One of the city’s most popular houses of slumber, Hotel Arts Barcelona balances luxury with contemporary hospitality and a spectacular location.

Perched on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea, Hotel Arts Barcelona, the first property in Ritz Carlton’s luxury European portfolio, is located in the city’s bustling Villa Olimpica neighbourhood, only a few minutes’ drive from the city centre. Designed by renowned architect Bruce Graham, the hotel features 455 rooms and 28 exclusive Penthouses, plus a world-class spa, and some of Barcelona’s best contemporary dining.

First Impressions

We arrived in the hotel’s lobby to find a hive of activity as it was peak season in Barcelona but as we were staying in one of the hotel’s coveted Penthouses, check-in staff quickly whisked us up to the 33rd floor and a beautifully appointed dedicated executive club, helmed by professional, efficient, and immaculately uniformed personnel. This space act as a hub for this hotel-within-a-hotel. The lounge serves elegant breakfasts and a series of dining presentations throughout the day – be sure to leave time for an evening cocktail and some of the city’s best views.

The Room

The hotel’s penthouses, formerly private residences, were introduced in 2017 and include one, two and three-bedroom duplex penthouses and four specialised penthouses: Arts, Barcelona, Royal and Presidential.

Our one-bedroom Loft penthouse is all you could ever want from a seaside escape. The two-level apartment is located on the 34th floor and includes a spacious lounge, workspace, and dining areas with furniture by designer Jaime Tresserra downstairs, complete with a full kitchen, guest bathroom and pieces from the hotel’s collection of works by contemporary Catalan and Spanish artists.

Upstairs there’s a lounge with a large smart television, a cavernous master bedroom, and a beautiful marble bathroom with bathtub and walk-in shower, Bulgari toiletries, and panoramic views from every point.

Wellness

After a long day spent walking Las Ramblas, make a beeline for 43 The Spa at Hotel Arts Barcelona, an intimate holistic duplex retreat on the 43rd floor. While the hotel offers a comprehensive range of wellness rituals and treatments, including facials from skincare lines Alqvimia and Swiss Perfection, you might want to simply opt for a soak in one of the two private aquatic areas. Each boasts a vitality pool, sauna, colour therapy steam room and ice fountain – and more of those glorious sea views.

Dining

Hotel Arts is one of Barcelona’s leading gastronomic destinations, with an impressive cross-section of five dining experiences crowned by world renowned contemporary Japanese robatayaki restaurant Roku, which is located on an expansive terrace, where it overlooks Frank Gehry’s mesmerising statue Fish. Roku’s innovative cocktails are brilliant as is its menu of authentic sushi, sashimi and robatayaki dishes, cooked steps away at an open kitchen.

For a fine-dining journey, make for two Michelin-starred Enoteca Paco Pérez, where the flavours of the Mediterranean are recreated under the innovative vision of chef Paco Pérez, and where dishes laced with the freshness ingredients can be paired with selections from the restaurant’s 700-label-strong wine cellar.

Lingering breakfasts are the domain of Lokal, with its indoor and alfresco seating, while guests can find quick snacks and great java thanks to a partnership with Hidden Coffee Roasters at Bites. There’s also The Pantry, which showcases earthy Catalonian gastronomy in a speakeasy-esque setting; popular Marina Coastal Club, a multi-venue outdoor space that embraces the art of living à la Mediterranée; and nearby you’ll find Parallel 41, the hotel’s chic cocktail bar.

Facilities

Beat the Barcelona heat with a dip in the hotel’s outdoor infinity pool, located in an urban oasis on the second floor terrace. There’s also a modern fitness centre in which you can work off all that delicious tapas

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