Mandarin Oriental Barcelona: Patricia Urquiola’s Design Masterpiece
Step into the former Banco Hispano-Americano headquarters on Barcelona’s most prestigious avenue, and the transformation becomes immediately evident. What once functioned as mid-20th-century banking offices now houses one of Barcelona’s most sophisticated luxury hotels, where renowned Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola has created interiors that balance contemporary elegance with subtle Asian influences characteristic of the Mandarin Oriental brand.
The hotel opened in November 2009 and underwent renovations in 2014 to expand room sizes in response to initial feedback. Located inside the famous Passeig de Gràcia building, which for half of the twentieth century was the seat of Banco Hispano-Americano, the property now comprises 120 rooms and suites designed to embrace the best of the destination whilst adding a touch of Oriental flair. The positioning could not be more ideal—seconds from luxury shopping, two minutes from Gaudí’s Casa Batlló, and within easy walking distance of virtually all Barcelona’s major cultural attractions.
Ideally located near all of Barcelona’s major attractions, the 5-star Mandarin Oriental Barcelona offers an atmospheric setting on Passeig de Gràcia, Barcelona’s most upscale avenue. The hotel houses three restaurants including Moments—awarded two Michelin stars and overseen by celebrated Catalan chef Carme Ruscalleda (who holds seven Michelin stars total, more than any female chef in the world) and her son Raül Balam. Beyond dining, the property features rooftop and indoor pools, the acclaimed Spa at Mandarin Oriental, and the hidden treasure of the 660-square-meter Mimosa Garden terrace.
This comprehensive review explores what makes Mandarin Oriental Barcelona stand out in a city with abundant luxury hotel options, examining how Patricia Urquiola’s design vision, prime location, Michelin-starred dining, and comprehensive amenities create genuinely distinctive Barcelona experience.
Patricia Urquiola’s Design Vision: Where Contemporary Meets Oriental
The design revolves around a soaring white atrium and floating catwalk, which lead from the Passeig de Gràcia to the cream-and-gold-colored lobby. Featuring sliding crystal doors, mirrored ceilings, and intricate latticework, the entrance hall overlooks the light-filled Blanc restaurant and lounge below. The spatial layout and furniture design, the ceiling decorations, and the beautiful hand-woven carpets have all been carefully chosen by Urquiola.
Patricia Urquiola, the award-winning Spanish designer whose work appears in collections at New York’s MoMA, the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, and London’s V&A among others, was commissioned to create the hotel’s stunning interior. The result represents a triumph of balance and smart use of space that manages to feel both distinctly Barcelona and unmistakably Mandarin Oriental.
The space includes a lit ramp suspended across the courtyard, leading to the hotel’s entrance. Metal grilles provide divisions of space, but simultaneously the perforations allow glimpses into the lobby. The walls are covered in 3D textured materials, giving depth to the space, and the furnishings have been tailored for the hotel, made from Italian and Spanish produced materials. This attention to texture, light manipulation, and spatial flow creates environment where guests feel both energized by Barcelona’s creative spirit and calmed by thoughtfully designed spaces promoting relaxation.
Beautiful ceiling and floor designs, hand-picked furniture, and gorgeous fabrics from the finest Italian and international companies are evident throughout the public areas and guestrooms. The colors are subtle, with a lot of cream, beige, and white with accent yellow and blue here and there. These muted tones—terracotta, charcoal, yellow, and teal—set off white-walled rooms with light-oak floors while details subtly reference the brand’s oriental heritage through patterned screen walls, textured hand-woven rugs, and cabinetry inspired by traditional Chinese lacquered boxes that add richness and character.
The Rooms & Suites: Barcelona’s Most Elegant Accommodations
Each of the hotel’s 120 rooms and suites has been individually furnished and decorated, with design variations ensuring no two accommodations feel identical. The luxurious guestrooms are amongst the largest in the city and look out over Barcelona’s most stylish boulevard—Passeig de Gràcia—or over the hotel’s landscaped interior Mimosa Garden. A number of guestrooms have balconies or terraces from which to admire the surrounding modernist façades.
When Mandarin Oriental Barcelona opened in 2009, there was some criticism about the size of the rooms, which were not up to what you find in other hotels of the chain. However, in 2014 renovation works were done and the average size of rooms was increased, addressing this concern effectively. Nevertheless, booking one of the suites provides significantly more space for guests preferring generous room dimensions.
Room Categories
Deluxe Garden Room (32 square meters / 348 square feet): Stylish rooms with garden views, light wood floors, French rugs, and Corian bathrooms. Some include freestanding baths providing spa-like experiences within the room itself.
Deluxe Boulevard Room (34 square meters / 367 square feet): Overlooks Passeig de Gràcia with light-filled interiors. Some rooms feature balconies offering views of Gaudí’s Casa Batlló, creating direct visual connection to Barcelona’s architectural heritage from the comfort of the room.
Mandarin Junior Suite: Features airy high ceilings and golden accents pitched at just the right level of sophistication. Urquiola fuses velvet and leather upholstery with the underlying signature oriental flair flawlessly. The room views offer either the Mimosa Garden or Passeig de Gràcia perspectives.
Boulevard Suite: Offers stunning views of Passeig de Gràcia, consisting of generous bedroom and spacious living area accompanied by balcony. The separation of sleeping and living spaces makes these ideal for longer stays or business travelers requiring work areas distinct from sleeping quarters.
Premier Suite: Combines contemporary design with Oriental elements, featuring spacious terrace or balcony, master bedroom, and living room with dining table for six. During visits, upgrades to these suites reveal the full expression of Urquiola’s design vision—sumptuous fabrics of leather, velvet, and exquisite silks mixed with elegant woods and rich palette of green, black, and gold to create sophisticated and vibrant living space.
Terrace Suite: Boasts beautiful view of either Passeig de Gràcia or the garden with spacious terrace perfect for outdoor dining. Some suites include outdoor bathtubs on private terraces, creating unique Barcelona experiences where guests can soak while overlooking the city.
Presidential Suite (200 square meters): Occupies the entire ninth floor with roof terrace, representing the property’s most dramatic accommodation. The scale and positioning provide unmatched privacy and views.
Exclusive 2-Bedroom Penthouse Suite: Occupies the entire top floor featuring master bedroom with its own living room, dressing room, bathroom, and terrace. Two covered terraces give outstanding city views, plush seating, and outdoor dining opportunities suitable for families or groups seeking apartment-style luxury.
Room Features & Design Elements
Light oak floors and large bespoke beige rugs add warmth while avant-garde furniture blends with sleek high-tech. The sleeping and living areas merge harmoniously with glass-enclosed bathrooms, complete with oversized walk-in showers or, in some rooms, deluxe soaking tubs with a view. The bathrooms feature high-quality fittings, with colored or satin glass walls providing semi-transparent visual screens yet without completely separating bathroom and sleeping areas—a design choice creating spatial flow and openness.
Each room has been engineered to block out street noise, a facet any easily disturbed sleeper will greatly appreciate in traffic-addled downtown Barcelona. Floor-to-ceiling windows in many rooms flood interiors with natural light while maintaining sound insulation. High ceilings amplify the sense of space. HD TVs, plush terry bathrobes, goose-down bedding, and Aqua di Parma toiletries provide luxury details. All suites come with butler service—or as the hotel terms it, “personalized guest experience” representatives.
The nightly turndown includes soft slippers and bedside house chocolate with uniquely Spanish touch, small details that enhance the sense of care permeating the property.
Location: The Passeig de Gràcia Advantage
The hotel stands in prime position on Passeig de Gràcia, a magnificent avenue in the Quadrat d’Or—once the center of Barcelona’s bourgeoisie and today the city’s luxury shopping and cultural corridor. The positioning delivers extraordinary convenience: Gaudí’s Casa Batlló sits just two minutes away, Casa Milà (La Pedrera) stands five minutes distant, La Ramblas lies within easy walking distance, and the Gothic Quarter requires only ten minutes on foot.
What didn’t become clear until checking in was that everything guests typically want to see and do during Barcelona visits stands just steps from the hotel. This central positioning means travelers can maximize sightseeing time while minimizing transportation logistics, particularly valuable during short visits where every hour matters.
The surrounding neighborhood features the city’s most prestigious boutiques—Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and other luxury brands line the avenue. Beyond shopping, the area offers exceptional dining options, galleries, and the vibrant street life that makes Barcelona distinctive. The neighborhood maintains upscale character without feeling artificial or purely tourist-oriented, with locals conducting daily life alongside international visitors.
Moments Restaurant: Two Michelin Stars of Catalan Excellence
Designed as intimate space decorated in white and gold, Moments Restaurant is headed up by seven-Michelin-starred chef Carme Ruscalleda and her son Raül Balam, earning two Michelin stars of its own. Ruscalleda holds more Michelin stars than any female chef in the world, making dining at Moments an opportunity to experience cooking from one of gastronomy’s most accomplished figures.
The restaurant showcases the culinary art of reinvented Catalan cuisine through Ruscalleda’s gastronomic masterpieces. A rosy-gold ceiling motif brings warm pattern down onto the dining room, while windows into the kitchen provide views of the culinary artistry being created. The sophisticated and sleek graphite, beige, and white décor creates refined atmosphere where food takes center stage.
The signature tasting menu celebrates creative Catalan cuisine using local, seasonal produce and elevating traditional Catalan culinary traditions to innovative, “neo-traditional” heights. Both Moments and Blanc (the hotel’s all-day dining venue) lean into authentic local ingredients while presenting them through contemporary techniques and creative presentations.
Management by son Raül means the restaurant benefits both from Carme Ruscalleda’s legendary expertise and from younger generation perspective keeping the cuisine feeling current rather than retrospective. The combination creates dining experience that honors Catalan culinary heritage while pushing creative boundaries—precisely what two-Michelin-star restaurants should accomplish.
Blanc Restaurant & Dining Options
Beyond Moments, the hotel offers comprehensive dining venues accommodating various moods and occasions. Blanc functions as beautiful all-day dining space at the heart of the hotel, crowned beneath vast skylights by suspended metal latticework installation and hanging garden of plants. The mainstay focuses on classy comfort food influenced by authentic tapas and platillos styles.
The Sunday brunch buffet at Blanc earns particular recommendation for its eye-opening range of local and further-flung flavors, providing opportunity to sample wide variety of preparations in single meal. Both restaurants emphasize authentic local ingredients and seasonal produce, ensuring menus evolve throughout the year rather than remaining static.
The Banker’s Bar occupies the space that previously functioned as the former bank’s vault, creating unique atmosphere where guests can enjoy cocktails and light bites in architecturally distinctive setting. The transformation from secure banking vault to sophisticated bar epitomizes the building’s overall conversion philosophy—respecting historic character while creating entirely new function and atmosphere.
The Mimosa Garden: Hidden Urban Oasis
On the roof section of the hall, a 660-square-meter terrace with café was perfectly integrated into the structure of the building—the so-called “Mimosa Garden.” Colorful mimosas, small trees, and shrubs adorn the terrace. Jointly designed by landscape architect Beth Figueras and Patricia Urquiola, it is considered the hotel’s hidden treasure.
This internal courtyard provides views for garden-facing rooms while functioning as actual outdoor dining and lounging venue. The Mediterranean light bites and cocktails menu allows guests to enjoy Barcelona’s favorable climate while remaining on property. The scale—660 square meters represents significant outdoor space in central Barcelona—and the thoughtful plantings create genuine garden atmosphere rather than token terrace.
The Rooftop Terrace & Pools: Spectacular City Views
Reserved exclusively for hotel guests before 7:00 PM, the view from rooftop Terrat is extraordinary and no doubt one of the best in Barcelona. The 300-square-meter roof terrace offers breathtaking panorama of the city as well as open-air infinity pool stretching across the entire width of the roof.
This intimate space proves truly special and surprisingly quiet though the city buzzes below. Guests can take a dip in the pool, order tapas and drinks, or simply lounge while absorbing panoramic views. The bartender service receives praise for allowing wine tastings before selection—touches like this reaffirm why travelers appreciate the Mandarin Oriental brand.
The combination of rooftop positioning, infinity pool design, and comprehensive food and beverage service transforms what could be simple amenity into distinctive experience. Many guests specifically cite rooftop time as highlight of their stays, suggesting the investment in creating exceptional rooftop environment pays dividends in guest satisfaction.
Beyond the rooftop, the 12-meter indoor pool separated from the generously proportioned hammam by green glass screens provides year-round swimming option. A range of warm-water areas, sauna area, and fitness center complete the aquatic and wellness offerings.
The Spa: Mandarin Oriental’s Wellness Excellence
Conceived as sophisticated urban oasis, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental is luxurious wellness sanctuary located in the basement of the property. Designer Urquiola has used balance of black and white contrasts combined with warmth of wood with accents in malachite green to create elegant and serene retreat, markedly modern in aesthetic.
The spa offers seven treatment rooms including a couples’ suite where guests can enjoy selection of spa experiences ranging from aromatherapy massages to caviar-infused facials. There is absolutely no better cure for jet lag than a good steam and a full-body spa treatment, with multiple guests noting that arriving early or having late departures allows storing belongings in changing room lockers while fully using wellness facilities.
The Oriental steam room, scented with eucalyptus and herbs, provides perfect relaxation after long flights or big days exploring the city. The transformation from completely exhausted with slight headache to surprising state of energy occurs regularly according to guest reports—testament to the spa’s effectiveness beyond mere pleasant pampering.
The spa menu offers range of holistic treatments and therapies from around the world, ensuring diverse preferences get accommodated. The 24/7 fitness center means guests maintaining workout routines during travel can do so at convenient times regardless of schedule constraints.
Service Standards: Mandarin Oriental Excellence
Service receives consistent praise, with guests emphasizing attentive staff and excellent customer service that go above and beyond to ensure needs are met. The staff proves friendly, professional, and genuinely helpful rather than merely going through motions of luxury hospitality.
The warm greeting at the superb entrance leads into the space and light of Urquiola’s décor, setting tone for the stay. The staff are exceptionally welcoming and hospitable, making travelers feel comfortable from arrival through departure. Multiple reviewers specifically note that they can’t wait to return, suggesting service creates emotional connection rather than merely meeting baseline expectations.
The multilingual staff—speaking English, Spanish, Catalan, and other languages—eliminates communication barriers for international travelers. The concierge demonstrates extensive Barcelona knowledge, securing restaurant reservations, arranging tours, and providing insider recommendations transcending standard tourist information.
Practical Considerations & Booking Intelligence
The hotel participates in various loyalty and booking programs providing additional value.
Rates at Mandarin Oriental Barcelona start from approximately €475 per room with daily breakfast when booking special packages. Pricing varies significantly based on season, room category, and booking method, making comparison shopping and flexible travel dates valuable for optimizing value.
Most rooms and suites offer views over the city or into the back garden. The best rooms come with either small patio or balcony, making the room bright and full of light. When booking, requesting specific view preferences or balcony access improves chances of receiving preferred accommodations.
Final Assessment: Design Excellence Meets Prime Location
Mandarin Oriental Barcelona succeeds magnificently at balancing multiple objectives that often conflict at luxury hotels: maintaining consistent brand standards while honoring local character, creating contemporary aesthetics that respect historic architecture, and providing comprehensive amenities without losing intimate boutique atmosphere.
Patricia Urquiola’s interior design stands as genuine triumph, creating spaces that photograph beautifully yet function excellently for actual living. The design radiates energy and poetry, awakening the senses of guests especially in individually designed bathrooms and the meditative wellness oasis. The achievement involves creating environment that feels distinctly Barcelona through material choices, color palettes, and spatial flow while incorporating Asian design elements characteristic of Mandarin Oriental properties globally.
The location on Passeig de Gràcia represents priceless advantage—guests access virtually all Barcelona highlights within walking distance while residing on the city’s most prestigious avenue. The two-minute proximity to Casa Batlló means spontaneous Gaudí appreciation becomes effortless. The surrounding luxury shopping, dining, and cultural offerings create comprehensive Barcelona experience without requiring extensive daily transportation.
The two-Michelin-star Moments Restaurant elevates the property beyond excellent hotel to destination worthy of specific culinary pilgrimage. Having Carme Ruscalleda’s cooking—representing pinnacle of Catalan cuisine—available within the hotel adds immeasurable value for food-focused travelers.
The rooftop terrace and pool, Mimosa Garden, comprehensive spa, and thoughtful amenities throughout demonstrate that Mandarin Oriental Barcelona invested not merely in creating attractive spaces but in providing facilities genuinely enhancing guest experiences. The rooftop in particular delivers Barcelona’s best hotel views while maintaining intimate scale and exclusive access.
For travelers seeking Barcelona’s finest luxury hotel experience where exceptional design, prime location, Michelin-starred dining, and comprehensive amenities converge, Mandarin Oriental Barcelona delivers magnificently.
Ready to experience Patricia Urquiola’s Barcelona masterpiece? Book your stay and discover why this Passeig de Gràcia landmark continues captivating discerning travelers.
📍 Passeig de Gràcia, 38-40, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
🌐 Website: mandarinoriental.com
🛏️ Booking: https://www.booking.com/hotel/es/mandarin-oriental-barcelona.html
📞 Phone: Check website for current contact information
Some hotels provide luxury accommodations. Mandarin Oriental Barcelona provides Barcelona itself—designed to perfection.
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