There are many cool hotels in Barcelona, but few can boast their status as an icon. Located on the tony Paseo de Gracia avenue—the city’s famed shopping street—the Majestic Hotel & Spa has presided on one of its most quintessential corners for no fewer than 100 years. Therefore, in addition to being iconic, this opulent building is a centennial hotel.
Though there are many things to like about this hotel, above all I’m in love with its impeccable service and its coquettish terrace, La Dolce Vita, featuring an impressive view over central Barcelona and the most evocative buildings of the Catalan skyline, including Gaudi’s mesmerizing Sagrada Familia basilica.
Although 275 rooms can hardly be considered a few, all it takes is a one night stay in any one of them to realize you won’t hear a sound beyond your doors; indeed, despite its considerable size, there is an overwhelming feeling of privacy and privilege. Considering the hotel’s situation on a busy avenue, this is an authentic luxury!
Few are aware that the Majestic Hotel & Spa was Barcelona’s first five-star hotel, a fact that inevitably helped to position it as a point of reference among the Catalan bourgeoise and the vast number of stars and personalities that have passed through its doors over its lengthy history, including Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso. Today, celebrities continue to choose this hotel in order to enjoy a unique one-night escape, or perhaps a romantic evening turned gastronomic experience.
This latter option is in the hands of famed Catalan chef Nandu Jubany, who runs all the restaurants in the hotel which, naturally, also serve many of his signature dishes. One of these specialties is roasted beef cannelloni with boletus mushrooms, a true delight for the palate. Guests can now enjoy even more of chef Jubany’s creations at the recently inaugurated restaurant, SOLC, where the menu is based on local products cooked in a manner respectful of gastronomic techniques mandated by tradition—something the Majestic knows a little something about.