Review: the Hotel Arts Barcelona – Part 2

This is part two of my review of the Hotel Arts Barcelona, A Ritz-Carlton Hotel.  You can read Part 1 by clicking here.

The Hotel Arts Barcelona is one of the hotels taking part in our current EXCLUSIVE ‘10,000 Marriott Rewards points for booking a long weekend’ promotion.  Full details of that offer are here and you can book it here. 

Marriott offered us a free night at any of the hotels taking part in the offer, and I picked this one.  Head for Points paid for all of its other costs.

Spa and leisure facilities at Hotel Arts Barcelona

If you need to justify to your partner why you’re staying on the edge of the city centre and not amongst the crowds near La Ramblas, tell them about the leisure facilities.

Outside the hotel you have this newly opened adult infinity pool.  You can see Frank Gehry’s iconic fish sculpture behind it:

A bit further long is a larger family pool:

There is also a small jacuzzi.  Oh, and of course the beach and the sea:

As it was January there was no-one about in the pools and the outdoor bars and cafes were closed.  It looked like it would be a very smart place to spend the afternoon during the summer.

The spa is not free to hotel guests.  This is disappointing but does keep it quiet and exclusive.  Located on the 42nd and 43rd floors, the spa includes a plunge pool and, frankly, the best view from a hotel sauna you’ll have ever seen!

Food and drink

You won’t be going hungry or thirsty at Hotel Arts.  The dining options have apparently been renovated over the last few months and it all looks very impressive.

If you want fine dining, there is Enoteca Paco Perez.  This fish-based restaurant has two Michelin stars.

Sensibly – because breakfast buffets and formal restaurants rarely suit the same sort of space – the hotel has a room which is only used for breakfast, called Lokal.  I ate in the lounge but I had a walk around during breakfast and the hotel had made a lot of effort to include Spanish specialities instead of producing another bland ‘international’ buffet.  For example:

and

For drinks, you have the very smart P41 bar and ‘coctelarium’.

You also have Bites which is brand new cafe and informal dining space:

There is also Arola, a Meditteranean restaurant, and a Summer-only outdoor restaurant called Marina.

In general, whilst the hotel is obviously family friendly with its childrens pool and beach access, there is a lot to offer here for adults who want to have a classy weekend of eating and drinking.

I made a video ….

I put together a short 3-minute video of Hotel Arts Barcelona which shows my suite, the restaurants, the spa, the bar and the beach.

You can subscribe to our YouTube channel via this page – this is the same link to visit if the video does not automatically appear below.

 

 

 

Conclusion

Even in January, with the pools empty and the weather carrying a chill, I could tell that this was a very accomplished property.  It looks exceptionally good, both in the rooms and public spaces, and the staff were operating at a very high level.

If you want to be at the heart of the action in Barcelona then this is not the best choice.  The ‘action’ in Barcelona can be very full-on, however, and for a more laid back break – either with family enjoying the pool and beach, or with adults enjoying the two Michelin-starred restaurant and classy bar – this is a good choice.  I am keen to come back with my kids for a long weekend beach break.

As a Marriott Rewards redemption, Hotel Arts Barcelona is 60,000 points per night.  Given that rates for standard rooms in peak season are between €400 and €550 per night, this is very good value and well above my target valuation of 0.5p per point.

The official Hotel Arts Barcelona website is here.

Thanks to the Marriott team in London for arranging my stay and to Paula at the hotel for my tour.

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How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (April 2024)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (40,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)