Monument Hotel, Barcelona
BACKGROUND This is a new hotel housed in an old mansion dating back to the late 19th century. The house, commissioned by the industrialist Enric Batllo, was built between 1895 and 1896 by a pre-Modernista architect.
WHAT’S IT LIKE? The building has been completely renovated and upgraded, and is now run separately as a five-star hotel complete with two restaurants including Lasarte, which holds three Michelin stars. The neo-Gothic façade of the building, with its detailed brickwork, stone, ceramic and wrought iron, is impressive, as are the several doormen waiting to greet customers. A central staircase winds its way up through the house, and there are small wooden seats set into the corners as the stairs turn (the property would not originally have had an elevator). Thankfully, there are also two new glass-doored elevators taking you up to the rooms and also down to the spa and the small fitness centre on the lower ground floor.
WHERE IS IT? On the corner of Passeig de Gracia and Carrer de Mallorca, close to the La Pedrera building and minutes from Casa Batllo.
ROOMS All rooms are accessed along atmospherically lit corridors, which are decorated in dark brown shades. The rooms have brickwork walls (not original, but added during the renovation), giving an elegant loft-like feel, along with oak wood flooring and furniture. Entry-level Deluxe rooms are 24 sqm, and overlook either Carrer de Mallorca or the courtyard. The beds are extremely comfortable with 300-thread Egyptian cotton bedding and Ferdown duvets, a large Loewe TV, Bluetooth audio systems, Jacob Jensen telephones and, in the bathrooms, Jo Malone toiletries, velour bathrobes and underfloor heating.
FOODANDDRINK The hotel has two restaurants – Oria, which is where breakfast is served (à la carte or a selection from a set menu, but no buffet) and the top-dollar Lasante, which is part of chef Martín Berasategui’s extensive empire. MEETINGS Guests can book meeting facilities in the Hotel Condes opposite. LEISURE The hotel has a small spa and fitness centre, but no pool.
VERDICT This is an outstanding hotel with a really beautiful exterior and interior, preserving the history of the building while creating something entirely contemporary. The service is superb – during a two-day stay we did not have to open the front door ourselves once, and were always greeted with a smile when returning after a few hours or a whole day away. Tom Otley
The Monument is an outstanding hotel with a really beautiful exterior and interior