The mansion from 'The Shadow of the Wind' reborn as a luxury hotel

For years, the Macaya Tower, located on Tibidabo Avenue in Barcelona, has been a place of pilgrimage for thousands of readers of The Shadow of the Wind, the celebrated book by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, considered the second best-selling novel in Spanish Literature, only behind Don Quixote de la Mancha. In this unique modernist building, built in 1918, the enigma of the novel is resolved, making it one of the cult places on literary routes based on Ruiz Zafón's work, which has been translated into 36 languages. Now, after undergoing a profound renovation, the tower has just been reborn as a luxury hotel with 16 rooms, expanding the tourist offer in the most premium segment at a time that is not precisely characterized by new openings in the city.

The new Hotel Boutique Mirlo, at number 32 Tibidabo Avenue, presents itself as "a refuge of intimacy and relaxation a few minutes from the city center" and applies the so-called slow luxury concept, with five types of rooms all equipped with king size beds and private spa, and some with their own garden or terrace. The price per night exceeds 200 euros.

The modernist building, which turned one hundred years old in the midst of rehabilitation, was built as a summer tower by Roman Macaya, one of the promoters of Tibidabo, who also commissioned architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch to build the Macaya Palace, located on Paseo San Juan. Although the tower is still owned by the family, it has not been used as a residence for years. In fact, in the 90s it housed the headquarters of the Ogilvy advertising agency in Barcelona, where Carlos Ruiz Zafón had precisely worked as an advertiser.

At the beginning of 2018, it was revealed that the Macaya Tower had been leased by the Italian company So Unique to convert it into a boutique hotel. At the time, the CEO of this firm, Saverio Cancellara, announced his intention to invest 2.5 million euros in the opening of the establishment, which was expected to open in 2019, although it has finally not been until now that it has been able to open its doors. The Hotel Mirlo was able to escape the hotel moratorium decreed in Barcelona for various reasons, as it had the necessary permits before it came into force. In addition, the hotel is located far from the center and also has no other establishments nearby, so the project has been able to be executed.

The mansion on Avenida Tibidabo is part of Barcelona's heritage and features a romantic garden where a new swimming pool has been built. Inside, a staircase stands out, the central element of the house with a strong literary charge, as it is the "broken marble staircase covered with rubble and fallen leaves" described in The Shadow of the Wind, although in reality the hotel's staircase is made of wood, a characteristic material of modernism.

The 16 rooms of the Hotel Boutique Mirlo feature large windows with views of the garden and the city, and a waterfall-effect shower with hammam. Some of them also have hydromassage with chromotherapy and a sauna with a dry steam bath. Each room is between 25 and 50 square meters, and the suite also enjoys a private balcony. The establishment aims to focus on clients who "love naturalness and attention to detail" and who seek to rest or escape within the city, with personalized service and accompanied by a good gastronomic offer. In this sense, the El Nido del Mirlo restaurant offers a breakfast and dining menu open to the city and designed by chef Ismael Alonso. The room is characterized by large vaulted windows with views of the garden, although in good weather, it will also be possible to eat outdoors, under a pergola that simulates blackbird nests.