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The 74-room Gran Hotel La Florida is a welcome addition to a city short
on chic, high-end hotels. Owned by The Stein Group (Gran Hotel Son Net, Mallorca; Blakes, Amsterdam) it sits regally atop Mount Tibidabo, 500 metres above Barcelona. Some might object to the 20-minute drive into town, but location is its big attraction: the panorama of the city and Mediterranean beyond is jaw-dropping, especially from the six-square-metre marble showers in the Sky Terrace suites. La Florida first opened in 1925, achieving iconic status with the help of regulars Ernest Hemingway and James Stewart. The barcelonés were initially sceptical about Stein's renovations: as La Florida has looked down on them, they have gazed fondly up at it.
But despite three new floors (built underground) and an added wing, the white, boxy exterior has changed little. Interior designer Dale Keller has decorated the large, comfortable rooms and suites in muted colours, with cream leather armchairs, wood floors and embroidered bedspreads. Most have sea views. An ingenious, L-shaped, stainless-steel pool spills out from a slate-tiled interior to the outdoor terraces. The Catalan restaurant, L'Orangerie, has proved a hit with the locals: both hotel and restaurant attract those who prefer to be removed from Barcelona's frenetic bustle but keep it in their sights.
WHEN TO GO
Before 26 September to catch an exhibition at Barcelona's
first Forum of Culture.
ROOM TO BOOK
A terrace room with sea views, or splash out on a Sky Terrace Suite.
CONTACT
Gran Hotel La Florida, carretera Vallvidrera 8393, Barcelona,
Spain (00 34 93 259 3000; fax: 259 3001; www.hotellaflorida.com). Doubles from €190; terrace room with sea view from €500; Sky Terrace suite from €1,177
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