The Meliá Internacional group opens the doors of ME Barcelona this November 25. It is a hotel that breathes great "contemporary" luxury, according to its promoters, in the heart of the city, in what many call the golden block of the Eixample, at the confluence of Calle Casp with Passeig de Gràcia.
The 14-story establishment adds to the city's hotel offer ---affected by the hotel moratorium that the Barcelona City Council approved in 2015 and which affects the city center--- some 164 rooms, of which 25 are suites that are about 25 square meters and the largest reaches 140 square meters. ME Barcelona is, therefore, the first five-star hotel to open in Barcelona since 2008.
Built on the stretch of Calle Casp where a few years ago the old Novedades theater and Hotel Barcelona, of the Husa chain, were located, the building of the new hotel establishment has 12,649 square meters, of which more than 3,000 square meters are outdoor spaces.
The Meliá group has entrusted the management of the hotel to René Hoeltschl, one of the chain's managers from the management of ME Ibiza. In Barcelona, he has defined his hotel bet with the quality and differentiation of the hotel, with an approach to art and culture, to which renowned designers and interior designers such as Jaime Hayón, Patricia Urquiola, Oscar Tusquets, Ramón Úbeda, Otto Canalda, Antonio de Moragas, Ronan and Ewan Bouroullec have contributed.
The ME Barcelona is the second ME by Meliá in Catalonia, after the ME Sitges Terramar, which opened in early 2018, in an old establishment first inaugurated in 1933. The chain's lifestyle brand of luxury hotels is already present in different world capitals such as Dubai, Milan, London, Madrid or Ibiza. The Mallorcan group has 25 luxury hotels worldwide.
With the incorporation of this new establishment, the chain presided over by its founder Gabriel Escarrer will manage five hotels in Barcelona with 1,238 rooms and, in total, in Catalonia, it has 12 establishments, with 2,544 rooms. "The city has all the ingredients and attractions to be a great tourist destination, which is why we will always bet on this destination, and we will do so especially by competing on quality and differentiation," explain sources from the hotel chain. Among these bets: personalized experiences suitable for their respective guests, such as the Discovery Center, where, based on an exhibited work, visits to artists' or designers' workshops can be made.
The hotel rates will depend on demand, "although our goal is to position ourselves as a 5-star hotel deserves, with an exceptional location, as well as innovative service and experiences," they add.
The style of the building has been defined by the Fitarq studio, and the interior design is by Mur Arquitectes and ASAH. The promotion of the property has been the responsibility of Actual Capital Advisors, with an investment of more than 61 million euros, which includes an underground apartment with 478 spaces, from the international parking company Interparking, which will be open to the general public.
The characteristics of the ME Barcelona hotel are defined, among others, by Gaudian inspiration, with the decorative glass bottles by Josep Maria Jujol, Antoni Gaudí's closest collaborator who designed the Casa de Familia bottle in 1912; or the signage and lights in the corridors that are a tribute to Barba Corsini, a Barcelona architect who in the 60s designed the attic apartments of La Pedrera. Elements that can be added to Oscar Tusquets' tables and Patricia Urquiola's Roll Club armchairs for Kettal.
ME Barcelona has entrusted the gastronomic theme to Belbo Collection, which will manage its two restaurants, Terrenal, serving Mediterranean cuisine, and Fasto, an Italian restaurant. It also features Luma, a cocktail bar, with more than 1,000 square meters of landscaped terraces. But the main Rooftop terrace is on the eighth floor, with a heated pool and views of Plaza Catalunya.
As a novelty, the hotel has its own urban garden that supplies some raw materials to the restaurants. Sustainability is also evident with the cooling system for the pool and hot water throughout the establishment, which will be obtained by recovering heat from the air conditioning.
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