Next Thursday, October 21, the hotel opens InterContinental Barcelona, the first new five-star that opens in the county city this year and also the first InterContinental in Barcelona, in addition to the one the group already has in Madrid.
And it hasn't been easy at all to get here, from what he tells us Enrique Escofet, hotel manager InterContinental Barcelona. “The most complicated thing was convincing all the stakeholders involved that it was a winning project and that it was the best option for Barcelona to have an InterContinental again, as they have New York, London, Madrid, Singapore and more than 200 other cities all over the world".
Boira space, InterContinental Barcelona hotel.
If the project began to be talked about in 2016, it was not until 2019 when it materialized and work began to make it a reality. In the heart of Montjuïc and by the renowned design studio Brime Robbins, the new hotel has been completely transformed to offer contemporary design and service, emphasizing local culture and traditions.
It is precisely the aspect design that Escofet is most satisfied with. “The transformation of the hotel has been total thanks to the great work that Brime Robbins has done. There are many corners that are truly a work of art, like the cocktail bar, Gebre, and the Arrel restaurant, which are both spectacular”.
Each piece of furniture, each lamp, even the rugs and works of art, are unique pieces and made to measure, composing a timeless design with moments of surprise. An example of this are the mosaics on the floors, with patterns and lines that recall different elements of the city, and the use of many noble materials such as wood, marble or fabrics.
Lobby of the InterContinental Barcelona hotel.
In addition, the check-in experience has been reinvented: what used to be a more standard reception is now a large covered porch with chic wooden consoles little lights and a niche art gallery navy blue.
A large seven-meter-high metal map of the city wraps around the grand staircase, and Catalan ceramics stand between the restaurant and café lounge. Also, local suppliers, manufacturers and designers have been used for textiles, carpets and rugs, coatings, glass and lighting to reinforce and convey to guests all the local essence, cultural heritage and sense of place.
The 273 rooms are decorated in ocher and neutral tones, terracotta, walnut, natural finishes and horizontal lines reminiscent of the Mediterranean. From the hydraulic floors of the Catalan kitchens to the “panot” of the sidewalks of the streets of Barcelona, all the patterns of the hotel floors have been inspired by the city itself. “The result is relaxing and inspiring environments where the Mediterranean and the city of Barcelona they are the common threads”, emphasizes the director.
InterContinental Barcelona hotel room.
The carpet and the blue of the armchairs and sofas invite guests to connect with the sea, with the port and feel the modernism and culture of the Catalan city. The challenge was to combine the identity and idiosyncrasy of the city with the studio's own style. “Brime Robbins has done an excellent job, along with the InterContinental design team, to create a common thread that accompanies the guest in every corner of the hotel”, Escofet explains to us. “To do this, they have been inspired by the sea that bathes the coast of Barcelona, as well as its streets, its architecture and its art, for the color palette, textures and materials of all the rooms, restaurants and common areas” .
Regarding the staff, Escofet underlines: “I would like to make it clear that I am very proud of the team that we already had in the previous stage, and that we continue to have. Now, with the change of brand, we have reinforced some important areas, such as F&B (food & beverage) or sales, in order to achieve excellence in this new luxury segment”.
"To do this," he continues, all the staff have gone through a process of immersion in the new brand and training, for example, about our new cleanliness standards (Clean promise) or new service standards. All this with the aim of really knowing the profile of what our new client will be. Also, we have incorporated the Concierge department led by a member of the association Les Clefs d'Or”.
Gastronomic space Arrel.
DELUXE CORNERS FOR CULINARY ENJOYMENT...
When considering the different spaces e has thought of both the guest and the local public in Barcelona. “We have a new gastronomic offer, very careful and varied, which I am convinced will be a success. Besides, the 173 Rooftop Terrace, with one of the best views of the city of Barcelona and the Quirat restaurant, advised by Víctor Torres, the youngest chef in Spain with a Michelin star”, explains Escofet.
The dining areas of the hotel are given Catalan names and Brime Robbins has taken advantage of their meaning in the design as well. The Gebre cocktail bar –"frost" in Catalan– features a gigantic bottle display with translucent glass panels and polished metal to represent the essence of the earth in its coldest state. The lighting is shaped like ice cubes carved on the white marble countertops.
In Arrel, which means "roots", a large weathered wood screen with interlocking lattice mimics roots and envelops diners, while a ribbon of glass winds above their heads.
This gastronomic proposal speaks of the rooted in everything that defines us from a gastronomic point of view, wherever we are from. The tribute to the land and the products it gives us takes shape through its open kitchen and a delicious range of portions to share.
Quirat –in Catalan it means "carat"– represents the purity and richness of the elements that make up the earth. This exclusive dining room offers an author's interpretation of the land and its products through a seasonal menu that has been devised by Víctor Torres.
The space alludes to precious stones and geological geometries, with glass and metal walls with custom texture, there are inlaid floors and diamond shaped chandeliers
Barcelona.
Personally, Enrique finds it difficult to decide on a single favorite corner. “I have many, the 173 Rooftop Terrace, the Quirat restaurant, the Presidential Suite… However, if I have to keep just one, perhaps I would stay with the Gebre cocktail bar, with its fire, its more than 200 references of distillates and a very careful menu of cocktails. Sin suda, a magical place to enjoy a good drink or cocktail, a good book or good company…”.
For this space, the hotel has recruited Roger Wheel –owner of the cocktail bar in Sant Cugat del Vallés Dr. Lagarto, for 20 years now– and George Restrepo. They use local raw materials, as well as traditional aging techniques and processes, so that, In addition to the classics, they will offer signature craft cocktails.
Roger Rueda is in love with classic cocktails, fascinated by Japanese culture; Restrepo is co-founder and current director of the Coctelería Creativa portal, author of the book Se Mixes in Spanish, consultant, bartender, trainer and liquid trend hunter.
Natura Bissé Spa, InterContinental Barcelona hotel.
… AND THE WELLNESS BROOCH
A few weeks ago, InterContinental Barcelona also announced its collaboration with the Spanish firm of cosmetic treatments Natura Bisse. The five elements – fire, water, air, earth and metal – are the common thread of its spa, located in a space of 1,200 square meters that make it one of the most spacious in the city.
Located on the lower floor of the hotel, it is equipped with a large water area, hydrotherapy pool, water jets, water beds, cold area, heated loungers, steam bath, sauna, caldarium, shower circuit, footbath, hammam, relaxation area, gym and six treatment cabins, two of them double, open to both guests and external clients.
“We want the new InterContinental Barcelona to become a reinventor of urban luxury tourism, bringing all our knowledge and sophistication to this wonderful city. To do this, we want to surround ourselves with the best and we are convinced that, hand in hand with Natura Bissé, we will be able to create an oasis of health and well-being in the center of the city”, he has commented on this alliance with the prestigious firm.
Montjuic.
What expectations do you have? Regarding the reception of the new five stars? "Logically, after making such an important investment, expectations are very ambitious," answers Escofet, "because we have the responsibility to return to shareholders the important bet they have made with the hotel and with Barcelona. For this, the forecasts for the remainder of 2021 are to start with the economic recovery to return, little by little, to good results already in 2022”.