Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Barcelona
Worldtour
6 juin 2012
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Photography by Ma Récréation. The panoramic terrace on the 7th floor with a view of Sagrada Familia and just below, my bedroom that gives way to the trees in Passeig di Gracia
I’m lucky enough to travel a lot. Thanks to my job, I get to visit and experience quite a few luxurious places. However, it’s rare to find those who put comfort at the same level as their architecture. 5 star bedrooms are almost always wonderful but the staff are rarely smiling, wifi often not included in the fee and the breakfast disappointing despite the terrifyingly high prices. The Mandarin Oriental Oriental in Barcelona is one of the exceptions. There’s nothing negative from the welcome up until the time you leave. The long runway-like entrance corridor goes into a white courtyard with an extraordinarily high ceiling where the Catalan sun comes to meet you. On the left side of the reception, the Manolo Blahnik boutique keeps a selection of stilettos for hotel clients lacking in height. In the bedrooms, there is a calm and cosy atmosphere, envelopping bedding linen covered with incredibly soft sheets and a Corian-white bathroom and, for the lucky ones, a gigantic bath as well as an Italian-style « high pressure » shower. On the top floor, the terrace offers a 360° panorama and a swimming pool to do your lengths in while looking at the Sagrada Familia.
Photography by Ma Récréation. The long entrance corridor, the swimming pool on the 7th floor, the courtyard leading into the reception and the Manolo Blahnik boutique.
As for the restaurants, they are spread over three levels : under a skylight at breakfast with a buffet, where I got into *thinspiration, in order to avoid the pata negra option. Or you can also eat in the garden outside or inside on the ground floor. Finally, in the basement, a sublime spa in which i unfortunately didn’t have the right to take photos. There is a fantastic swimming pool with such dim light that you have the impression of taking a midnight skinnydip with each stroke. There are also massage cabins and a selection of beauty products. One of the products I found was hilarious : the Foot Fitness Fetish, a kind of silicone mini-cushion to rub between the toes for, I quote, the « relaxation of toes ». A faultless hotel, chosen by Kate Moss who was here at the same time as me last week. I didn’t see her in person, unlike everyone else who was with me, but I quite like the idea of imagining her with the Foot Fitness Fetish at the end of her toes…
*To get what I mean, you must re-read Lisa Airan’s ten commandments or follow the blogger @bryanboy on Twitter
Double bedroom from 415€ per night (the penthouse suite on the roof is 7000 euros per night…). Wifi accessible everywhere in the hotel. Mandarin Oriental Barcelone, Passeig di Gracia, 38-40, Barcelone 08007, Tel : +34 93 151 88 88
Translation by Leonora Chance
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