U232 Hotel Review

I recently stayed at the U232 Hotel with my wife for four nights for a birthday surprise. 

It has an excellent location and the staff were extremely helpful, advising what would be good to see whilst staying in the city and also how to walk, get the metro or bus.  They were always courteous to us taking time to greet you when entering or leaving the hotel. 

We had a good sized room with very nice facilities, balcony (although the view could have been much better, we looked onto the building behind the hotel?), large en-suite (with a glass wall in-between the en-suite and the bedroom) and a very comfortable bed & pillows, so were able to have great sleep which is very important on holidays!!  The local restaurants were of a good quality so choice was not limited.  Also a local cafe, called El Fornet, was particularly good for breakfast & lunch!! 

Overall we really enjoyed our visit to Barcelona and would definately think of a return visit!

Experience posted by Jeff Mcmullan, Feb 2010.

Fashion as seen by Outumuro

Hotel Granvia is one of the favourite sets of the photographer

Under the heading “Outumuro. Looks” Disseny Hub Barcelona has put on display more than 200 images by fashion photographer, Manuel Outumuro. The retrospective exhibition, which can be seen until 25 April, covers twenty years of the photographer’s career

 All the top Spanish models have posed before Outumuro’s lense, such as Laura Ponte, Judit Mascó and Martina Klein, whose first photo was taken by him. “We are practically family” he said.

International models have also posed for Outumuro, including many famous figures, such as Penélope Cruz, Rossy de Palma, Alaska, Diane Kruger and Luz Casal, among many others.

Manuel Outumuro fuses the spirit of classicism with a search for elegance, an elegance which portrays femininity in its truest form. The photographer is drawn towards women’s fashion and the only job he ever rejected was taking photos of jeans. His images are timeless, though the photographer tells us that he works without looking for a particular style. “I take photos as I feel them” he says.

Outumuro’s influences are vast, from Harper’s Bazaar magazines of the forties and fifties to the world of cinema and literature.

Hotel Granvia commemorates this year its 75th anniversary. Stablished on 1935 in the former Palace of Serra-Chopitea family (built in 1870), this hotel has been part of Barcelona’s history and has seen all the majors events of the last century in the city. Its unbeatable location next to Passeig de Gràcia and Plaza Catalunya ensures the best of Barcelona to all its guests.

What: Outumuro. Looks
Photographic exhibition
Where: Disseny Hub Barcelona
Montcada, 12 - Ciutat Vella
When: until April 25th, 2010

080 Barcelona Fashion, Indepedent Fashion

Hotel 1898 is one of the sponsors of 080 Barcelona Fashion.

Creativity and innovation are the concepts inspiring 080 Barcelona Fashion, a platform from which to offer visibility to independent fashion designers, with the aim to become a benchmark for international avant-garde fashion and design.

With the intention to earn its own place inside the independent fashion circuit, this event aims to transform the city of Barcelona into an inescapable first rate worldwide showcase for fashion and avant-garde design. 080 Barcelona Fashion is therefore committed to back Fashion Culture as a whole, pretending to become more than just a plain Fashion Show.

For its present fifth edition, held on January the 26, 27, 28 and 29th, the 080 Barcelona Fashion Showroom will be combined together with The Brandery; and work has continued to be done to achieve an extension of the commercial possibilities.

In this 5th edition, we could see the following catwalk shows: Bibian Blue, Cardona Bonache, Celia Vela, Crommorc, Heal Fashionlab, Jan Iú Més, Juan Antonio Avalos, Karlotalaspalas, Krizia Robustella, Manuel Bolaño, Martin Lamothe, Miriam Ponsa, Montse Liarte, Songzio, Stefania Borras, Tim Hamilton, Tramando y Yiorgos Eleftheriades.

Location: Pavilions 6 & 8 de Fira de Barcelona (Montjuïc)
When: del 26 al 29 de enero de 2010
More inf@: 080 Barcelona Fashion Website

B-Hotel: Biggest rooms in Barcelona

Our B-Hotel has been awarded with the ”Biggest Rooms” distinction by venere.com users worldwide.

B-Hotel pays homage to the city of Barcelona, the modernity and design capital, through the giant letter B sculpture which sits atop the building, marking the city skyline.

The innovative and minimalist B-Hotel showcases a perfect balance of avant-garde style and cutting-edge technologies. The building features a blend of the latest architectural trends, and stands eight stories tall. It is home to 84 rooms and a private parking garage. It makes a great meeting place and has a beautiful and impressive lobby, where guests can enjoy drinks at the B-Bar or share some tapas and fine local wines in the B-Celler. Also offers a terrace with solarium, an incredible pool on the eighth floor, and some amazing views overlooking Plaza Espanya, Montjuïc and the Gran Via. It may be the only terrace in town with free Wi-Fi.

Venere.com is a trademark of Expedia, the largest online travel company in the world with presence in over 55 countries.

Frozen Rates at Hotel Soho Barcelona

Hotel Soho Barcelona announces that the weather forecast for December and January is -20º.

Save 20% on all reservations staying a minimum of 4 nights.

Rates will be dropping down to discount levels never seen before in the city, so take advantage of this offer for your Christmas shopping or to enjoy our incredible January sales.

Book now your stay at Hotel Soho Barcelona. But don’t worry, despite our frozen rates, Barcelona’s mild winter temperatures will be waiting for you!

Hotel Soho Barcelona exclusive design leaves a distinctive mark on Barcelona’s hotel landscape with its cosmopolitan, minimalist, and imminently urbane character. The Gothic neighborhood and the Cathedral are just some of Barcelona’s most emblematic places well within walking distance from the hotel. Guests can also easily walk to the Picasso Museum, the MACBA, and the CCCB, as well as other tourist hot-spots, including the La Boqueria Market, the Liceu Theatre, the Palau de la Música, Plaza Catalunya and Paseo de Gracia.

Check availability and rates !!

The Tibidabo Hall of Mirrors wins FAD awards

After its remodelling in July 2008, the Tibidabo Hall of Mirrors was awarded both the jury prize and the public-opinion prize that are presented by the FAD every year.

The jury awarded the attraction their prize, under the category of “momentary interventions”, at the 51st appearance of the prize-giving ceremony.The prize was awarded to “highlight the magic, imagination and mastery of optical illusions enjoyed by the attraction, which was designed to make children laugh and think“, the jury remarked on its decision.

The attraction was designed by Dani Freixes and works using modern technology in conjunction with the park’s classic mirrors.

The Hall of Mirrors takes its visitors on a ten-point journey, featuring periscopes, stereoscopes, wall mirrors, floor mirrors and lasers.

Source: www.bcn.es

Barcelona: one of the world’s happiest city

Barcelona is the third happiest city in the world, according to the American magazine Forbes, overtaken only Rio de Janeiro and Sydney, at first and second places, respectively.

 The list was drawn up from data supplied by a survey among ten thousand people from twenty countries.

Barcelona is recognised for its warm climate, lively culture and football team, as well as its classic Mediterranean nature.

Barcelona is followed by Amsterdam, Melbourne and Madrid, in fourth, fifth and sixth places respectively. Next come San Francisco, Rome, Paris and Buenos Aires, which make up the ten cities perceived to be the happiest in the world, according to Forbes. 

So, why not joining this happiness-circle in one of the best hotels in Barcelona? Núñez i Navarro Hotels brings you 9 centrally located hotels in Barcelona, all different but amazing.

Discover the happiness of Barcelona with www.nnhotels.com

Cool hotel & very convenient location: B-Hotel

We stayed at the B-Hotel from 1 to 5 August.

Cool hotel from the pool on the roof to the Breakfast room on the 1st floor with fantastic views over Plaza Espanya.
The rooms are really well laid out, the decor is funky in a minimalist way, the breakfast was excellent and the location is very convenient - close to the city centre, transport connections and to Montjuic.
Staff were friendly and helpful. Already, we are recommending it to friends as the place to stay in the best city in Europe.

Experience posted by Phoebe Muckian, Sept 09.

Three Dragons Castle

The Natural Science Museum is hosting the exhibition “The Castle of Three Dragons, from restaurant to Natural Science Museum” which takes a look back over the history and architecture of the building designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner for the 1888 Universal Exhibition. Domènech i Montaner is world-wide known for his later buildings Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, both of them on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

This great building of unpainted brick, crowned with embattlements, known to most as the Three Dragons Castle, is an example of early Barcelona modernism. The building is was built by Domènech i Montaner in 1887. Since 1920 it has housed the Zoology Museum. It preceded the famous Amsterdam Stock Exchange by Berlage (1898) in its use of construction materials: exposed brick and undisguised iron structures. The building is also important for the history of art, because it is the site of the workshops where in the 19th century old artisan techniques in ceramics and iron-working were studied for the first time. This activity led to a resurgence in the decorative arts in Catalonia.

More inf@: Natural Science Museum website

B-Hotel: a relaxed 5* experience

We stayed in the B-Hotel from the 7th to 9th August - couldn’t fault anything about this hotel.  The first impression was excellent & staff were simply superb - their help & suggestions ensured that we experienced the real Barcelona (instead of the usual ready made tourist areas).

The location of the hotel was excellent - close to the tour bus stop, aerobus stop and fantastic sights including the Palace, fountains & Bull Ring (was also close enough - but far enough away from the Ramblas - if you know what I mean!).

The facilities, including the impressive pool (& view!) was a delight - nice way to relax after travelling around Barcelona. Everything about our stay was perfect (apart from the fact that Barcelona were playing in USA) - we will be back at some stage and will certainly be back to the B-Hotel!

Easily a relaxed 5* experience!

Experience posted by Sean McGrattan, Aug 09.
www.b-hotel.com

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