of Catalan delights.
Service is prompt and friendly,
My brain was still left in Lourdes and MontSerrat
so i advised the staff when telling the origin of a dish / component / source,
they ought to show it on a map / ipad to illustrate the authenticity, the true local Catalonian aspect
and to wet our appetite to visit the Catalonian region to sample and purchase these delights
AND to keep it remembered and stored in our memory banks :



And well here is an unannounced secret from me.....
....
....
If one has access to the club Intercontinental lounge,
One can ask the club hostesses Eliza or Paiz for a special card,
which when acquired and presented at the restaurant BEFORE the bill is printed,
yields this attractive offer:



The 24K menu is � €110 p.p.
So with 20% off one can have more room to sample an extra local Catalonian wine

Hope you find this information useful!
Be reminded though the restaurant Quirat is only open Wednesday till Saturday dinners.
Roomcharge is possible and earns EQP.

nicolas75

I haven't tried the gastronomic restaurant yet, as it's only open in the evening (I prefer to dine lightly, or not at all).

But I must admit that the pictures are appetising. So I'll probably give a try during my next stay.

HadesNL

Located on the topfloor of level 7 is the outdoor pool and the rooftop F&B venue 173.
All 3 elevators provide access to it. The pool is not of the heated variety.
The pool is daily open but closes early if inclement weather expected or when the rooftop restaurant 173 starts opening for dinner (evenings at 19.30)

Also in the evening the pool is lit up neon cerulean blue for instragamable photos but however its surroundings are quite dark and that's why they don't allow evening dips as a safety hazzard. During pool operating hours, tableware & dishes & drinks are served in sturdy plastic to create a safe environment.

There is no dedicated changingroom available however there are for each gender segregated toilets, towels can be found next to the pool.


Exit the elevator bank to the right to see the green & pool area
The 2 cabanas are on a first come first serve basis





The patio has a retractable cover to let in sun or to shelter against sun & rain
this is also the official smoking area: ashtray provided upon request
No heavy duty posers pool crowd here but all very laid back



And the pool itself

The infinity fishbowl - i can see right through you - pool :
it gets sun from the east & south directions






Sunbeds next to the pool : these face west wards,
looking to the right eastwards you can spot the basiliqa Sagrada Familia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagrada_Fam�lia
I can imagine most FT-members would spot the Veuve Clicquot umbrellas first






Access to the pool for the impaired is provided




Secret nook behind the upper pool deck besides the disability lift


And let's go up to the upper pool deck to see


View from upper pool deck towards rooftop restaurant 173



no need to bring your own

Towels are available at the pool





Rooftop restaurant 173 does lunch and dinner + nonstop drinks
Roomcharges are EQP


So what's on offer?

Drinks menu daytime / night time







Bartender can create any tincture under the sun with above base ingredients
There is also the possibility with more extras or flavours

Lunch menu

Lunch menu
Available 12 - 15.30 H


Restaurant Rooftop 173 has its own kitchen so orders came out fresh and hot

Andalusian style calamari mix with lime mayo
Calamares a la andaluza con mayonesa de lima €17





Tex-Mex chicken wings with barbecue sauce
Alitas de pollo Tex-Mex con salsa barbacoa €14



Our "bravas" potatoes
Nuestras patatas bravas €12




Octopus from Galicia, causa Lime�a with Iberian jowl, paprika and chimichurri
Pulpo gallego, causa Lime�a con papada ib�rica, piment�n y chimichurri €29



The views and the crowds provide much needed entertainment

Wishing the groom a good start on his new life:
love can last eternal or feel like an eternity before senility takes over




And one can easily spend a whole day relaxing and enjoying the views

If you want the best view close to the edge,
best to make a reservation via the club lounge hostess or swing by in person during operating hours


So how does it look during dinner time ?


At night,
the lights provide a comfy unpretentious ambiance
the sail can be retracted to enjoy the starry night or to cover from rain,
you are allowed to smoke here too but must request an ashtray first



So have a look at the different options available only during dinner times

Evening dinner extra drinks menu





Fresh grill items are prepared by a dedicated chef � la minute al fresco on the outdoor terrace of the restaurant

Dinner menu A







Dinner menu B



A peek into the kitchen

Restaurant 173 has its own dedicated kitchen on the same floor so all orders are custom made and fresh



So what did we try ?


Pan-fried rock mussels, "palo cortado", black garlic and smoked chili
Mejillones de roca a la sart�n, palo cortado, ajo negro y chile ahumado €14

The broth was tasty, only 1 mussel was closed in its shell, rest was open and ready for consumption.
Zeelanders - Zeeuwen : those from Dutch Sealand, believe good quality mussels at a restaurant should be properly prepared and an indication is the amount of closed shells that remain to be found on your plate after dinner .... we counted just 1 out of the complete batch so we were satisfied!



And one cannot leave the Catalunya region without trying :


Palafrugell rice with cuttlefish, shrimp and soft "all i oli"
Arroz de Palafrugell de sepia, gamba y all i oli suave €24 p.p.

Let the host set the plate for you and present it the local way
Have to admit: it was generous filled with cuttlefish and yummy!


And because all things end with something sweet

Apple tatin and vanilla ice cream
Tatin de manzana y helado de vainilla €12



And if you are wandering & wondering about the grill items shown on the menu.......

Tomahawk (for two people)Tomahawk (para dos personas) €95


All prepared by a dedicated friendly chef in the outdoors...
The smell was heavenly and made us wet our appetite...


Scrumptious!
A juicy steak fresh from the grill

Angus beef sirloin steak with "al caliu" potatoes
Solomillo de ternera Angus con patatas al caliu €36



Not unlike Tales of Phantasia's the tower of moonreading,
One can enjoy the night time sky in comfort from restaurant rooftop 173




And this is the view at the pool area

And the pool at night : a pretty cerulean instragramable spot


Verdict:
Although Barcelona has a myriad of food options,
You cannot deny the sheer ease of having tasty food with views here,
It was so easy and welcoming that me mum prefered to just dine here each evening as she didn't fancy going out late.
(we did not partake in the tapas + flamenco hype)
Staff was very attentive in English & Spanish :
no high performance but relaxed seating and laid back casual ambiance
Nothing pretentious so a good choice if you are travel weary or want an easy evening.
Or if you find yourself in the need of smoking a fag to satisy the nicotine craving and combine it with a reason to have something to eat also.

HadesNL

This hotel allows you to use the diamond welcome amenity drinks voucher at Gebre Bar or at Rooftop restaurant 173.

It covered us a mojito and a pina colada at the rooftop bar during lunch.


Drinks are served with a salty nibble :
the Pina Colada was already finding itsway towards me ...




The voucher's T&C

HadesNL

The Club Lounge can be found on level A,
To gain entry, you must use your room key card to open the automated sliding door.

Opening hours is from 6.30 till 23 H daily.
The service flow throughout the day:

Breakfast :
6.30 till 11 H morning (served in the club lounge breakfast room annex)

Drinks & Ap�ritif :
11 H morning till close (alcoholic drinks are out & displayed)

Afternoon tea :
15 - 17 H (cold bites & sandwiches)

Evening cocktails :
17 - 19 H (2 hot items are added)


As reported by the ever knowledgable nicolas75 : the club lounge in its commencing stages had free flow Veuve Clicquot.
From breakfast untill closing, one could help onself to a glass.....
However with tourist spring & summer seasons returning
+ cruiseship passengers coming back in full force, it was observed that guests were helping themselves to the entire bottle...
Usually not a problem but they took out the bottles to their room or poured it in take away cups to go......
citing "in America the club is just a pantry for grab & go"

So management was left with a choice .....
After analysis,
it showed that during spring & sumner cruise season the club lounge is frequented
by 50% revenue guests (payed for access clubroom/suite)
and by 50% guests that have access due to RA or Diamond 40/70N milestone choice lounge pass
deducting the lounge turning from profit centre to cost centre

Only during the winter and off-season is where 85%+ of the club lounge guests are revenue guests
So the lounge turns then back from cost centre to profit centre

Also the American nationality outranks during Barcelona peak summer cruise season,
while normally the UK-nationality is the most foreign nationality in club residency.

Keeping that in mind and noting other hotels in Barcelona with club lounges as competition.

It was decided to enhance away free flow Veuve Clicquot in the club lounge,
only to have it returned during winter / festive season.....

To offer instead only local Catalunyan alternatives in bubbly & wines
And to offer alcohol options more suited to British tastes
and to have both offered non-stop from 11 - 23 H
(instead of only 17-19 H)


Their logic is understandable so with that adaptability in mind,
This must be the first ever honest hotel that admits at peak travel seasons a reduced offering is put out.
While during their off peak travel season and high yielding festive season an improved selection is put out.

FYI BTW:
the local Spanish cava and different Catalunyan red& white wines were fine,
rather prefer the local touch and possibility to sample Spanish delights than
instead of again LouisVouittonMoetHenessy conglomo of Dom/Moet/Veuve/Krug/Ruinart/ChevalBlanc/CloudyBay etc.

So let's go on with the club lounge.
The physical space is divided in 3 rooms:
- TV room
- sitting room (main area ) with entrance
- annex (only open for breakfast)


Breakfast :
6.30 till 11 H morning (served in the club lounge breakfast room annex)


A view into the main seating area
from the breakast room annex
to the front is the television room




The front entrance of the club lounge


Weekdays from 7 - 15 : the lounge is hosted by friendly Eliza
Always takes the time for a chat in excellent English
And very helpful in printing out travel documents and airline boarding passes


Now we go to the club breakfast room annex

A look into the club lounge breakfast room annex (this seating is only open during breakfast hours)






The club lounge breakfast buffet has the same choices as the main breakfast restaurant Arrel downstairs





What's available on the buffet



And what's on the buffet?


All was fresh





The buffet was kept neat and tidy






A dedicated attendant kept everything stocked





About 10 minutes before closing, the attendant will make rounds to announce the last chance for any last servings & orders





The buffet has something for everyone





The cava is free flow at breakfast





All items were fresh tasting





A lot of choice




Allergens were mentioned





More choice





Honey fresh from the hotel's own resident bee population





And what do we have here...
bloggers Milelion & OMAAT approved luxury butter: Beurre d'Isigney
i can't blame you if you were more attracted by the Nutella instead




An � la carte cook to order menu is also available



We tried

Egg Benedict




Egg Florentine




To honour blogger deity god-like OMAAT: the advocado
The comments on OMAAT's hotel reviews are always dedicated to the usual advocado toast choice




The dedicated club breakfast room attendant,
kudos for doing it all by herself AND fetching the hot cook to order items from restaurant Arrel downstairs!
AND stocking the buffet
AND cleaning the tables !




And now onwards to


Drinks & Ap�ritif :
11 H morning till close (alcoholic drinks are out & displayed)

This is available in the main club lounge seating area



The main sitting area of the club lounge


We have a look first at the left display stand (all day offering)


Nibbles





Choice of teas
BTW: those Haribos are deadly tasty



Nespresso choices in pad for
(the room has the capsules edition)




The coffee machine


And what about the drinks?

The drinks trolley pops out at 11 morning sharp and is locked away at 23H evenings


Unfortunately no Veuve Clicquot but that doesn't spoil the mood at all!

And it is free flow help yourself provided you enjoy it in the comfort of the club lounge



All is good in the world if the drinks are cool

The cold alcoholic beverages of the drinks cart



These drinks are also available at anytime

A lot of choice from the fridge


As Mrs Slocombe would prefer,
These are the choices for a discrete nip:


Catering to British tastes : these options are out from 11 mornings till 23 H evenings



And if you wish to suss it out ...


And it is all very laid back .... you can just recover from jetlag with an early arrival by going directly to the club lounge
or before going boarding your luxury cruise if you need to kill some time and have already checked out



And let's go on to the next stage....


Afternoon tea :
15 - 17 H (cold bites & sandwiches)

Evening cocktails :
17 - 19 H (2 hot items are added)

I grouped these together as the service flow goes in 1 ease from one to another.
The difference is that afternoon tea has only cold items / sandwiches out while at evening cocktails also some hot items are being brought out.
Just a heads up : these are nibbles and do not constitute a full meal substitution but it ought to satisfy if one is feeling peckish.



From 15 - 23 H the lounge hostess will be friendly Paiz,
she has an extensive background in Michelin dining and the local happening food scene,
having colaborated personally with the knowledgable Guia Repsol
https://www.guiarepsol.com/es/soles-repsol/
https://www.gastromasa.com/these-are...ol-guide-2022/
and is happy to recommend and book something that suits your palate / time / budget and interests


And now a look what's on offer from 15 - 19 H


Nibbles 1




Nibbles 2





Nibble 3




Nibbles 4




And yes it is very laid back - as long as you are trousered the bare knee is no problem




Nibbles 5




Nibbles 6



And this pops out from 17 - 19 H

Hot nibbles (rotate daily)


Hope you find this analysis informative...
I had to churn this out in time for Atacama40 's upcoming trip to Barcelona so he knows what to expect and to inform the Mrs.
For those visiting the hotel soon, it might reveal some insights if you are considering a club upsell.
It can be worth it for the extensive breakfast buffet choice,
the ease of having professional Eliza & Paiz handle all related hotel/ Barcelona/travel matters,
and if you need help with Spanish or Catalunyan language barriers,
and for our British friends the sheer comfort of having nonstop a tipple and a quick nosh .....

Atacama40

OK Hades, I'm more convinced than ever that you have a CIA black ops background ..... I literally emailed the hotel about a stop minutes before reading your post! I am running a virus and spyware checking on my old laptop as well speak

Quality review Hades. You have a very definite skill with such things and the things we need to know.

Eliza and Bruno are first class. Eliza is ex IC Kiev and a star player. They genuinely got the extra mile. The other lady I'm not familiar with.

And very interesting to know and understand the hotels rational with the champagne/sparking positioning. And much as my bottom lip quivered when I heard the VC is off menu for now, the thinking is entirely reasonable and easy to digest. I wish more hotels would bother to take the time to explain such things. Very interesting.