Our international team visited Barcelona recently to take a look at some of the hotels that are suitable for our clients. The city was looking good and we came away with plenty of options for different sizes of groups and in style and location.
The first hotel stop was the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos, only 15 minutes from the airport, with spectacular views over the city. This is a 5* hotel and has recently become a Fairmont property. It has a large amount of conference space with flexible meeting rooms in the hotel building and a convention centre in the grounds. The largest room is a purpose-built auditorium of 2,000 people. There are three pavilions in the gardens for events there’s lots of outside space too. This hotel really is a great option for large groups and it offers a wide variety of different locations on the same site. Refurbishment of the whole property will start in 2015 and take three years to complete. The existing restaurant will be extended, shops in the lobby will be removed and a destination restaurant added.
The Silken Diagonal is a modern 4-star hotel located on the Av. Diagonal and only 20 minutes from Barcelona El Prat Airport. The hotel has a large welcoming foyer area that is full of interesting features that contribute to a subtle ship theme. The hotel has 5 meeting spaces located on the lower ground floor that are fully flexible with partitioned walls. The rooms are well-equipped with the latest AV technology.
The Majestic Hotel & Spa is situated in the middle of Paseo de Gracia, close to Gaudi’s building and in the heart of the city. The luxury 5 star hotel has a welcoming foyer off the main street which instantly provides a calming environment from the busy city just outside. The 275 bedrooms were refurbished in 2012 in an elegant and traditional style with modern touches throughout. There are 9 soundproof meetings rooms, the largest of which can seat 500 theatre style, were also refurbished in 2012 and have air conditioning and high speed WiFi.
The Hilton Barcelona is located on Barcelona’s main avenue, Diagonal Mar. It is within easy reach of two large shopping centres, the FC Barcelona stadium and El Palacio de Congressos de Catalunya and just 10 minutes from the city centre. It has been refurbished within the last 18 months and has a modern and contemporary feel. As you enter the building you are greeted by the large bar area which is bright with a large orange sculpture that extends up the core of the building – the reception is to the left as you enter.
There are two meeting levels, one with natural daylight and one without. The two main ballrooms are on the lower ground, although they don’t have natural daylight they have a high ceiling (4.7m) and no pillars and the lighting replicates natural daylight. Both ballrooms can be divided into three rooms and the maximum capacity in both are 125 pax, theatre style. There is a large foyer outside ideal for catering and an exhibition area, there is also access to a patio area which can be set up with sofas for outside seating. The other 7 meeting rooms are located on the first floor, all have natural daylight with access to the upper foyer area for catering and exhibition. The open core in the heart of building lends itself to lots of light and the feeling of space.
There is an impressive restaurant in the style of Gaudi that opens up onto the terrace at the front of the hotel. During the summer months there are always tables with umbrellas in this area giving the hotel a bit of a buzz. This is a smart, business hotel in a good location. It is functional but with a touch of class – the staff were also extremely welcoming and friendly.
The hotel Princess Sofia is a traditional 5* property located on the Diagonal Mar Avenue. It is a large property with plenty of meeting space but in need of refurbishment in places. It has a very grand entrance way, lots of dark wood and marble with classical, bold décor. The hotel has 500 bedrooms and 28 Meeting Rooms, the majority of which are located on the first and second floor. There are 4 fixed meeting rooms on the 18th floor that have great views of Barcelona and a panoramic room on the 19th floor allowing 360 degree views and with a great terrace for reception drinks. The meeting rooms offer lots of option for layout but there are pillars that need to be taken into consideration. The large meeting rooms all have natural daylight. There is also a spa on the first floor located near to the meeting space.
The service and welcome at the hotel was excellent and the meeting facilities are very good. It is however, a very traditional hotel with a few signs of wear and tear. There is free WiFi throughout the hotel and upgrades to the executive level (an additional €60) gives access to the executive lounge, a complimentary massage in the Spa and free use of the meeting rooms for up to 2 hours.
The Hesperia Presidente is a smaller property with just 151 bedrooms and 8 meeting rooms. The maximum capacity is 110 theatre-style. Although the reception area is small it is elegant with some impressive sculptures and natural stone. The meeting space is located on the 2nd floor, all rooms have natural daylight but there are columns in the rooms which need to be taken into consideration. The attention to detail in this hotel is very good, with lots of little touches that make a good impression from the sweet cart in the foyer space to the large, sometimes quirky, sculptures throughout.
The bedrooms were quite small but with great views. They were elegantly furnished with a modern and contemporary finish. Our feeling is that it is a lovely, boutique hotel, elegantly furnished and in a good location.
The Hilton Diagonal Mar is situated at the end of the main avenue in Barcelona close to the sea and the Barcelona International Conference Centre and opposite a large shopping centre. It is a large, spacious hotel, with a bright and airy reception. There are 433 bedrooms, many with a sea view and 22 meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 1,000 delegates. There is one large ballroom that can host up to 700 delegates, although it has no natural daylight, the room opens up onto a spacious foyer with floor to ceiling glass windows. It also has one of the tallest ceilings at 7m high. There are various size break out rooms across 3 floors of the hotel, most of which have natural daylight. The hotel has a modern and contemporary feel, the bedrooms are well equipped and there are also relaxation rooms for the business traveller, decorated in relaxing colours and a comfortable office area to work from. There is a lovely roof terrace with a newly constructed pergola which would be ideal for reception drinks or a networking event.
This area of Barcelona has a number of large conference hotels, it is a bit like a concrete jungle but with access to the beach and lovely promenade just minutes away it is an ideal location for large groups. It is also 20km from the airport, which depending on traffic could mean a lengthy transfer.
AC Hotel Barcelona Forum has a very cool, urban feel, almost masculine in design and colouring. It is dark, with greys, blacks and a touch of red and the interior finishing has an industrial design, for example metal meshing and scaffolding poles around the stairwells, all very tastefully finished. One of the main plenaries is on the 4th floor and has natural daylight with a maximum capacity of 200 theatre style. The break out rooms are opposite and all have modern AV technology and daylight There is also the Sagrada Familia which is the largest plenary with a maximum capacity of 550 theatre style.
The hotel restaurants are very impressive, with high quality designer furnishings. There is also a spa and roof top pool, which can be used to host a cocktail evening. There are 368 bedrooms in total, most of which have a great sea view.
The Eurostars Grand Marina is situated at the marina in the heat of Barcelona and designed to look like a liner to blend in with the boats and cruise ships that frequent the port. It has a very welcoming feel with bright and airy rooms and tasteful furnishings. There is a terrace on the 8th floor that can be hired exclusively which has superb views of the city’s coastline. The meeting space is limited but there is direct access to the congress building next door and works in conjunction with that space. There is a very nice private dining space accessible through a private corridor. There are 291 bedrooms which were refurbished a year ago, most have sea views.
Considerations: When a cruise ship has docked in the Marina it is immediately adjacent to the hotel, it is so close you can see into the rooms and watch the activities on the deck. There are two cruise ships per week during high season and one during the low season.
Barcelo Sants hotel sits immediately above the main train station and can be accessed through the station itself or by a sweeping driveway behind. It is a very modern hotel and has been given a ‘space’ theming throughout in a recent refurbishment. The main reception area is large with a very tall ceiling. There is a space hub in the centre with a circular light fixture to give a modern and futuristic feel which has been finished off with ‘pop’ seats. The hotel has 3000sqm of event space with 14 Meeting Rooms and a large exhibition hall that can hold cars. The 364 bedrooms have an orbital feel, they are very modern with clean lines and open plan bathrooms. Considerations: This is a very different hotel and the theming works very well. The location is a little off putting from the outside but once you’re in the hotel you have very little knowledge of being above a train station. There are great views from the hotel but has little outdoor space.
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