Hotel Pulitzer, Barcelona, Spain

Just off Barcelona’s central Plaza Catalunya, the Hotel Pulitzer is ideally located opposite Fnac, Habitat, Café Zúrich and El Corte Inglés. Although not exactly a design hotel or quite as plush as its iconic Amsterdam namesake, this luxury hotel oozes sophistication and can claim the prize for the best-trained staff in town. Receptionists and baristas are well groomed, speak a myriad of languages and are fiercely proud of their luxury hotel and its superior service.

Whilst preserving the ornate 1920’s façade, a retro, art deco theme can be seen throughout. Terraces open up the lobby space and back garden of the luxury hotel to create a feeling of depth, letting in as much natural light as possible. Romboid white leather Contemporain sofas and armchairs contrast with an antique oriental red lacquer double-cabinet rising prominently from behind the bar. The décor of the luxury hotel is both modern and antique, cool without being pretentious – Violán rescued original antique fittings from old chemists and closing stores to enhance the retro style. The overall look is minimalist modern chic, contrasting black and white furniture with monochrome modern art by artists such as Vasarelyor and Hernández Pijuan.

The facilities

A small well-stocked library provides a quiet reading corner with books on travel, art and architecture while the swish cocktail lounge and Restaurant ‘Visit’ have become popular early gathering points for Barcelona’s fashion-conscious party crowd. A stylish panoramic roof terrace and downstairs outdoor patio, shaded by cinnamon-brown umbrellas, serve as Visit’s summertime spill-over, especially on “Sushi Wednesdays” when Niguiris, Sashimi and Makis are prepared and served at the bar. The luxury hotel's lounge music seems to vary from daytime swing, evening Sinatra, Dean Martin or Dina Washington to an upbeat bossanova crescendo at night before finally winding down with after-hours chill out and blues. The luxury hotel offers guests free entrance to a nearby Holmes Place Fitness Center which has a great indoor pool, health food restaurant and spa. Breakfast is served in the ground floor restaurant providing limited cooked options but plenty of coffee, teas, freshly squeezed fruit-juice, choice of teas, fruit and cereals plus some delicious fresh patisserie.

The rooms

Rooms in the Hotel Pulitzer mix dark shades of grey, black and brown linear fittings with white or grey marble. There are slate-tiled bathrooms complete with power showers and sporty Pulitzer-branded toiletries as well as trendy “Pulitzer” slippers and gowns. The plasma TV channels and complex “intelligent” lighting system will not detain guests for long and large, comfy double beds leave little room to wander around.