EUROPE, HOTELS, SPAIN, STORIES BEAUTIFUL HOTEL VIEWS IN BARCELONA

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1 EUROPE, HOTELS, SPAIN, STORIES BEAUTIFUL HOTEL VIEWS IN BARCELONA JUNE 15, 2016 by ASHLEY WALKER GAREN3510 Surrounded by Barcelona s most iconic architecture, Hotel Cram fits perfectly into the rich legacy of this historic city. The 67-room luxury boutique hotel is located in the middle of the Eixample district of Barcelona. With an old world style façade, the hotel dates back to 1892 and has a majestic European elegance with its rose pink exterior and white trimmed balconies. After travelling for more than 17 hours from Los Angeles, there was a feeling of comfort walking into the lobby. Greeted by friendly hotel staff, our 1 am check in was

2 made as easy as possible and my husband and I were able to dive into bed almost immediately. Each of the rooms are planned to offer maximum comfort; they stand out warm, elegant, avant-garde aesthetic with highly functional design and high-tech equipment. The hotel rooms are ingeniously designed and allow the selection of different lighting scenes (welcome, fiesta, romantic and night light) from a control panel on the bed side table. I ve always loved the idea of controlling a hotel room from a switch right next to the bed! Each bathroom features a specialty shower with the hotel s own collection of bath products and goodies. If there s anything you ve forgotten to bring, I m confident you ll find it in your bath kit. After waking up in the Hotel Cram, I was amazed by how truly beautiful the location is.

3 In a neighborhood of historic architecture, I couldn t help by stand outside in my pajamas and gaze at my surroundings. It s amazing that nearly every room in the hotel has a balcony or terrace to take in the sights and sounds of the city. Since we had arrived at night, it was so exciting to get my first sneak peek of the city before even having breakfast! The best view of the hotel can be found at the Ànemos Terrace Bar, located on the top floor. Here you can enjoy panoramic views of Barcelona. Each morning there s a complimentary breakfast buffet with fresh pastries, fruit and egg dishes. We also indulged in some amazing coffee and fresh squeezed juice as we savored our surroundings. Once breakfast wraps up, the rooftop pool becomes the center of attention where hotel staff serve drinks, appetizers and tapas throughout the day. Its new menu offers little snapshots of the creative style of Chef Jordi Cruz. The hotel is very close to the Paseo de Gracia (the most expensive shopping avenue in Spain), Rambla de Cataluña (a high-end fashion shopping street lined by lime trees), Plaza de Cataluña (a large square where the old city and the 19th century-built Eixample meet) and the Ramblas (a 1.2 mile kilometer tree lined pedestrian mall).

4 My husband and I were so excited to hit the town, we went down to the front desk to get some walking instructions to the Ramblas which is about a 15 minute walk. Before we stepped out, we noticed that just left of the lobby is a trendy lounge with a Michelin starred restaurant called Angle. Here you ll find the décor keeps with the hotel s interior with has some very funky lightning and amazing design. The menu looked great, too!

5 As for hitting in the town- Barcelona is sure to impress. After walking along the Ramblas, enjoying some sangria and tapas, we hopped in a cab over to the Parc Guell which is a UNESCO heritage site designed by Gaudí. For anyone not familiar, Parc Guell is a public park composed of gardens and architectonic elements located on Carmel Hill and the mountain range of Collserola featuring works of Gaudí

6 We recommend that you buy tickets in advance as there are a select amount of tickets available per day but you can buy them directly on their website. Despite the heat and crowds, the view that you will experience at the top is legendary. Another must-see destination in Barcelona is The Sagrada Familia. It s an awe-inspiring Roman Catholic church designed by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí who became involved in the project in 1883 (a year after construction commenced). Today it s a marvel to see his amazing architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms.

7 When Gaudi died in 1926 it was estimated to be between 15 and 25 percent complete. Construction still continues today it s about 70 percent complete with most of the project set to be finished by 2026 (the centennial of Gaudi s death). Since construction is ongoing, inside access is limited to the Nave, Crypt, and the Passion and Nativity towers. There s also a souvenir shop and museum. Fun fact: The entrance fees of euros finance the annual construction budget of about 25 million euros. After a day of fun, adventure, and beauty we headed back to Hotel Cram for a rest. Another fun fact is that the Hotel Cram has been selected as an SLH Hotel which is a very exclusive distinction by the group Small Luxury Hotels. This group matches independently-minded guests with independently-spirited hotels. They currently have a collection of over 520 hotels in more than 80 countries with a portfolio of cutting-edge design hotels, palatial 17th century mansions and even properties on private islands. We can tell by the beautiful design and intimacy, the Hotel Cram fits in perfectly with SLH. To get more information and book a stay at Hotel Cram, visit their website. Viajes felices! Adios until next time!

8 ASHLEY WALKER GAREN ASHLEY GREW UP IN NEW YORK AND ALWAYS HAD A DESIRE TO SEE THE WORLD. AFTER WORKING AS A WEB DIRECTOR IN PUBLISHING AND LUXURY BRANDS, SHE FOLLOWED HER PASSION TO TRAVEL AND LIVE LIFE ADVENTUROUSLY. NOW BASED IN LOS ANGELES, HER GOAL IS TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO SHARE THEIR AMAZING TRAVEL STORIES. SHE WANTS TO INSPIRE EVERYONE TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT AND TO FOLLOW WHEREVER THE ADVENTURE LEADS.