Hotel Arts Explained

Hotel Arts
Map Type:Spain Barcelona
Location:Carrer de la Marina, 19 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Coordinates:41.3867°N 2.1961°W
Status:Completed
Start Date:1992
Completion Date:1994
Building Type:Hotel
Architectural Style:Structural expressionism
Roof:154m (505feet)
Floor Count:44
Architect:Bruce Graham
(Skidmore, Owings & Merrill)
Structural Engineer:Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Owner:Host Hotels & Resorts, ABP
Management:Ritz-Carlton

The Hotel Arts is a 44-storey, 483 room luxury hotel on the seafront of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. It is operated by Ritz-Carlton.

History

Contrary to popular belief, it was not built to service the 1992 Summer Olympics, though its construction was part of the big changes undergone by the city to prepare the Games. The hotel opened as a 10-story building in 1992, then closed down to finish the construction project.[1]

The construction was finished in 1994 and it is an example of high-tech architecture.[2] It is 154 metres tall and was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with Colombian-Peruvian architect Bruce Graham as partner in charge.[3] The design team was led by Senior Architect Miguel Ruano, with Dr Agustí Obiol as local Architect of Record.

In 2006, the hotel was acquired by the consortium composed of the Investment Fund of Singapore's Government (GIC), Host Hotels, and ABP. The consortium paid 417 million euros to acquire the hotel.[4]

The hotel underwent a complete renovation in 2006, installing new technology and upgrading the rooms and bathrooms into modern, luxurious spaces. In 2009, the rooms of the 40th floor were replaced by meeting rooms.

In 2013, the Hotel Arts launched a digital guide for its guests.[5] For the wedding of his niece in 2014, Lakshmi Mittal rented almost the whole building to house his guests. In 2014, the hotel recorded an average 80% occupancy.

In December 2015, Raúl Salcido became the new director of the hotel, replacing Rivero Delgado who was heading the hotel since 2010.[6]

In June 2016, Ariana Grande rented the whole 36th floor when she passed by Barcelona.[7]

Description

Hotel Arts is set on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, its pool is surrounded by gardens and offers guests the chance to sunbathe next to one of Barcelona's most famous pieces of contemporary public art—a monumental golden fish-like sculpture by Frank Gehry, which was created for the ’92 Games.

The hotel has 483 rooms, including 56 executive suites, 28 duplex penthouses, the royal penthouse and the presidential penthouse.

A spa is located on the 43rd floor of the building.

In March 2019, the restaurant Bites opened in the hotel.[8] The restaurant Enoteca, also located in the hotel, is the only one in town with a 2-star Michelin rating.[9] The hotel has a total of 6 restaurants.[10]

The Hotel Arts is considered the second most expensive hotel in Spain.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hotel Arts, un refugio de lujo para famosos. 2015-06-15. Expansión.com. es. 2019-03-31.
  2. Book: Andrew Smith. Events and Urban Regeneration: The Strategic Use of Events to Revitalise Cities. 15 March 2012. Routledge. 978-1-136-48858-0. 289–.
  3. Book: Jules Brown. Rough Guides. The Rough Guide to Barcelona. 1 May 2014. Rough Guides Limited. 978-0-241-00782-2. 131–.
  4. Web site: El Villa Magna, ahora una gran inversión por el desplome de la lira turca Noticias de Hoteles, Noticias de turismo, rss2 Revista de turismo Preferente.com. 2018-08-28. Preferente.com. 2019-03-31.
  5. Web site: El Hotel Arts Barcelona estrena un sistema digital pionero de información al huésped. completa. La revista. 2013-09-17. TecnoHotel. es. 2019-03-31.
  6. Web site: Hotel Arts Barcelona nombra nuevo director general Hoteles y Alojamientos. Hosteltur. Hosteltur: Toda la información de turismo. es-ES. 2019-03-31.
  7. Web site: Ariana Grande contrata toda una planta del hotel Arts en Barcelona. 2017-06-13. La Vanguardia. 2019-03-31.
  8. Web site: Bites, el nuevo espacio "desenfadado y sin horarios" del Hotel Arts. 2019-03-12. 7caníbales.com. 2019-03-31.
  9. Web site: Hotel Arts Barcelona is a culinary and architectural treasure. 2018-07-02. Evening Standard. en. 2019-03-31.
  10. Web site: From Athletes to Well-heeled Travelers, How Hotel Arts Stays Relevant in Booming Barcelona. Mowery. Lauren. Forbes. en. 2019-03-31.