It is not just Gaudi’s distinctive architecture in Barcelona that attracts admirers. A new high-rise hotel is also making its mark on the city skyline. Mike Toynbee reports The aptly named Hesperia Tower, which has become a new landmark on the Barcelona skyline, is the flagship property of one of Spain’s leading hotel groups. Built up over a period of 30 years, the Catalonian-based chain has established a portfolio of 51 properties, the majority located in Spain (including the Canary Islands, Majorca and Minorca), with the remainder to be found in Andorra, Brussels, London and Isla Margarita in Venezuela. They range from the historic Gran Hotel Hesperia – celebrating its centenary this year – in the Galician spa of La Toja, to the ultra-modern, Richard Rogers-designed Hesperia Tower, opened last year in a city noted for its architectural heritage. Between the two are business and leisure properties of every shape and size. However, it is the 105-metre high, 27-storey Tower, topped with its distinctive domed restaurant, that embodies the group’s modern approach to the hotel-keeping business. Its cutting-edge design is both bold and brave. Bold, because it joins a select group of iconic buildings that include the Pompidou Centre, Madrid’s Barajas Airport, Lloyds of London and the Millennium Dome, all designed by the distinguished British architect. Brave, because innovation always carries a certain amount of risk. The Hesperia Tower, less than 10 minutes from the airport, is located in what was an industrial wasteland but is now emerging as an up-and-coming commercial district. It is at the end of the Metro Line 1, within four minutes’ walk of the station, and adjacent to one of the city’s largest hospitals. Built at a cost of €74 million, the hotel combines contemporary style with hi-tech facilities. Rooms are spacious and comfortable, but the fact that access is via the bathroom is a quirky and somewhat disconcerting departure from conventional hotel design. Security is excellent, with card-operated lifts, but practical shortcomings during our stay included key cards that had to be reprogrammed on several occasions to function, and the angled screens on free-standing consoles outside the lifts were all but impossible to read at certain times of the day, due to reflection caused by the sun streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Lighting, too, is all rather subdued. But these are relatively minor details in a hotel that breaks new ground in terms of design and décor. Its striking exterior and modern, elegant interior with extensive use of black marble, are all very 21st century. This extends to a state-of-the-art Convention Centre, which is an integral part of the hotel and is set to become one of the city’s major venues. A purpose-built auditorium, a massive function area and more than 20 smaller meeting rooms are already attracting a steady flow of events of all sizes. And the rooftop restaurant, with its Michelin-starred chef, provides unrivalled views of the city. The latest innovation offers guests a free, online check-in facility for flights, including the ability to print their own boarding cards before leaving the hotel for the airport. Hesperia Hotels may be little known outside Spain, but it has successfully established itself as one of the country’s leading providers of hospitality and is now looking to raise its international profile.
What you get at the Hesperia Tower, Barcelona
Location: 10km from airport; 7km from the city centre (Plaza Catalunya)
Rooms: 280, including 12 duplex suites with Jacuzzis, 14 business suites, seven executive suites and a Tower Club with 42 rooms; also a Presidential suite. Free wireless internet connection, flat-screen TV, and pillow menu
Facilities: spacious Executive lounge; fully equipped business centre with workstations; rooftop glass-domed restaurant (EVO) with panoramic views; two other restaurants and bars; extensive health club and spa with pool.
Meeting facilities: 5,000m2 convention centre, including a purpose-built 500-seat auditorium, a function suite for up to 1,600 people, and 21 meeting rooms seating between 20 and 2,000 delegates; plus reception and breakout rooms, VIP area and business centre.
Rates: from €166-€224 per room per night, and from €256 for a suite rising to €1,800 for the Presidential suite.
Website:
www.hesperia-tower.com
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