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Barcelona is a city full of a Gothic and Modernist architecture on the Mediterranean Sea and is considered the second capital of Spain. Known for its quirky, cosmopolitan and hip style, Barcelona has a lot to offer including amazing nightlife. From a cozy & traditional Spanish bar to a hot, happening club, this is just one of the reasons Barcelona is a perfect place to go for a ‘One Day Stay’. You will find history, arts and a culture unique to the Catalan region of Spain plus fab places to shop, dine and drink. Barcelona is also a great hopping point to many other adventures, be it in Spain or elsewhere.
DROP YOUR BAG
This visit to Barcelona wasn’t Lola’s first and that certainly makes it seem easier to go to such an outstanding city and not stay long. I’d say any excuse to go to Barcelona is worthwhile BUT, to me, a big part of any trip is the choice of where you stay. Your ‘home away from home’ can largely set the tone for the rest of your time, in my opinion. I always say, if you choose wisely all else will fall into place AND for me, this is W Barcelona. To be honest, I could have never left the property and found everything I was looking for during my time in Barcelona. A hip & cool scene, good food, great cocktails and dancing – W Barcelona has ALL OF THIS under one roof, on a beach, touching the Mediterranean Sea. Honestly, can you picture a more perfect place for moi?! No, I didn’t think so. Completely LOLA APPROVED! Like all that is unique in Barcelona, the architecture of W Barcelona is a sight to behold. Known as ‘The Sail’, I think it looks like a gorgeous wave rising from the sea heading for the beach ahead. With just under 500 rooms, W Barcelona offers 9 different room categories, 3 restaurants, 2 bars and 1 club plus the FAB spa by Bliss. Rooms are bright, crisp & clean with all kinds of amenities special to the property. Standouts for Lola are the W Insider services available to all guests, the Whatever/Whenever philosophy, 24 hour room service AND the hot pink sequined wall!! 😉
DO
Barcelona is notorious for being a late night city with a great club scene SO one must do that when they have limited time in Barcelona to get a feel for the place. W Insiders suggested Privé Barcelona as they have very exclusive access and are specialists in cocktails. (Very Lola – hello VIP) They also have a great dance floor! Privé is a premium club with loads of style. Accommodating up to 350 guests, I liked that the club wasn’t overly crowded and overwhelming as many clubs can be. If you dare to dance, you will be under 500 color diamonds with the latest technology in RGB independent lights that’s only available in 3 clubs in the world: London, Shanghai and now Privé Barcelona. The music starts pumping at 1am and lasts til 5:30. I think I managed a respectable 4:30am my evening there. I really loved Privé Barcelona. The drinks, the DJ’s tunes, the cool crowd all = a great time. Will definitely go back there when next in Barcelona.
DRINK
While I enjoyed many a tasty cocktail during my short visit in Barcelona (Negroni at WAVE and gin & tonics at Ura & Privé Barcelona) my favorite spot that really added to my time was a simple stand on the Barceloneta boardwalk. It was such a gorgeous day that particular Sunday in Barcelona that there wasn’t much left for choices of a walk-up and walk-away drink. I went for a caipirinha and it was soooo delicious. Maybe it had something to do with the surrounding scenery of the marina, beach, music and people BUT to me, it was the best tasting drink of my whole time in Barcelona and probably the least expensive too.
DINE
When I asked W Insiders to set up dinner for some friends and me in Barcelona on Saturday evening, one place they suggested was Ura. I always look for the hip & cool and thought it best to ask the experts, which is EXACTLY what W Insiders are. Ura was described as having a festive young atmosphere with delicious food from the north of Spain. AND, bonus, it turns into a great spot for after dinner drinks later on. I can completely attest to this as our reservation was for 9:30 and the place was practically empty but by midnight tables were being carried away to make room for the throngs of people looking to see and be seen. I thoroughly enjoyed the warm & casual atmosphere of Ura and found the food wonderful as well as the cocktails. Ura even had a fun magician going from table to table to keep things lively. Truth be told, this is something I’m typically not fond of but at Ura it completely works by just adding to the jovial vibe. This is one Barca resto I would recommend to anyone.
PS – I really feel as though I should give an honorable mention to Eclipse at W Barcelona as well. Up at the top on the 26th floor, it’s a GREAT club scene that I enjoyed quite a bit as well. Well done W Barcelona, well done you.
