W HOTEL, BARCELONA
With its sail-like structure, the W is a beacon for five-star fun along the Barcelona beachfront, and when you enter the opulent lobby you know you’re in for a good time. The whole place is gleaming from a multi-million-euro refurb, which saw the addition of the high-spec Sound Suite (W’s first recording studio;
£135 per hour) and transformed the 473 rooms and suites (most with floor-to-ceiling windows revealing spectacular sea views) into contemporary, luxury living spaces. When it comes to food, the W has all bases covered, with Bravo 24’s Michelin-starred chef, Carles Abellán, creating traditional Catalan cuisine (smoked-cod esqueixada with olives and peppers, chocolate fritters…), Salt dishing out some of Barcelona’s best burgers, and Eclipse serving sushi and cocktails 26 floors up. The Wet Deck pool bar is the place to hang out, with top DJs and acrobatic performers by night and Wow cabanas to hire by day, making for the perfect autumn party weekend. w-barcelona.com. Doubles from around £207, room only. British Airways has return flights from London to
Barcelona from around £100