Are Barcelona's hotels the new temples of leisure in the city?

Ephemeral restaurants, activities, and experiences of all kinds to liven up winter. The gastronomy of the Black Forest, the best signature cocktails, an original Christmas cinema, and even a Christmas Market, leisure is no longer only experienced in the streets of the Catalan capital, but now hotels are also adapting their agenda, their prices, and their facilities so that locals lose their fear of crossing the lobby.

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One of the most evident cases is that of the Palace hotel, which has even transformed its terrace to turn it into a recreational space where you can even travel without leaving home. How? By creating a typical Black Forest refuge that offers a fixed menu inspired by products and recipes from this German mountainous area such as deer Ragout, Spätzle with melted cheese and fried onion, or the mythical Apfelstrudel, an apple, walnut, and cinnamon cake. In addition, the hotel's Head Bartender has designed a special cocktail menu for the occasion, such as the Red Velvet, made from Monkey 47 Gin, lemon, pine syrup, cranberry juice, red berries, and lemon verbena. The price per person for this gastronomic plan with a German soul in the heart of Barcelona is 39 euros, and includes water and coffee.

Also on the hotel terrace, and after the success of the last edition, the Palace is once again launching its film screenings with views of the stars, but this time with a billboard focused, of course, on Christmas. The Christmas Cinema takes place in four cozy double cabins equipped with blankets, cushions, and hot water bottles, which become the perfect refuge from which to enjoy titles such as Love Actually (Thursdays), Home Alone 2 (Fridays), Polar Express (Saturdays), and Miracle on 34th Street (Sundays). The price, 60 euros per cabin, includes popcorn, a cup of Valrhona chocolate, or mulled wine. For those who want a cocktail, Jordi Baqués has created four liquid recipes inspired by each of the films.

And equally Christmassy but a little less intimate, the hotel's Christmas Market will take place on Saturdays and Sundays from December 5 to 20, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, when the Rooftop Garden of El Palace Barcelona will become a market with different providers of gastronomic products, as well as local objects with soul. At the market, you can find creations by illustrator Joel Miñana, leather bags and accessories from Carbone Bag, jewelry designed in Barcelona by Veraklau, cashmere garments from Lastmanstanding, artisanal products made with organic flours from Le pain d'Eric & Benjamin, Iberian cured meats from Maldita Bellota, delicacies from Gourmet Delice, and clothing designed in Barcelona by Aware Barcelona.

In addition, afternoon teas will be served, consisting of cream xuxo, El Palace financiers, an assortment of macarons, puff pastry truffle mozzarella bikini, and salmon and fresh herb cheese sandwich, all accompanied by tea, coffee, or hot chocolate, as well as a glass of cava. The afternoon teas will feature the presence of Santa Claus, who will be there to delight the little ones. A plan for all audiences that is also free and does not require prior reservation, while the afternoon teas can be enjoyed for a price of 29 euros (39 euros if a glass of Ruinart Champagne is preferred instead of cava) and must be reserved in advance.

Healthy option at the W Barcelona hotel

But since not all proposals will be sprinkled with ginger and cinnamon, the W Barcelona hotel breaks the mold of the most Christmassy plans by raising the pulse during the Immaculate Conception long weekend with Fuel your stay, a healthy option to regenerate body and mind based on personalized training and healthy food. Focused on all lovers of sports and healthy living, with this option you can enjoy a good leisure plan in Barcelona while maintaining a healthy routine.

The training program includes personalized toning classes, mindfulness, pilates, yoga, trekking, coaching and running outings on the beach accompanied by a special nutrition plan to nourish body and mind with the healthiest ingredients. From a revitalizing lunch with refreshing drinks, to a dinner based on dishes such as grilled chicken with spicy FIRE sauce, grilled Chinese cabbage and baked potatoes or fermented cauliflower with rye bread soil, among many others and all perfect for a complete pre-Christmas reset. The package includes two nights' accommodation, personalized classes by Just Gym inside and outside the hotel, as well as on the beach, healthy gastronomic offer for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner from 620 euros plus VAT if the room is individual and 942 euros plus VAT if it is a double.

A very bourgeois plan at the Cotton House Hotel

The former headquarters of the Textile Cotton Foundation is an emblematic 19th-century building where members of the textile industry in Barcelona who worked with cotton gathered in a space now occupied by the Cotton House Hotel. That is why in this hotel establishment, in addition to eating wonderfully and sleeping in a bubble of good taste, you can also count on the bespoke tailoring service, thus recovering the craft in which the true essence of the Cotton House Hotel is revived.

The guest only has to book their accommodation through the website and make the request for a tailor (they work hand in hand with Santa Eulalia) to travel to the hotel's so-called Atelier to take their measurements, advise and choose unique, top-quality fabrics with which to make the shirt, for both ladies and gentlemen. This sophisticated plan is accompanied by others such as the Royal Tea, served in the library, one of the areas that the members of the Cotton Guild used as a social club in the 50s. The final price of this plan in Barcelona is the price of the chosen room plus a supplement of 352 euros per room per night with everything mentioned above already included.