Postcards from... Booklet 2022

Occupying a corner position on the Passeig de Gracia and just steps from the Placa de Catalunya, the Almanac Barcelona is a dynamic, new design hotel sporting the innovative modernist style of award-winning interior designer Jaime Beriestain. The hotel offers 91 luxurious accommodations including 30 suites as well as michelin star dining at Linia Restaurant, a tranquil urban retreat found at Elements of Wellbeing and the distinctly laid-back ambience at the rooftop Azimuth Bar. This is a chic, well located base to appreciate the city vibe. Here is a hotel that takes an altogether different and more eco- friendly approach to city living. Firstly, its location near to Passeig de Sant Joan speaks volumes as this is the new, hip district of the city with cool brunch spots, industrial-chic lunch joints and cosy bars.You might be forgiven for making parallels with some of NewYork’s’more bohemian locations, but Casa Bonay breaks the traditional hotel mould delivering an urban micro-world full of ecocentric details like terrace showers as well as convivial common areas that feel more like a‘Burning Man’reunion. Formerly a 19th century palacio located on the elegant Passeig de Gràcia, this swanky 5-star hotel offers exceptional levels of service and an impressive four Michelin stars between its two principal restaurants. The hotel’s neo-gothic facade gives little hint of the design treats within, where after major renovations, breezy open spaced welcome guests to contemporary rooms that feature walls decorated in a range of styles and materials from slatted wood to textured paper and bare brick. The icing on the top is a wonderful plant-filled rooftop with a bar, light- filled breakfast room and small pool. With views onto the luxury yachts in the marina of Port Vell Hotel The Serras occupies a prime location near the sea on the Passeig de Colom. The 5-star hotel has a michelin star restaurant and benefits from a rooftop terrace with infinity pool. The contemporary feel of the property mirrors an important artistic legacy as the building was the place where Pablo Picasso started his career in 1896. All stylish rooms at The Serras are air conditioned and soundproofed, featuring a private balcony with views of Barcelona's Port Vell or Mercè Street in the Gothic Quarter. Monument Hotel Hotel The Serras Almanac Barcelona Casa Bonay NewAgeCooking - it’sscientific! Barcelona caneasily compete for the titleofworld capitalofgastronomy with22Michelin star restaurants.Fora3-starultimateadventurewhy notbooka cutting-edgegastro tasting journeyat JordiCruz’sAbaC restaurant. Itwillmakeyou think twiceaboutwhat’sonyourplate! Ina tranquil setting in theupmarket residentialareaofSarriá-SantGervasi,and just100metres fromAvingudaTibidaboFGCStation,which connectsguests to Plaza de Catalunya in 10minutes.,ABaCwill appeal to couples looking for a sophisticated boutique retreat.Housed in a building dating back to 1920 and renovated in2008, thishistoricaldesignhotel comprises a totalof15 rooms as well asoneof the verybest restaurants inBarcelona.Thiehotelhas abeautiful garden and a spawithCleopatraStoneHeated LoungeChairs,hammam and a poolwithwater jets.Thereare2 treatment cabins,1ofwhichwith tatami. AvingudaDelTibidabo,Sarria UltimateFoodieRetreat Passeigde JoandeBorbó BeachfrontWOW Shaped like a billowing sail,with floor-to-ceiling views of the city and the Mediterranean, this sleek and sumptuous cityhaven,designedby the Spanish architectRicardoBofill, isanarchitecturalmasterpiece.Following the ‘W’ ethos of thisworldwidebrand, thehotel delivers thewow factor from thebeachfront SALT Beach Club, Restaurant & Lounge up through 26 floors of sleetk contemporaryarchitecture (473 rooms including67 sumptuous suites) to one of the city’sberybest rooftopbars. Getwith thegroove... Gaudi’sunfinished masterpiece Despite constructionbeginningmore than130yearsago, Barcelona'smost famous landmark isuniquepartly fornot beingfinished.Gaudí's crowningmasterpiecehadonlyone facadewhen thearchitectdied ina tramaccident,but the church-in-progress isalreadyamind-blowing fantasiaof sculpturaldetail.Eachgeneration's contribution iseasily discernedby the lighteranddarker tonesand subtly different styles.SagradaFamiliawillbefinished in time for the centenaryofGaudí'sdeath in2026. Platillos&Tapas - TheLegendofElQuim WhenvisitingBarcelona’smain foodmarket,LaBoqueria, make sure tovisitand sample thedelicaciesatElQuimde la Boqueria.Experience the ‘ArtofEatingon aStool’,butyouwill have tobequick togetyour spotas thereareonly22. Sample froman impressive rangeofplatillos (littledishes)asveteran stallowner,QuimMarquez, transforms the freshproduceof the market toheavenlyheights.withdishes likehouse speciality,2 friedeggswithbaby squid. ABaCRestaurantHotel WBarcelona One of the impressive façades of the Neri, tucked away in the heart of the romanticGothicdistrict,givesontoSantFelipNeri square,amagicalplacewith Gothicedificesand thechurchwhereGaudíused tocome toprayeveryday.This hotelwascreatedwhen, in the18thcentury, twomansionsmerged–onedating from theMiddleAges. Itboastsadelightfuldécor,blendingperiod featureswith ultra-modern design. A gourmet retreat, chef Alan Guisard creates a Mediterraneancuisinewithaseasonalmenubasedonsharing.At the topof the building,“Roba Estesa”is anoasis in the city,where you can enjoy vistasof the cityatnightfall,while tryingdelicious tapas. ThePickofBarcelonaHotels Highly recommended luxuryhotelswithverydifferentappeal inprime locations SantFelipNeriSquare,BarriGotic HistoricalBarriGoticBoutique PasseigdeGràcia Classic Sleek MandarinOriental, Barcelona is an exclusive hotel located right on Passeig de Gràcia, themostexclusiveshoppingboulevard in theheartof thecity,alsohome tohistoricalmodernist sights andGaudi's architecturalgems.Allof theunique roomsandsuitesofferanexquisite interiordesignbyPatriciaUrquiolawhileThe Spa, isasanctuarywhereguestsfind relaxationandharmony.CarmeRuscalleda, one of themost awarded female Chefs in theworld and champion of Catalan gastronomyoversees theculinaryoperations.Thebest rooftop terrace in thecity centrewith sweepingviews including tehSagradaFamilia. It is thewayofBarcelona that itsprosperityhasebbedand flowedover thecenturies sinceRoman times (4km 2 of the ancientcityofBarcinocan stillbeviewedbeneath the moderncity).At the turnof the20thcentury it witnesseda timeofgreataffluenceaschange swept throughCatalunya. Thecityunderwent rapid transformationaspeoplemoved from thecountryside to thecity inhopeoffindingwork in thenewlyopened factories.As livingconditions deteriorated, the localauthoritieswereurged to takeaction anddecided togive thecityanextension– eixample in Catalan–giving rise to the large,grid-patterned neighbourhoodof the samename. At the same time, inspiredby thewaveof socio-reform sweepingEurope,aculturalmovementemergedwhich hadat itsheartadesire tomakeCatalan societyamodern society,and therewasanelementofCatalannationalismat theheartof themovementaswell.Rejectingbourgeois, traditionalismand theoldguard, the socialistmovement gatheredmomentum inartisticcircles,amongpoets, writersandartists,butalsowith thosewhowished to take amorehands-onapproach to thisnewvision for society. ModernBarcelona’s identity is fundamentally linked to this period,and inno smallpart to theworkofoneman in particular,architectAntoniGaudí.Hisdesigns,more than anyoneelse’s,havebecome someof thebiggest tourist attractions in thecityandhaveevenbeenawarded UNESCOWorldHeritage status. Catalan Style Catalansareveryproudof their region, languageand lifestyle.Barcelona is theexciting epicentreofaseriouslydeterminedpeoplewho certainlyknowhow toenjoy life’spleasures from relaxed fashion trends,greatstreetcultureand amazinggastronomy. Mandarin Oriental,Barcelona HotelNeriRelais & Chateaux B arcelonahas somuch to tempt the senses. Withabackdropofbothgothicandorganic Gaudiarchitecture frontedbywarm Mediterraneanwatersalong5kilometresof beachfront, it isacity that is simultaneously brimmingwithmodern shopping,nightlife,world-class dininganda senseof identitydeeply rooted inCatalan culture. Itall startedgoing rightagain forBarcelonawhen ithosted theOlympics in 1992.Thisheraldedamuch-neededclean-upof theCity.AsNelsonMandela once said, "Sporthas thepower to transform theworld." In thecaseof Barcelonabeacheswerecleaned,newparkswerebuilt,public transport toall areasof thecitywasnotably improvedandaonceugly industrialzoneon the seafrontwasdemolished tohouse thenew,OlympicVillage.Thisarea isnow knownas thePobleneudistrict,achic residentialarea righton theedgeof thecitycentre.The regenerationofBarcelonahasbeen so impressive that it re-established itselfas thepowerhouseofSpain,andyou wouldbe forgiven tobelieve that it is the realcapitalof the nation,andnodoubta reason thatCatalans feel that they shouldbe theirownmasters.