So yes, today we are looking at a tiny, expensive room- but that’s not the full story. Hi there, my
name is Kevin and I make honest, unsponsored and to the point narrated video tours about hotels and
flights all over the world. This is my auspicious 88th report coming to you today from The Barcelona
Edition. I hope you’ll stick around and let me show you all this property has to offer.
Welcome to The Barcelona Edition, just next to the famous Santa Catarina Market on the
edge of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter. If you’d like to know the exact rate that
I paid and my next five videos in queue, please check out the description below.
Opened in 2018, the 100 room Barcelona Edition, as with all Edition properties,
was designed by Ian Schrager. Edition hotels are a collaboration between Schrager and Marriott,
the first having opened in 2013 in London with 10 current properties and a further
12 in the pipeline. Schrager is best known for his storied past as the co-owner of Studio 54,
the inventor of the “urban resort” with the opening of the Delano Hotel in Miami in the 1990s,
and perhaps his most influential work,
the Hudson Hotel in New York which was considered the first true ‘lifestyle hotel’.
We are now in the hotel's lobby and reception area which begins a theme at this property of:
things that are just a bit too small. While the staff were efficient and very friendly,
the front desk area is simply too small to cope with a busy day at a 100 room property.
Just off of the lobby is the impressive and iconically yellow Bar Veraz.
During my stay, this eatery was open throughout the day.
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Let’s talk about the food for a bit because it’s worth it’s weight in gold. Breakfast was included
in my rate. From the small but diverse menu we could choose one cold and one hot dish. With the
yogurt parfait, I ordered the Eggs Benedict, but asked to sub the smoked salmon for ham.
I was asked if I wanted normal ham or Iberico ham. Honestly, the thought of Iberico in eggs
benedict never crossed my mind but holy crap this was perhaps the best breakfast item I’ve ever had.
For dinner, Veraz offered again a small but well curated menu of substantially sized tapas.
The highlight for me was the crispy pasta stuffed with sobrasada, walnuts and honey.
In addition to Bar Veraz there is also the well received Punch Room,
a cocktail lounge which had reopened the week prior to my stay, but was not yet open nightly.
Now, up to the roof, cleverly named, The Roof.
On a beautiful day you can practically see all of Barcelona- speaking of which,
let’s check out where we are. Barcelona has many neighborhood, but tourists generally
focus on Eixample or the Gothic Quarter, which the Edition sits just 100 meters north of.
The black facade, an unusual sight in Barcelona is just next to the avant garde Santa Catarina Market
and steps from Via Laietana, which during my stay was twice blocked by protests. The hotel
staff seemed to suggest it was a frequent occurrence on the avenue. If you can control
the time at which you arrive to the hotel, ask a local to check if there is anything going on
at the moment otherwise the hotel becomes essentially inaccessible for an hour or two.
The Roof is a small space with outdoor terraces on the East
and West sides of the building and a pool on the North side.
Inside as you’d expect you’ll find a full service bar which
serves a range of signature cocktails and Asian inspired tapas style bites.
On the east side you have a clear view to the Sea and a
wonderful place to take in the sunrise if you’re up early enough to enjoy it.
Alright now let’s head down to the 6th floor to my teeny tiny room.
I did not measure the room myself, but I think I stay in enough rooms to know what
249 square feet feels like and well, this certainly did not feel like it.
Despite the small size though, the rooms are beautifully decorated in warm wood tones and
crisp whites. And this is certainly one of those hotels that smells like it looks,
with the full property scented with the signature Edition Le Labo products black tea fragrance,
which just like everything else in the room- you can purchase. The hand soap,
a cool $54. The fake fur throw, just $375. The mattress? The deal of the day at $3500.
I suppose, if the room had to be this size, then the layout really does make the best use of all
of the space. The end tables floating to give a more open feel, the sofa built into the window,
the desk chair just a skeletal frame of its former self. The criticism aside though,
if the room was around 100 square feet bigger, I’d probably be in love with it- the wood tones
have a very calming effect and every single thing in the room had a premium feel to it.
Hidden behind the wood paneling is no surprise here,
a tiny closet and a very well stocked mini bar-
complete with a variety of Nespresso pods, a variety of snacks and drinks, a single bottle
of complementary water and a candle that at $80, make Diptyque candles seem reasonable.
The bathroom, complete with gilded mirror and Le Labo products is efficiently laid out,
dividing the space into three areas which all feel just about right.
The shower window can be closed off with wooden blinds controlled from the outside
and the bathroom as a whole can be closed off with a pocket door.
The only thing left is the view. The capitalist
inside me wants to say that this could pass as a partial sea view.
A few hours after arrival a trio of cookies meant to mimic traditional
Catalan style tiles was brought to the room.
Now I just want to take issue with a few small design details that missed the mark.
These outlets were clearly designed specifically for macbook chargers- which makes me wonder why
the end table chargers couldn’t support the weight of a feather. The louvered blinds are crisp and
clean- but the carpet in the hallway looks like a cat that had a bath but isn’t fully dry yet.
All of the drawers are on well working soft close tracks,
but the bathroom’s pocket door has a mind of its own no matter how gently you slide it.
I digress. The fitness center is surprisingly pretty large
at least compared to what I was expecting.
So, what are we thinking? It’s a $400 room and while mine did come with a hotel credit $400
without the credit does seem to be around their standard lowest rate. Honestly, I am torn.
I enjoy Edition properties- much more than W hotels which is probably the closest
comparison in Marriott’s portfolio, but the room is just too small.
This isn’t New York or London, tiny rooms are not the norm here. The corporate literature for
the hotel describes The Barcelona Edition as the “true personification of an urban resort:
an intimate and sophisticated boutique-style environment”- I don’t buy that. Love the hotel,
love the food, love the design, but I think there are just better values to be had in Barcelona.
Now onto the Flip Flop Score. Feel free to pause to take a closer look. I really hope
you enjoyed this video today and hope you’ll subscribe for much much more content to come.
I’ll see you on Friday for my Japan Airlines Business Class flight from Saigon to Tokyo Haneda.