Earlier this year I was back in the UK to celebrate a milestone birthday. Gulp. As I get older, though, I’ve become a bit more chilled out about the candles on my cake increasing every twelve months. Having recently lost someone close to me, I feel lucky every time I hear Happy Birthday (and Auld Lang Syne).
Feeling the fiesta spirit, my mum and I decided to embark on a trip from London to Barcelona and Valencia, by train. After a whirlwind day of travelling across France, with a stop for lunch in Paris, we arrived in Barcelona for our brief stopover. We wanted somewhere a bit luxe, with a good bar for a nightcap and central, as we were heading on to Valencia the next day.
We couldn’t have picked a better hotel for the purpose. Cotton House Hotel is a beautiful 5 star hotel located in an old Cotton Guild Headquarters on the Gran Via; a short stroll from Placa de Catalunya and La Rambla beyond. Granted, this is definitely not Barcelona’s hippest hood, but as a smart hotel with only a short cab ride distance to Sants Station, it fit our bill.
We were greeted at reception with a friendly smile and a copa de cava, which went down well after a 6 hour train journey! Even from the reception space, we could tell this was going to be a special and well-designed hotel. Antique mirrors covered one whole wall and the vases were full of fluffy stalks of cotton, true to the hotel’s heritage.
Check-in was quick and painless so we headed to our room to freshen up before heading out for tapas. In a nice touch, all the room types have themed names. We plumped for the Cotton room, which has a balcony overlooking the hotel courtyard.
Although a little on the small side, the room was beautifully decorated, a crisp ‘cotton’ white, and we loved the artwork on the walls. What also stood out was the canny use of the smaller space: the sink area for the bathroom was along the entry corridor, with a separate bath/shower room and WC room. In reality, this was a little irritating (and personally I love a huge bathroom to luxuriate in), but ensured no space was wasted.
The room’s piece-de-resistance was the small balcony. The ornate floor tiles were beautiful and toned in well with the turquoise green metal shutters. After a delicious breakfast (seriously – such a spread on offer), we spent a good hour back on the balcony with the paper and a cup of coffee, enjoying the feel of warm sun on our faces in January!
In fact, we enjoyed it so much that, when we had to check out at 12, we simply moved ourselves to the large and welcoming terrace next to the hotel restaurant. It was so nice to simply relax and enjoy the moment, rather than rush about Barcelona to see the sights.
If you’re feeling active, the hotel boasts a small rooftop pool and fitness studio which we scorned in favour of more food and drink. Make time for a nightcap in the beautiful lounge and library area. The decor is exquisite and intimate; it felt like our own private living room.
The Cotton House Hotel, Barcelona: Vital Statistics
Where? Cotton House Hotel, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 670, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
Website? www.hotelcottonhouse.com
Nearest metro? Passeig de Gracia; Urquinaona
Out of 10
Location: 8
Rooms: 7
Ambience: 9
Breakfast: 8.5
Value for money: 7