Design Spot

Mandarin Oriental Hotel

Semira — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:16:50 +0000

Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona has a superb address on the city’s famous Passeig de Gràcia, near the Casa Batlló by Gaudi with its fabulous façade. Our new luxury hotel is situated in an elegant mid 20th century building, recreated with a highly stylised contemporary interior by Spanish born designer Patricia Urquiola.

Hotel Omm

Semira — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:14:33 +0000

Hotel Omm Barcelona is the exquisite creation of architect Juli Capella and interior designers Sandra Tarruella and Isabel López, located in Barcelona’s fashionable Paseo de Gracia district. Dark halls, flanked with lines of light, lead to the guestrooms and suites, with each room presenting a unique and unconventional space. All of Hotel Omm’s rooms, furnished in elegant, light tones, feature adaptable lighting. Bathrooms are open and full of natural sunlight, expanding the perspective of the entire room. A varnished-aluminum cabinet unit containing TV, minibar, CD player and safe, separates the bathroom from the living space. Those who thrive on quality and love to pamper their senses will not want to miss the dining opportunity offered by MOO, Hotel Omm’s haute cuisine restaurant. Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca, whose culinary expertise has earned them one Michelin star, expand on their vision of Catalan cuisine, bringing a little more of Barcelona’s gracious lifestyle to the Omm’s guests.

The Grand Hotel Central

Semira — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:12:17 +0000

The Grand Hotel Central offers a discreet and luxurious hideaway amid the bustle of Barcelona’s fashionable El Born district. Established in the 1920s by architect Adolf Florensa, the building was inspired by the newly created skyscrapers of Chicago and New York. Eighty-five years later, owner Pau Guardans, has completely reworked the building to create a hotel that evokes the splendor of Barcelona’s high society in the early part of the 20th century.

The result is a tranquil property infused with timeless elegance and urban soul. Guardans’ reputation as a trendsetter and visionary is evident in the finer details of the hotel. With his very own city guide ‘Barcelona Around’, he offers guests an insider view of this vibrant city.

Twenties-style grandeur is everywhere you look, starting with the impressive structure and elegant entrance with original bronze doors, to the oversized rooms, preserved wrought iron lamps, stone cornicing and flooring. The dark oak floors and clean lines of the 147 rooms and suites ooze urban modernity through the use of smooth materials such as glass and wood. Within the bedrooms, transparent panels and semi-opaque materials are used as dividers, so that sleeping spaces, bathrooms, and even the wardrobes all merge seamlessly.

Enjoy dinner or a cocktail at Ávalon restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Ramón Freixa. A modern space with timber flooring, industrial lamps and huge windows, the restaurant offers a modern twist on Catalan classics. Alternatively, book a massage in the seventh-floor Wellness Suite or relax in the library. With the rooftop Sky Bar, infinity pool and panoramic views, guests will feel completely immersed in the buzz of the city without leaving the comfort of their chaise longue.

Ohla Hotel

Semira — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:08:59 +0000

As one of the hottest new 2011 hotel openings in Barcelona, the ultra-chic Ohla Hotel design hotel offers comfortable elegance in the middle of Barcelona’s Barri Gotic district. The five-star boutique hotel features luxurious rooms with an organic aesthetic, combining natural woods with fine textiles. Rooms and suites are unobtrusively tech-friendly with plasma TVs, iPod docks and wireless Internet access. There are several on-site dining options, including a Michelin-starred restaurant, a more casual eatery serving Catalan specialties and a refined lounge. The rooftop bar and swimming pool offer striking views overlooking the city and is sure to be one of the local hot spots this summer. Other facilities include a gym, solarium and sauna to soothe the mind and body after long days sightseeing and late nights partying. Nestled amongst the Mercat Santa Caterina and the Picasso museum, the Ohla Hotel is perfectly situated in the heart of Barcelona’s central historical, shopping and entertainment areas, where you’ll be only a short ten minute walk from Las Ramblas and Plaza Catalunya.

Abac Hotel

Semira — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:07:10 +0000

Located within a building that once housed the United States consulate, Barcelona’s designer-chic ABaC Hotel is one of the city’s most stylish boutique hotel escapes. Located 20 minutes drive from the city center close to Tibidabo mountain, the ABaC Hotel was designed by acclaimed designer Antoni de Moragas with classic lines and neutral tones of rich creams and off-whites. Guest rooms are spacious and beautifully decorated, and adjustable lighting schemes allows guests to customise the lighting to suit their mood. Bathrooms feature Corian walls, limestone counters, rain-effect showers and whirlpool bathtubs. Sleep surrounded by the finest quality linens in the ABaC’s four poster beds, and the floor length drapes by Gaston and Daniela frame the room’s floor-to-ceiling windows. Velvet covered chaise lounges, and Bang and Olufsen television sets also feature in every guest room. At the hotel’s state-of-the-art spa, indulge in a relaxing massage or rest on a Cleopatra hammock with heated stones. Don’t miss a visit to the hotel’s 1 Michelin star ABaC restaurant, where exciting and inventive dishes by chef Jordi Cruz are served on Versace china.

Casa Camper

Semira — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:04:01 +0000

With the simple ethos that the secret of luxury ‘lies in simplicity’, Casa Camper is very different from most of the hotels that you may have come across in your time. Quirky and unique, Casa Camper has successfully redefined the hotel experience by providing edgy, affordable and design-savvy accommodation with a genuinely ‘green’ friendly approach. Backed by the Spanish-owned footwear manufacturer Camper, the hotel embodies down to earth, understated cool with simply furnished rooms that, in an unusual twist, are split in half on either sides of a hallway. The bedrooms sit on one side facing a quiet backstreet and private lounge rooms are located across the hall for every guest, each with its own hammock, balcony and flat screen TV. This creates a great social atmosphere as guests kindly wander and mingle from one room to the other. The 25 rooms range from either simple standard rooms with minimal furnishings and comfortable touches such as plush towels and bathrobes, to the larger suites with in-room living and work spaces. Casa Camper is a perfect choice for design-conscious travelers looking for a unique design hotel experience in the heart of central Barcelona. Also, don’t miss their sensational in-house restaurant, Dos Palillos, for some of the most exciting and innovative Asian fusion cuisine in Europe.

Hotel Murmuri

Semira — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:00:51 +0000

Hotel Arts Barcelona

Semira — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:58:22 +0000

Set within an imposing 44-story modern glass and steel tower directly on Barcelona’s Olympic Port harbor and beachfront, the Hotel Arts Barcelona is a luxurious 5-star hotel with striking contemporary architecture and a picturesque waterfront location. Featuring the iconic Frank Gehry-designed flying fish sculpture and with a world-class art collection of over 1,000 works by Spanish artists, this is one of the Ritz Carlton groups first-class hotels. The Hotel Arts Barcelona boasts a stunning 43rd-floor spa treatment centre with sensational views, outdoor pool and landscaped gardens. The hotel also has a multitude of gourmet dining options including acclaimed chef Sergi Arola’s Michelin-starred restaurant. While the rooms are modern and comfortable, its really the hotels dramatic views that takes centre stage. The 483 luxurious guest rooms enjoy some of the best panoramic views in the city, overlooking either the Barcelona cityscape or the Mediterranean sea. The spacious rooms feature flat screen TVs, high speed internet, plush robes and deep soaking tubs. The higher floor rooms benefit from an all-inclusive Executive Club and personal concierge. This is a beautiful luxury hotel with an indulgent price tag to match.

The W Hotel Barcelona

Semira — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:55:05 +0000

As one of the most hotly anticipated hotel openings in Barcelona’s history, the W Barcelona is one of the coolest design hotels in town. With sleek and minimalist modern spaces, dramatic avant-garde inspired interiors and sparkling ocean views, W Barcelona is described as “where Miró meets the Mediterranean”. Conceptualized by the renowned Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill, the W Barcelona hotel is a modernist masterpiece of avant-garde architecture inspired by the city’s “artistry and exuberance”. In typical W style, the W Barcelona is as much a hotel as it is a destination in itself, with a multitude of stylish public spaces to suit any mood and occasion. Perched high above the city on the 26th floor is the trendy Eclipse rooftop bar, which has quickly established itself as one of Barcelona’s most glamourous night spots. The ground floor W Living Room is equally as cool with chic leather lounges which encourage all-day lounging and cocktail sipping. The outdoor WET pool and sun-soaked terrace is our favourite though, offering a Miami-style adults playground with a fun and playful atmosphere that is bound to be the hottest alfresco hangout in Barcelona this summer. As expected, rooms are luxurious and modern with spectacular views overlooking the city and the Mediterranean sea.

The Elegant And Modern Apartment Design In Barcelona , Spain – Elegáns Modern Appartman Katalán Környezetben

Semira — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:49:56 +0000

Borrowing the name of its location, the Gothic Quarter Apartment designed by YLAB Architects is located in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, Spain. Surprising the viewer with an intense usage of contemporary materials and modern furniture items, the interiors of this 130 square meter apartment in the heart of the city were recently renovated. The transformation can be clearly seen in all the details, but there are some elements that maintain the memories of another era. Some key elements were kept, like the traditional Catalan ceilings showing off wooden beams and vaulted arches, and the exterior wooden shutters. Arched openings make the connection between the succession of bright, generous spaces that shape the apartments floor plan.Spaces were reconstructed to offer the young inhabitants private, social and work spaces: starting with the entrance hall and going through the kitchen and living room, the bedroom suite and bathroom can be reached. Hand-assembled tinted pine wood slats give the ceiling and walls a unique look, while the simple geometry of the furniture integrates perfectly in the new space. Maybe the warm wood finishes is the reason to love these interiors, or maybe its the ivory white concrete floors all I know is all of you will have a good reason to consider this particular apartment located behind Barcelonas City Hall a fabulous living space.

Magnificent Restoration in Barcelona

Semira — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:44:23 +0000

This spectacular architectural restoration is located in a building in the old quarter of Barcelona, Spain. The house was originally a fabric store for 20 years but was in poor condition and needed to be restored. The owners of this home, a young couple with a small child, acquired this unique house and commissioned the Studio MINIM interior design to rehabilitate the home. They had always looked for unique spaces with distinguishing architectural elements, but they were fascinated with the possibilities offered of this house which included a cloister and a large terrace patio, gazebo and the work of Antoni Gaudí himself. From the outset, the owners, aware of the historical value of housing rehabilitation and wished for the interior design firm to restore and maintain the most of every one of the original elements.

The home consists of 180 square meters with access to an interior courtyard of about 150 square meters and a space annex that was part of an ancient 500 year old convent, whose back facade is oriented to the same patio. The convent space is over 100 square meters and serves as an office area for the owner. The two properties were unified into one main dwelling. The clients wished for everything no be neutral, with a clean, minimalist aesthetic, inspired by the Nordic style mixed with contemporary furnishings. The lounge, dining room and kitchen are at the heart of the home with open access to the courtyard. The roofs could not be kept, not only because they were in poor condition and because they did not coincide with the distribution, but because they were really very simple and not providing any value. The different original thatched roofs were removed, and left a homogeneous space with the structure of beams and ceiling blocks in view.

Warehouse Conversion – Modern Rustic Houses in Barcelona

Semira — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:38:42 +0000

Conversion this warehouse former is a storage loft bombs in Barcelona, Spain, and then transformed into a luxurious modern housing. Benito Escat and Alberto Rovira renovate this large square loft with break the brick walls into 2 parts and make a high ceiling. And results from this renovation living room, work place, kitchen, etc. Combined with modern furniture such as a set of white furniture, a set of dining table,glamorous chairs, bookcases, chandeliers, and vases located at the dinner table. The bedroom was placed in a large room and has a beautiful feature. Looks a little different in the bathroom, because truly modern style, bath, smooth porcelain, shower, mirror, which is perfect with style of modern architecture. Design by Minim.