A recent addition to Marriott’s Autograph Collection, Barcelona’s Cotton House Hotel is located in an iconic 19th century building that was formerly the headquarters of the Cotton Textile Foundation. The hotel was only opened last year and underwent an incredible restoration process which retained the original elements, beauty and charm of the building whilst also ensuring it met the highest quality five star standards for guests to the hotel. The hotel is ideally located in central Barcelona and has a wonderful welcoming and elegant ambiance. We were lucky enough to spend a few nights at the very luxurious Cotton House Hotel and it was a highlight of our time in Barcelona.
First impressions are everything and we can happily say that our first impressions of Cotton House Hotel were fantastic! We arrived mid morning after a very early flight from Lisbon and were greeted by the friendly doorman, porters and receptionists who quickly whisked away our bags and replaced them with cold drinks. The check in process was quick and seamless and the staff could not have been any more friendly or helpful. They provided us with a map and took the time to show us where all the popular sites in the area were before we headed back out to explore.
Cotton House Hotel is ideally located in the stylish, upmarket Eixample district of Barcelona. The Eixample district is a well planned, perfect grid of beautiful, tree-lined wide streets that are very easy to navigate and almost impossible to get lost. The hotel is within walking distance of most of Barcelona’s main sites which we loved. We were only 300 metres from the beautiful shopping boulevard of Passeig de Gracia which is home to the highest number of luxury shops in the city as well as many of the popular chains! We were also within a short walking distance of many of Gaudi’s incredible buildings, La Rambla, Plaça de Catalunya, the Sagrada Familia and the Gothic Quarter just to name a few. The location is ideal for anyone visiting Barcelona whether you wish to relax, shop or sightsee.
The hotel has an incredible history as it stands on the site of the former headquarters of the Cotton Textile Foundation, an iconic 19th century building built in the neoclassical style which is a landmark in Barcelona. The building was originally a private family home and was sold in the middle of the 20th century to the Cotton Producers Guild which established its headquarters there with the aim of housing the highest possible number of cotton-producing bodies and services: the idea was to create a genuine Cotton House Hotel.
The Cotton House Hotel as we now know it opened its doors in early 2015 making it one of Barcelona’s newest hotels and we certainly think also one of the city’s best! The building went under intense refurbishment in order to convert it into the hotel and great care was taken to maintain and recover all the original elements of the building, reflecting a contemporary and sophisticated style whilst also incorporating the high level of luxury, comfort and modern facilities which guests to the hotel are seeking.
One of the most beautiful elements of the building is the imposing, stunning original marble staircase and the famous spiral staircase which was built in 1957. Incredibly, the spiral staircase is not supported on the floor below but is suspended from a metal frame on the upper floor which gives it a light and airy aspect! If you are staying in the hotel make sure you visit the top floor terrace level just to see the gorgeous view of the staircase below with your own eyes!
The hotel has 83 luxurious, comfortable rooms and suites all of which are inspired by cotton through a gorgeous combination of the white, black and sepia of the cotton plant and everything it evokes including softness, comfort, delicacy and naturalness which shines through in the decor, fabrics and textures, all of which are of the very highest quality!
We were staying in a gorgeous Cotton Room which was bright and airy, quiet, relaxing and luxurious. Our room had a gorgeous king sized bed that was one of the most comfortable beds we’ve slept in ever and was fitted with incredibly soft 300 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets that smelt subtly of beautiful spring flowers! We loved relaxing on our terrace which provided views across a typical Eixample block. Our room was spacious, had the most beautiful & relaxing decor and all modern amenities and facilities were provided including free wireless internet, a flatscreen TV, Nespresso coffee machine and air conditioning.
Our room was the perfect oasis of relaxation to retreat to after a big day of sightseeing on the busy Barcelona streets!
Our bathroom was modern, elegant and had separate rooms for the toilet, bath & shower with the basin was located off the hallway. We loved our complete wet room shower, luxurious Ortigia toiletries, high quality towels, honeycomb bathrobes and slippers. It really was an incredible bathroom and one of our favourites to date!
One of our favourite places in Cotton House Hotel was the beautiful rooftop with an outdoor lap pool that boasts the most magnificent city views. The views from the roof stretch across the city to the mountains and we could even see the incredible Sagrada Familia in the background! We spent many hours a day relaxing on the sunbeds by the pool soaking up the sunshine and views. There is also a gym located on the top floor of the hotel which is open 24 hours a day.
The hotel has a cosmopolitan cocktail bar and restaurant called Batuar which is sophisticated, elegant, relaxing and wonderfully bright and fresh. The origin of the name “Batuar” is to be found in the machine that was responsible for pressing cotton to eliminate all its impurities. The restaurant offers an incredible non-stop service on their menus from 7am until midnight! The menu offers a wide range of food options all made with market ingredients of the very highest quality!
Accessible from the Batuar Bar & Restaurant is a spacious terrace located at the back of the hotel, in a spacious block patio that is very typical of the buildings of the Eixample district. The sunny terrace is a beautiful oasis in the city with lush vegetation, outdoor furniture and is the perfect place to enjoy drinks and meals in the sunshine.
Breakfast is served in the Batuar Bar & Restaurant and is a lovely, relaxed affair. The restaurant staff were fantastic, attentive and friendly and we loved the extremely wide selection of items available both on the buffet and hot items which could be cooked to order. We eat breakfast more in hotels than we do at home and we were very impressed with Cotton House Hotel’s breakfast, it was certainly one of the best!
We had such an incredible stay at Cotton House Hotel in Barcelona and our stay there was truly one of the highlights of our time in Barcelona. The hotel is unique, has been respectfully and professionally refurbished to the highest standard and is a luxurious oasis in the centre of Barcelona. When we travel to Barcelona in the future we’ll certainly return to Cotton House Hotel and would highly recommend the hotel to anyone visiting Barcelona, you won’t regret it!
Cotton House Hotel
Autograph Collection
Gran Via de Les Corts Catalanes
670, 08010 Barcelona
Spain
www.hotelcottonhouse.com
+34 934 50 50 45
The Aussie Flashpacker was hosted at Cotton House Hotel as a guest.
