The Spanish city has all the sun, sea and sightseeing you need this summer
Set on Barcelona's bustling Gran Via, the imposing and extravagant entrance of the Autograph Collection's Cotton House Hotel fronts a quiet oasis that embodies discreet luxury. Housed in what was originally the guild of cotton-makers, and a landmark in the city, the hotel feels more like a private home, especially as you make your way up the original marble staircase to the intimate and deliciously scented first-floor reception room. The interiors are exuberant without being showy and each room is as warm and inviting as the next. The interior designer Lazaro Rosa-Violan has cleverly combined the beauty of the original 19th-century parquet floors and carved ceilings with modern chandeliers and beautifully upholstered chairs in bright colours to stunning effect.
Accommodation
Fittingly, the hotel has adopted the finest 300-thread-count Egyptian cotton for its linen and towels, and the beds are soft and inviting. While hints of the extravagance of the rest of the hotel is reflected in the rooms, they maintain a contemporary and minimalist feel; all white walls, white sheets and some simple cotton-flower prints across the wall. If a day relaxing takes your fancy, the hotel is crowned by a small but perfectly lovely, decking-surrounded rooftop pool, and has a gym and spa room.
Food and drink
The Cotton House's elegant restaurant, Batuar, is centred around a beautiful freestanding bar under an old-fashioned conservatory, bedecked with beautiful bottles and glasses. The restaurant offers service from 7am until midnight, creating a relaxed vibe that reflects the laid-back Catalan culture. The food is an ambitious and well-executed mix of local and global cuisine, making it well worth a visit one evening during your stay – and the patio is the perfect place for a pre-dinner cocktail.
Finishing touches
The true highlight of the hotel is the concierge team, who have an exceptional knowledge of the city and its surroundings and are ready with recommendations tailored to suit you. We loved the bike tour: a great way to see the major areas of the city in a day. The hotel also offers a tailoring service in the original atelier where measurements would have been taken, in keeping with the building's original purpose.
Book it...
Cotton House Hotel, Gran Via de las Corts Catalanes, 67008010, Barcelona, Spain; hotelcottonhouse.com. From €230 per night.
