The Majestic, peak Barcelona chic
There’s no age limit to true class. The five-star Majestic Hotel ‒ proudly standing guard at the centre of the Catalan capital ‒ is proof of that, for it has kept its elegance and chic for a century without one wrinkle. Good news for us!
The renowned establishment stands, dazzling, on the Passeig de Gràcia ‒ the Barcelona version of the Champs-Élysées, minus the busy cafes and plus the incredible architecture. This masterpiece avenue is where Gaudí’s convoluted craziness, Art Nouveau designs, glass and steel constructions, bulky structures and Florentine fineness cross paths. And of course, where you can find the Majestic Hotel, a reference since 1918 ‒ which says a lot.
This legendary building has welcomed a thousand crowned celebrities such as sports champions, movie stars, politicians and businesspeople. Pascal Billard, the hotel manager ‒ formerly at the Plaza Athénée in Paris ‒ is most certainly determined to preserve this state of grace and to keep the legend alive.
Messi the Messiah
How? Well, the sheer perfection of this palace attracts dazzling lights even outside the Majestic, shining in front of its revolving door. In Barcelona, not far from the hotel, the Camp Nou stadium and the FC Barcelona are burning with football fans’ passion, whose one and only Messiah is… Lionel Messi.
A perfect choice, since the football star is also a smart businessman. He invests part of his “modest” earnings ‒ €35 million per year at the PSG, excluding brand deals and image rights deals ‒ into Spanish hotels. Bingo! The Barcelona palace signed a deal to manage the player’s six 4-star establishments (Sitges, Ibiza, Andorre, Majorque, Baqueira and Sotogrande) under the MiM label. Read Majestic and Messi ‒ or the other way around.
More than 1,000 contemporary artworks
This good deal is also another ‒ well-deserved ‒ sign of recognition for the Majestic which all hotel service professionals want.
The hotel includes: 217 keys, with 45 gorgeous suites and 5 penthouses (the largest takes up 500m2 and costs €18,500 a night); the SOLC, a local-food restaurant with a star chef (the hotel uses ingredients from its very own garden);
an elegant bar straight from the 50s; a spa; on the walls, more than 1,000 contemporary artworks from the hotel owners’ personal collection (the owners being the Casals family since day one); an exceptional breakfast with more than a hundred sweet delicacies on the menu or the buffet; and last but not least, the 10th floor rooftop…
Mirrored sunglasses, a must-have
Madre mía… The open sky balcony depicts a lively Barcelona in all its glory. There gather the most important people of the city for their inevitable rendez-vous.
Hovering at the top of the 100-year-old building, the balcony is the bridge between ever-trendy catalan refinement, the colours of today and the temptations of tomorrow. There, the restaurant, the small cooling pool, the must-have designer swimsuits and mirrored sunglasses, the comfy chairs, the lights of smartphones at night, a shining star (probably), a movie star (maybe?), the influencers in cute dresses and their unshaven bodyguards all cohabit while Barcelona is displayed in all its glory on a giant screen. Projected in HD, the cathedral, the arrows of Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia, the bold lines of a tower, a plane taking off, and birds skimming through the sky… A scenery which calls for a cup of cava. And a romantic kiss.
Double room: min. €360 per night.
Breakfast: €39 per person.
SOLC Tasting menu: around €60.
Passeig de Gràcia, 68, Barcelone.
Tél. : 00 34 03 488 17 17
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