Ohla Barcelona

Welcome to Ohla Barcelona, a hotel full of art that looks out with the one-thousand ceramic eyes on its façade, by Frederic Amat, in the heart of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, just five minutes from the Rambla and the Boqueria market and two from the Cathedral.

A hotel full of history, located right where Roman water channels passed through the city, where the palace of the first Count of Barcelona stood, and, more recently, where the city’s first department store, Casa Vilardell, was once found.

A history on which we’ve built a designer boutique hotel from the ground up. A culinary hotel with Caelis, the restaurant by Romain Fornell with one Michelin star. A five-star boutique hotel with 74 rooms at which guest services are part of our essence. Come in and enjoy your stay.

The neo-classic façade was all that was left of the old building when the hotel was built. A façade that was treated by sculptor Frederic Amatlike an acupuncture patient, filling it with pins topped with ceramic eyes (produced by the master Antoni Cumella) put in place with exacting precision.

When you walk into Ohla Barcelona, you’ll see 18 white faces looking at you with the 18 expressions of the human face, by artist Samuel Salcedo. White ceramics on black walls. This black, along with the white and the wood tones, creates a dialogue inside the hotel and in its rooms.

A majestic spiral staircase, at the opposite end of the entrance hall, rises up through the building like a spinal cord. At its feet lie a piece by artist Joan Priego, known for his multi-coloured work in wood and his satire of contemporary man.

In each of the 74 rooms, this dialogue takes place among the various spaces and materials. The sleeping area, with wooden floors and white walls and bed linens, counters and blends into the black walls and floor of the bathroom, where the only thing that stands out is the shine of the fixtures and mirrors.

Dialogue among spaces in the heart of the Gothic Quarter
Our hotel is just three minutes from the Barcelona Cathedral and five from the Rambla and Plaça Catalunya, in the heart of the Gothic Quarter. In each of the 74 rooms, a dialogue takes place among the various spaces and materials.

The sleeping area, with wooden floors and white walls and bed linens, counters and blends into the black walls and floor of the bathroom, where the only thing that stands out is the shine of the fixtures and mirrors.

Daniel Isern, Architect
The project, which Daniel Isern created in his time at ABAA studio, was born out of the architect’s commitment to the building and what it represents. Each element, each corner, each piece of furniture, could tell its own story.

The most significant is the one that has led it to be known in the city as “the hotel with eyes”, thanks to the work by Frederic Amat on the façade: one thousand pins topped with pupils looking out over the city. But the hotel is much more than one piece of art…

“Maintaining dialogue with such a significant piece of art, the whole building is a quiet balance of light and shadow. Each room gives guests the best view on offer from such a special location.

At the same time, the other spaces, from the rooftop terrace to the ground-floor restaurants, have all been designed as if an exercise in stage design. They feature top-quality materials and exquisite lighting, which all come together to make moving through them natural, fluid.”

Suite Dome
Our most exclusive suite is nestled under the dome atop this neo-classical building with a listed façade: the Dome Suite. This two-storey top-floor suite has 80 m2 of space and 10-metre ceilings with huge picture windows and a terrace.

Decorated with the utmost care, the bottom floor has a large living space with a table that seats six and a Bang & Olufsen television. This space opens out onto the magnificent private terrace where you can eat breakfast while gazing at the neo-classical and Modernisme buildings on Via Laietana.

The upper floor is for sleeping, with a king-size bed, private dressing room and bathroom with a huge tub and intriguing glass-walled shower. If you have special needs, we can offer the adjoining room as well, making it a penthouse suite. This is also a great option for families that need more space.

Cuisine by Romain Fornell

Ohla Barcelona is proud to give you 5 different culinary spaces led by Chef Romain Fornell. Romain Fornell was born in Toulouse, France in 1976. In 1994, he began his studies at the prestigious Toulouse Hospitality School (Lycée des Métiersd’Hôtellerie et du Tourisme) and was named Best Young Chef of the Midi Pyrénées region.

In 2001, he earned his first Michelin star, making him the youngest chef to do so, just 24 years old. He moved to Barcelona in 2002, where he has lived ever since, to take charge of Caelis. In 2005, Romain got another Michelin star for Caelis, becoming the only French chef to receive this distinction in both France and Spain.

Since early 2017, coinciding with the move of Caelis to Hotel Ohla Barcelona, he has been the Chef/Culinary Director of all of the culinary spaces at this hotel: Caelis, Caelis Privé, La Plassohla, Vistro49 and Rooftop.

Caelis
The culinary style of Caelis Chef Romain Fornell and his team is contemporary cuisine, reinterpreting tradition and vanguard in his own creations. He is known for his daring, passion and balance.

Caelis is a restaurant with tasting menus (we have three options, one is vegetarian). Plus, middays from Wednesday to Saturday, we offer the prix fixe Caelis Menu (€42 VAT included), which changes weekly.

The restaurant has two separate spaces: firstly, the dining room with space for up to 24 guests at tables of varying sizes. And secondly, an open kitchen with a horseshoe-shaped chef’s table and stools that seats 14 more guests who can watch everything that goes on behind the scenes.

Romain Fornell opened Caelis in 2004 and earned a Michelin star the very next year. In 2017, Caelis moved to Hotel Ohla Barcelona. The move was also a turning point in the restaurant’s culinary offering and this new era is more contemporary and less classical.

In early 2018, Caelis Privé was inaugurated, the private room at Caelis. Caelis Privé is located on the -1 floor of the Ohla Barcelona hotel. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 8:00 pm to 10:30 pm and Wednesday to Saturday from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm.

Privé Caelis is the new space at Michelin-starred Caelis and one of the most personal passion projects of Chef Romain Fornell. Caelis Privé is a separate space where guests can host private lunches or dinners and one of our chefs will prepare and explain the dishes to diners.

The room features a huge screen showing everything that is going on in the Caelis kitchen in real time, for an exceptionally unique experience. The menu at Caelis Privé is ad-hoc, with several menus designed specially for this space (not the same as in the main restaurant).

The space seats up to 26 diners at one long table. Caelis Privé is located on the -1 floor of the Ohla Barcelona hotel. Caelis is located on the mezzanine floor of the hotel (0.5).

Xerta Tapas Bar

The culinary offering at La Plassohla is a journey through flavours and textures. A voyage through traditions. At La Plassohla, we propose a sensory journey through different culinary traditions in the form of tapas and small plates to share.

La Plassohla restaurant can seat up to 60 diners. The tables are laid out along the picture windows looking out on to Carrer Comtal, inviting diners to observe the comings and goings along one of Barcelona’s most bustling streets from the peaceful setting inside the restaurant.

A table at the bar, opposite the kitchen, gives diners a live view of cooking, mise-en-place and plating. La Plassohla, Vistro49 Wine Bar and the Rooftop terrace, in addition to Caelis (Michelin-starred restaurant) comprise the Ohla Barcelona hotel culinary offering.

All of the spaces are managed and led by Chef Romain Fornell. Kitchen open all day from 12 noon to 12 midnight (limited menu from 4:30 to 7:30 pm).

Leisurely breakfast
Ours isn’t just any breakfast. Led by Michelin-starred chef Romain Fornell, we offer a full buffet with local produce and select fruit, freshly baked bread and pastries and an extensive menu of egg dishes. Come down with time, grab a paper and enjoy a leisurely breakfast.

Make breakfast what you want: a continental classic with eggs, bacon and toast, or something healthier with fruit and carefully selected local dairy products, or a Catalan tradition with select cured meats, tomato-rubbed bread and virgin olive oil. And enjoy a selection of fresh baked goods, in the French style.

Rooftop
The Ohla Barcelona rooftop terrace, in just a few short years, has become an essential spot for anyone who wants to enjoy a drink in an oasis of tranquillity with exceptional views. In the foreground, the Cathedral with its majestic towers reflecting Barcelona’s historical heritage that seduces us every day.

In the background, the forward-looking part of Barcelona can be seen in the newly constructed buildings. The blue sea is the perfect backdrop for a skyline that is always a privilege to admire. At night, under the stars, the countless lights give the city a more intimate feel.

The Ohla Barcelona rooftop terrace has several spaces: comfortable stools along the balustrade where you can look out over the city while enjoying a drink; chill out areas that can be booked for private groups, perfect for endless chats; and modern tables and chairs dotted around the space.

Presiding the terrace, our glass-walled pool: perfect for extraordinarily beautiful snapshots. And behind it, some of the one-of-a-kind eyes created by Frederic Amat that cover the hotel façade.

Whether at sunset or at night, the Ohla Barcelona rooftop terrace is the perfect place for a drink after work or to kick off or top off a memorable evening.

Vistro49
Vistro49 is Chef Romain Fornell’s wine and cocktail bar at Hotel Ohla Barcelona. The team has created an extensive list of cocktails and wines, featuring hidden gems from little-known wineries.

There is also a good selection of well-known sparkling wines and a carefully chosen selection of tapas. It is the perfect place to meet up in a relaxing setting in the heart of Barcelona.

Aperitifs, cocktails and drinks
Our terrace is one of those special places where locals and visitors alike seek a bit of peace and quiet. Its fantastic location and privileged views of the Cathedral make it an oasis right in the heart of the bustling city centre.

A place to have an aperitif, cocktail after work or, if you’d like something to eat, a selection of the best tapas from La Passohla. Weather permitting, you’re likely to find some sort of event going on.

Projections, DJs in the evening or presentations from international fashion brands are the most common. And we’re proud to belong to the Circuit of luxury hotel rooftop bars in the city. We’re sure you’ll always be in good company.

Constant dialogue with the city
The “hotel with a thousand eyes”, as it is known by neighbours, does its name proud. The one-thousand ceramic eyes on the main façade, created by Frederic Amat and executed by master ceramicist Antoni Cumella, create a dialogue of gazes between passers-by and the hotel itself.

This dialogue permeates all of the hotel spaces, where locals and guests intermingle. The areas set aside exclusively for hotel guests offer the privacy you need for a comfortable, intimate, tranquil stay in Barcelona’s liveliest neighbourhood.

Even the contemporary artwork at the hotel participates in this open dialogue with the historical surroundings and neo-classic façade of the building. A hotel in constant dialogue with the city.

At your service
Service is at the core of our being reason. And service to us means care, attention and problem-solving. Above all, we want to make your stay a great experience, show you a side of Barcelona beyond the stereotypes and share our love of the city with you.

Our team of concierges are members of the prestigious Clefs d’Or Association, a seal of approval for our concept of hospitality. Welcome.

Private driver
A private driver available for anything you may need. Allow us to take you from the hotel to the airport, on a guided tour of the city, or just shopping – wherever you’d like.

Fitness curator
We make exercise the best experience possible with experts who can prepare a running route around the city or motivate you with a body fit class. We also have masters to help you align body and mind in a private Ashtanga yoga class.

Bath butler
Coming back after a long day and finding the perfect bath waiting for you: salts, candles, relaxing herbal tea or a bottle of sparkling wine. Have a soak and forget the outside world. Alone or with company. Shall we draw you one?

Experience team
Choose your pillow. Choose your sheets. Choose the scent for your bed. Our Experience team is here to make your stay one-of-a-kind, at no additional cost.

Personal shopper
An exclusive experience with a professional guiding you as a VIP customer through the city’s most renowned international boutiques and the ateliers of Barcelona’s most cutting-edge designers. They will help you choose what looks best on you. Ask at reception: it will make you feel great.

Committed to Responsible Tourism
At Ohla Boutique Hotels we are aware of the impact of our activity on the environment, as well as on our social and cultural setting. We understand that tourism development must be sustainable, protecting the environment and making rational use of natural resources.

One of our main objectives is to improve sustainable management, assuming continuous improvement commitments in all areas of sustainability: social, economic and environmental, as well as customer satisfaction.

Hence, we are committed to sustainably managing our activity and applying the principles and targets agreed in the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the P.O.P. and the World Charter for Sustainable Tourism +20.

In our process of continuous improvement for better environmental management, among other points, we have reduced electricity and water consumption, and improved waste handling to enable a better recycling.

Beyond sustainability commitment:

We are determined to maintain and expand our network of associates and suppliers who are committed to local products and favour environmental certificates.

Reinforce our social commitment with institutions such as Mercè Fontanilles Foundation for the integration of people at risk of social exclusion, and high social value foundations such as Caritas, Fundació Roure, Fundació Trinijove or Fundació Guné.

We are committed to motivating, promoting and training our staff in good practices and Responsible Tourism, and to reporting both internally and externally on the company’s environmental progress and actions.

Ohla Boutique Hotels show our commitment to fight against sexual exploitation or any other abuse or harassment, mainly of children, teenagers, women and minorities; and we shall also take universal accessibility measures.

Future expansion projects of the facilities or activities will be subject to sustainability and efficiency criteria in the use of resources. This Responsible Tourism Policy will be updated whenever required, adopting and publishing new sustainability objectives.

Website: www.ohlabarcelona.com

Rooms: 74

Price: from 273 EUR per night