Review of ABaC Restaurant & Hotel, by Catherine Cooper

A small, ultra-luxurious hotel in the Zona Alta of Barcelona, ABaC Restaurant & Hotel is a modern, minimalist haven in which to escape from the bustling city.

ABaC successfully combines a 19th-century building with an ultra-modern glass one so that the overall impression is of modernity. The two buildings are linked by a glass-walled kitchen which guests can walk through to access rooms in the old building. ABaC is justifiably proud of its restaurant - it was awarded two Michelin stars in 2008 and the restaurant is currently the only one in Barcelona with two Michelin stars.

The town garden and white-walled lobby areas are subtly linked together by tasteful, understated sculptures. Downstairs there is a small but perfectly-formed spa for the sole use of hotel guests with a hammam, heated relaxation beds and a Jacuzzi with underwater loungers as well as a table laden with fresh juices and herbal teas. ABaC's bar is in the old cellar with a vaulted ceiling, colour-changing mood-lighting at floor level and a smoking room. Everything about the hotel is tasteful and exquisite - even the underground car park is beautifully lit.

All the fittings in the 15 rooms and suites feel understatedly luxurious and expensive - the rooms are sound-proof and the doors are reassuringly heavy. All rooms are large and uncluttered with enormous beds, white, minimalist decor and wooden floors. Huge Bang & Olufsen TVs, free wifi and a complicated light-dimming system which switches itself off if you don't move for half an hour make the rooms feel high-tech as well as comfortable.

Each bathroom features a massive rain head shower fitted into the ceiling and a chromatherapy Jacuzzi. As well as miniature Hermès toiletries, the little matching drawstring amenity bags for men and women with items like razors, toothpaste and nail files are a nice touch. The best rooms are the Attic Room with a fantastic 80 square metre terrace (where you can sit in an outdoor Jacuzzi with an incredible view of Tibidabo Mountain) and room 812 which also has a large terrace.