Hotel Arts

Description:

• Managed by the Ritz-Carlton chain, this hotel occupies 33 floors of one of the tallest buildings in Spain, and one of Barcelona's landmark skyscrapers. It lies about 2.5km (1.6 miles) southwest of Barcelona's historic core, facing the sea and the Olympic Village. Planned as a key project of the 1992 Olympic Games (but not finished on time), the Arts wore the luxury hotel mantle and remained the shining example of "New Barcelona" for over a decade. All its rooms have recently been renovated and new amenities such as a luxury spa added. Privileged clients flock here for the incredible skyline and the Mediterranean views, club rooms with their open bars and free snacks, state-of-the-art executive suites, Aqua de Parma toiletries, and a million other details that make this hotel top of its class. Its decor is contemporary and elegant. The spacious, well-equipped guest rooms have built-in furnishings, generous desk space, and large, sumptuous beds, flatscreen TVs, DVD players, and B&O sound systems. (Four units are equipped for guests with disabilities). Clad in pink marble, the deluxe bathrooms have fluffy robes, Belgian towels, dual basins, and phones. The hotel features the city's only beachside pool -- overlooking Frank Gehry's bronze Peix (fish) sculpture -- and its new in-house bars and restaurants, such as Arola, are jump-starting nightlife into the neglected Olympic Marina. The young staff is polite and hardworking, the product of Ritz-Carlton training.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Ciao Bambino Family-Friendly Hotel

•  Reviewed 2009

Travel + Leisure 500

•  Best Hotel 2008

Conde Nast Traveler

•  Readers' Travel Award Winner 2008

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2009
•  Very Highly Recommended 2010

ForbesTraveler

•  Forbes Traveler 400 2008