Imposing, irresistible, sophisticated, theatrical, with a unique olfactive impression, the Cotton House Hotel in Barcelona is a fairy-tale place, which invites you to daydreaming, creation and supreme relaxation.
People who know me also know that I am very fond of hot and dry weather and after all of my travels so far (after some landmarks, in a significant number) I have concluded that I would only move in two cities in the world. I would like to live six months a year in Barcelona and the rest of time in Los Angeles. In <the City of Angels> I would rent an apartment in Hollywood, close to Runyon Canyon (where I’d jog every morning) and in Barcelona I would reside in one of the spotless apartments in Cotton House Hotel, a hotel with a strong colonial ambiance, which reminds me of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s writings.
Opened in 2015 and rated by the Conde Nast Traveller magazine as the best new hotel opened lately in Europe, the Cotton House Hotel exceeds the conventional ambiance of the usual 5-star hotels. It is part of the Autograph Collection by Marriott and it is recommended by the #exactlylikenothingelse hashtag.
It is located in a central position on the famous Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes; the building is iconic, built in the neoclassical style and included in the list of the city’s historical monuments, once home of the headquarters of the Cotton Manufacturers Association of Catalunya. The process of renovation and transformation of the hotel began in 2013 and it cost tens of millions of dollars, but the result is a spectacular one. The renovation was carried out very carefully, so as to preserve all original details. Moreover, new details were brought to light. The person who accomplished all this is the famous interior designer Lazaro Rosa-Violan, who also commissioned the many works of art displayed along the central staircase or the Concierge area, located on the 5th floor.
The famous spiral staircase built in 1957 has been refurbished, and what is interesting about it, is that it’s suspended from the ceiling, in such a way that it makes you feel as if you are floating.
The services provided at Cotton House Hotel are perhaps the best services I’ve encountered in Europe until now. The staff easily memorizes your name, and until your room is ready you will be invited to have a sit in the hotel lobby, where you are served with fresh lemonade, chocolate candy or homemade cakes.
From the very first moment you enter this hotel, you will fall in love with the scent that represents the olfactive mark of the hotel. It is a fragrance made of cotton flowers, specially created by a Spanish perfumery house, which is gradually released through the ventilation ducts, so that you will feel this discrete, yet unmistakable scent in every corner of the premises. Cotton House Hotel features 83 rooms and 5 suites.
From the basic rooms, also called the Cotton rooms, to the spacious suites, simplicity and comfort prevail everywhere. The color palette is discrete, with shades of white and timid beige, yellow and blue. The linens are made from the finest cotton ( 300 threads per cm2), the pillows are soft as fluffy clouds, and as concerns the quality of sleep, the experts say that in the Fairmont hotel chain the sleep experience is one the best.
The toiletries belong to a brand that I discovered during my stay here: Ambra Nera from Ortigia Sicily. All their products are natural, do not contain parabens and are made entirely of products from the Mediterranean area.
The Concierge area is called the Gossypium, and it is here that you can find the answer to all your questions. On the same floor there is also the library, my favorite room in this hotel. It is the perfect place to get away to read a book or to enjoy an afternoon tea.
The Library amazes you with its interior design, art works and restored frescoes.
The hotel’s main restaurant is called Batuar and it is connected with the Cosmopolitan Cocktail and Bar, which impresses with its selection of cocktails.
In the morning, breakfast is served either in the bar, either on the lush terrace of the hotel, which imprints a discrete colonial ambiance. The choices are difficult, since you can easily forget about your diet, considering the fresh and lovely cakes, served even at breakfast, and placed right next to the bar with natural juices, granola and organic yogurt.
The terrace on the 6th floor features a small and stylish pool, which is enough to cool you during the hottest days, and the view over the city from this place is breathtaking. You can enjoy a glass of champagne while admiring from a distance the Sagrada Familia, and everything you can think of is that… <life is beautiful>. Cheers!
