The Hoxton Poblenou, the hotel you will turn into your second home

It is rare to have the luxury of opening (literally) a hotel, but The Hoxton's arrival in Barcelona and its desire to seduce the local public from minute one have meant that from The New Barcelona Post we have been able to witness the first day of opening of the British hotel firm in the Catalan capital. Under a characteristic "open doors" concept, the new The Hoxton Poblenou is located at the foot of the Glòries Tower, in the creative and innovative epicenter of the city, to establish a constant dialogue with local protagonists and initiatives in order to to act as a loudspeaker and nerve center for the city's artistic, recreational, and business activity. And it is that the new hotel The Hoxton, the eleventh in the chain and the first in Spain, beyond its accommodation offer for travelers from all over the world, aspires to become theplace to befrom Barcelona at any time of day, seven days a week. "We want the people of Barcelona to use the space and the Spanish public to feel attracted to stay, whether for holidays, a weekend, or for work," says Alex Trilla,brand managerfrom The Hoxton Poblenou. It's enough to cross the threshold of the entrance door to discover at first sight that we are not dealing with a conventional hotel. The imposing marquee on the facade with The Hoxton sign contrasts with an interior of a cozy and modern atmosphere where a bar presides over the lobby, the soul of the hotel, in a clear invitation to come in, relax and let go, whether with a coffee from apartnerlocal asThree Marks Coffee, a craft beer or an original cocktail from the hotel. In thatwill to capture the Barcelona public, Cristina Imaz Boada, general manager of the hotel, states that "there is a pricing strategy in the restaurant business where we want to attract people from the neighborhood with market prices so that instead of working from home, they do it from here." The colorful mural hand-painted by Barcelona artist María Marvila captivates an open-plan space, full of natural light, with a marked Mediterranean evocation. To one side of the bar is the reception, which acts as a prelude to L'Apartment, an original meeting area, conceived as an apartment, with its own kitchen to feel at home. On the other side of the lobby is Four Corners, where you can delight in spectacular Detroit-style pizzas. "Its name is due to two reasons, one, because the pizzas are not round, they are rectangular and have four corners; two, because they are four concepts in one," says Trilla himself. On one side we find the restaurant, on the other the street-level terrace, to which are added a pizza by the slice shop and a bodega, inspired by old grocery stores, with an exclusive selection of gourmet products to delight in the best appetizers, wines, and craft beers from Barcelona.

Design in its multiple versions

The building, designed by the architect Juli Capella, houses 240 rooms equipped with comfortable and cozy furniture, with a successful play of textures. A chromatic range based on warm and marine-inspired colors, in a clear nod to Barcelona, invite you to relax and feel good. Terracotta floors, floral prints, handmade tapestries and natural materials dress interiors designed by Ennismore Design Studio, Ennismore's own design studio, to which The Hoxton belongs, encompassed for a few months within the Accor group. Located at Avenida Diagonal 205, The Hoxton Barcelona is the third hotel chain to operate the property, which had previously operated under The Gates and Silken Diagonal brands. The intense blue of the Zelline tiles in the bathroom evoke the waters of the Mediterranean while the style detailsvintagethat dress the room give the whole an attractive and groundbreaking appearance, as well as very evocative. Equipped with large windows that provide great luminosity and privileged views of the city, the rooms are distributed into five categories including a new one, theHomey, ideal for families and long-stay guests, as they have their own kitchen, living room, and the option of two double beds in separate rooms for greater privacy. Some of the hotel's particularities, hallmarks of the British chain's own philosophy, contrast with the standards of the hotel sector. As our brand manager, these are based on three points: "First, we are not going to charge you for the mini-bar, you will not miss anything but you will not have anything you do not need –instead you have a basic store available at reception at supermarket prices–; second,check inflexible, you can choose the entry and exit time, the one you want,it is the hotel that adapts to you and not you to the hotel; and, third, you won't get any extra surprises in the price, you'll know what you're going to pay from the moment you make the reservation." All the works of art that adorn not only the rooms but the hotel as a whole are creaciones de artistas locales, whose selection was made by John Brown Projects, based in Barcelona. Among them, the Catalan artistJosé Antonio Rodahas been in charge of illustrating the room keys and the various decorative elements. A separate mention (or article) deserves the dozens of luminaires that give an extra touch of uniqueness and character to each of the spaces. From large lamps with paper shades, to imposing table lamps, to evocative wall lights,The Hoxton is an authentic festival of reflections and lights whose intensity changes throughout the day to create the desired atmosphere at all times. The hotel team's costume design is in line with The Hoxton's relaxed and friendly character. "The wardrobe is consistent with all the hotels in the group. It's casual, so that people work very comfortably. It has been designed internally but we looked for a local partner as has been Brava Fabrics so that it would produce with the quality and ecological fabric that we were looking for. Brava has given it the final touch, even adapting one of its pant models to the kit," says thebrand managerof the hotel. Together with Brava Fabrics, the glasses fromEtnia Barcelonaare those that will dress the staff in therooftopand, following the local linkage, the magazine curation has been done byNews & Coffee, a pioneer in the modernization of newsstands in Barcelona.

The uniqueness of the extremes: La Cava and the Rooftop

Beneath the hotel's ten floors lies one of its most unique spaces, La Cava. This multifunctional area is equipped with retractable panels that adapt the space to the needs of the moment. With a total area of 400 m², it is a homely and warm space where a 20-meter mural, a work by Barcelona artist Sandra Modrego, stands out.

The city's skyline is displayed in all its fullness to anyone who reaches the tenth floor of the hotel. Spectacular panoramas offer views of the sea, the buildings of Poblenou, the iconic Sagrada Familia, and Tibidabo. Here, among sofas, stools, sun loungers, and Balinese beds around the spectacular pool and next to the omnipresent Torre Glòries, we find Tope, a Mexican bar and taqueria with a seasonal menu and, of course, local products.

With Barcelona as a backdrop, the terrace decoration is dressed in colorful geometric tile tables, accompanied by lush vegetation and handmade terracotta elements. With DJ sets on Friday and Saturday afternoons, Tope seeks to become the trendy spot and meeting point for the city's afternoon scene. The most creative, cultural, entrepreneurial, and social Barcelona has a new meeting point in Poblenou, specifically at The Hoxton.

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