Carlos de la Barra has just spent his first Christmas in Barcelona. He moved to the city with his family last September to take charge of the Nobu Hotel Barcelona, located in the Torre Catalunya, next to Sants Station, and belonging to the international hotel chain founded by actor Robert de Niro. Born in Mexico and accustomed to living in large intercultural capitals, De la Barra assures that he has found a society that is "welcoming, kind, and opens its doors to you," although somewhat lacking in self-esteem.
"I have felt very well received, but I notice that Barcelona is a bit down, thinking that everything is bad and punishing itself. But it's more a perception of those of you who are here, who live it in a loop. From the outside, the perception of the city is clearly better; Barcelona has a lot to offer and has immense potential," highlights De la Barra in an interview with The New Barcelona Post.
After developing his professional career in important luxury hotels located in Bali (Bulgari Hotel & Resorts), Kuala Lumpur (The Ritz-Carlton), and Los Cabos (One & Only Palmilla), the executive was part of the opening team of the spectacular Atlantis The Palm Jumeirah hotel in Dubai, and for the last four and a half years, he has resided in Madrid, where he was the resident manager of the Hotel Rosewood Villa Magna on Paseo de la Castellana.
When the investor group ASG and Nobu offered him to lead their hotel in Barcelona, De la Barra was clear about the decision. "I was already eager for a change; I knew Barcelona and I didn't hesitate, because it's a city that has it all," he emphasizes. "I am an art enthusiast, and the number of museums, works, and cultural proposals you have in the city is spectacular; just in Montjuïc, you have seven museums at hand. And not to mention the gastronomy, which is another madness; the music festivals or the endless getaways or plans that Catalonia offers for weekends... what you have here is incredible. What city offers you all this?, the hotelier asks.
In this sense, De la Barra calls for "boosting self-esteem and valuing all these assets that make Barcelona a magical, incredible, and inclusive city." "I see a jewel, a feeling shared by the entire international hotel sector. All the major luxury chains and investment funds in the sector want to have a flag in Barcelona, to be here," he assures, referring to the arrival of the Nobu brand itself ---which opened the hotel in 2019--- or other recent implementations in the city, such as Intercontinental, Sofitel, The Hoxton, or Gran Meliá, which has just taken over the management of the former Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I.
"My forecast is very optimistic, there is a lot of interest in this destination, people from all over the world want to visit Barcelona," he adds. This interest will grow even more thanks to the celebration of the America's Cup in 2024. "The America's Cup is going to be a bombshell for this city; it will be incredible for Barcelona, because it will reposition it, precisely, as that city that has everything," he reflects.
Improve public transport and security
He admits, however, that the Catalan capital has pending tasks, such as intensifying civility campaigns "to re-educate citizens" on aspects such as cleanliness or urgently improving public transport. "More punctuality is needed on Rodalies trains, taxis are expensive, and the frequency of bus lines needs to be improved," he considers. Another priority is security. "My concept of security, being Mexican, is very different from yours, but we are in Europe and one does not expect what often happens in Barcelona. Action must be taken to prevent recidivism. In the few months I've been here, I've seen many clients who have had their watch stolen or their wallet and passport taken, and that means they leave the city with a very bad taste in their mouth," laments the director of the Nobu Hotel.
It also calls for changes in general regulations to favor investments and encourage the creation of companies. "In Spain, you have a lot of complexity, for example, when it comes to setting up a company, or with taxation or labor laws, everything is complicated. A simplification would allow for more businesses to be generated and would also improve employment," he considers. He also asks for greater "cooperation between cities" because, increasingly, international visitors, especially Americans, "are now looking to combine destinations."
Sants Renovation: dignifying the gateway to Barcelona
Trained at the Les Roches Global Hospitality school in Crans-Montana (Switzerland), Carlos de la Barra has replaced Laurence Dubey and is the second director of the Nobu Hotel Barcelona since its inauguration in 2019. At the helm of the establishment, which has a 5-star category and 259 rooms, he will experience firsthand the renovation works of Sants Station and Plaça dels Països Catalans, where the 25-story skyscraper housing the hotel stands. This is a long-awaited project that will involve an investment of more than 400 million euros, but De la Barra believes it falls short for a city like Barcelona.
"The Sants renovation is key. Everything done in the square and its surroundings will be beneficial, because it's sad to see that this is currently the gateway to Barcelona. The works, in principle, are scheduled to begin in April; we are going to suffer them, but it's for something better," he points out. However, he wonders if the project presented by Adif and the City Council is sufficient. "Are we really creating the best gateway to Barcelona? I feel that the renovation project has not had enough ambition. More importance could have been given to creating green spaces... a space for local commerce within the station could have been foreseen, or it could have been agreed that all traffic in the square be underground, to contribute to the commitment to a green and sustainable Barcelona," argues the executive.
In addition to closely following the development of this urban transformation, De la Barra has set himself the goal of "helping to improve the Sants Montjuïc district from Nobu," which is why he has already held several meetings with district representatives and also with the Guardia Urbana to collaborate in whatever way he can and make himself available to the community. "I cannot speak ill of the meetings I have had with the Administration; all of them have been very positive. Private initiative must support and get involved in the neighborhoods where it is present. We are preparing a very important project to get involved with the neighborhood," he states.
The executive also promotes an initiative to offset the hotel's emissions by planting 25,000 trees in Catalonia and champions a "very interesting new project" that he prefers not to reveal for now and that will "give a nod to all of Catalonia." "It's a secret that we are going to reveal soon and that is linked to local producers and Catalan organic and biodynamic foods. I am very excited about the initiative. Local product is extremely important, and I believe that hotels can contribute a lot, for example, in the promotion of Catalan wine," he explains.
Lending a hand with MWC and ISE
De la Barra is also preparing to experience his first Mobile World Congress (MWC), which will start on February 27 and will fill the hotel. He believes that all hoteliers in the city are very aware of the need to "lend a hand" with this fair and "make a long-term commitment." "Hotels must add up, be realistic, be humble, think long-term, and not burn the market. It's about helping each other and not having a short-term vision, because it doesn't work that way. We must do the same with ISE; it must also be a long-term commitment for hoteliers, because it can clearly be a fair as important as MWC," he emphasizes.
In addition to the fairs, one of the drivers of Nobu Hotel Barcelona are tourists who visit the city to embark on a cruise. "It is a key audience for the hotel; it generates a significant percentage of our business. For many Americans, traveling to Europe for a cruise and getting to know cities like Barcelona is the trip they have been waiting for their whole lives," he stresses.
At the beginning of 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, the German fund ASG acquired ownership of the Nobu Hotel Barcelona, which reopened its doors on February 22, 2022, and now employs 207 people. This first year of operation after the shutdown has been a transition, with occupancy levels below 60%, lower than the sector average. "2022 has been a weak year, a learning year for us, in which we have emphasized making ourselves known. Our location is different from that of the competition, and we are a very new brand in the European market. We compete with big names that have been here for many years," argues De la Barra has set the goal of registering "significant growth" in 2023 and approaching an occupancy rate of 70%.
"For the first time, we are already seeing future bookings, it is very positive that this is happening. There is demand, people want to travel to Barcelona, and it is a city that has the capacity to receive many large groups. This past year everything has been last minute, but now we already see more planning, although I believe that last minute will continue to characterize this market."
Nobu is a renowned international brand of restaurants and hotels with a presence on five continents, founded by Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro, and Meir Teper. The first restaurant opened in New York in 1994, and it wasn't until 2013 that the first hotel debuted in Las Vegas. Today, the chain owns 50 restaurants and 27 hotels (some in the opening phase), three of which are in Spain, where, in addition to Barcelona, the brand is present in Marbella and Ibiza. Nobu is preparing two new openings in San Sebastián ---it will open in summer--- and in Madrid, scheduled for 2024.
According to Carlos de la Barra, they are very satisfied with the performance of the Nobu restaurant located on the top floor of the Barcelona hotel, from which spectacular views of the city can be seen. "Nobu Barcelona is doing very well, although it still depends heavily, by 32%, on hotel guests. This is a very high percentage compared to other international Nobu locations, where this ratio is 1%, in favor of external customers," he highlights.
The executive explains that the gastronomic offer is one of Nobu's differential elements, along with the size of the rooms and the fact that all beds are 2x2 meters. "We are a 5-star lifestyle, with a price below the usual 300 euros per night in establishments of similar category. Guests choose us for being an urban hotel and for our gastronomic offer, which they prioritize over the stay itself. Unlike most hotels, in our case the restaurant comes first. The foodie client does not want to pay 500 euros to sleep; they prefer to pay 200 euros and be able to spend that difference in the restaurant," concludes the Mexican executive.
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