Barcelona is the type of city that you can return to again and again. It’s dynamic and always ever-so-queer — and there’s fun around nearly every corner. My favorite part of the city to stay in is the bustling Eixample district, which is Catalan for expansion, referring to the city’s enormous expansion project in the early 1900s. This shopping and dining hub is inherently walkable. And while La Rambla gets all the attention for its walkability, nearby Paseo de Gràcia is like the city’s Champs-Élysées.
PHOTO COURTESY MAJESTIC HOTEL GROUP
Set in the midst of this neighborhood, directly on Paseo de Gràcia, is the five-star, award-winning Majestic Hotel & Spa Barcelona, which features 217 rooms, a full spa, rooftop lounge and pool, and three gastronomic gourmet eateries, run by Nandu Jubany, a one-Michelin-star chef. But it’s the hotel’s magnificent penthouse that’s really been garnering attention on the world stage lately.
PHOTO COURTESY MAJESTIC HOTEL GROUP
The hotels’s lavish Majestic Royal Penthouse is a 5,000-square-foot suite that features a dining room, living room, and three bedrooms — plus two expansive terraces, complete with whirlpools. In October, it was honored at the 20th annual Prix Villégiature’s awards, receiving the Best Hotel Suite in the World award.
PHOTO COURTESY MAJESTIC HOTEL GROUP
“We are beyond honored to receive this prestigious award. It is an even greater honor to be placed in such distinguished ranks amongst the best hotels in the world, especially by selected industry critics, and guests. This award is a testament of Majestic’s commitment to offer an unmatched stay where guests will experience top of the line amenities and service,” said Pascal Billard, Majestic General Manager. “We aim to be better today than we were yesterday, and better tomorrow than we are today.”
The Majestic also won awards for Best Breakfast in a Hotel in Europe in 2018 and Best Hotel City Terrace in Europe in 2019.
PHOTO BY PAUL J. HENEY
The luxury hotel, which opened in 1918, is the oldest continuously operating hotel in Barcelona, and remains family-owned to this day. In fact, the family used to live on site — it was their large residence that was eventually converted into the sprawling penthouse. The current generation of family owners will sometimes regale hotel staff with memories and stories about spaces they played in while growing up as residents of the Majestic.
PHOTO BY PAUL J. HENEY
The suite features panoramic views of both the renowned Paseo de Gràcia and the Sagrada Familia church, designed by famed architect Antoni Gaudí. At a cool $18,000 per night, the Majestic Royal Penthouse is definitely for guests seeking the ultimate in luxury. It includes a fully stocked Maxibar (no Minibars here!!) tailored to the guest’s preferences and includes gourmet snacks. There are also butler and chauffeur services during the entire stay. The penthouse has eight high-end Bang & Olufsen televisions throughout. The interior design consists of unique furniture created by leading Italian designer brands Flexform and Molteni, as well as Dutch designer brand Van Thiel.
PHOTO BY PAUL J. HENEY
Guests staying at the Majestic Royal Penthouse can also arrange with the hotel to cater meals directly on the terrace. The food and service here are impeccable, and we enjoyed an incredible lunchtime meal on the terrace, with paella, plenty of lovely wines, and a selection of desserts.
PHOTO COURTESY MAJESTIC HOTEL GROUP
Some other interesting benefits for guests of the Majestic include:
The hotel’s SOLC Restaurant is open for three meals a day — with an incredible weekend brunch option — and features a farm-to-table concept. SOLC truly embodies the idea, with its own vegetable garden in Maresme (located a few miles away, near the Mediterranean Sea). Michelin-star Chef Nandu Jubany, along with the hotel’s Executive Chefs, David Romero and Luis Llamas, choose the highest quality local meats. Fish is directly brought from the fish markets in Barcelona and Vilanova, about 35 minutes away.
PHOTO COURTESY MAJESTIC HOTEL GROUP
After several months of renovations, the Majestic Spa, located on the hotel’s top floor, reopened this past Summer. There is a new menu of treatments for those looking to connect with beauty and wellness, with a wide range of facial and body therapies, as well as facial and body treatments that are custom designed for the individual. The Signature Treatment, a luxurious therapeutic ritual of two hours, allows guests to enter into a comprehensive care experience, both body and face, always focused away from chemicals and instead on natural ingredients.
PHOTO BY ARTEM AVETISYAN/SHUTTERSTOCK
If an $18,000 suite hasn’t been enough — and hasn’t completely emptied your pocketbook — the hotel’s Speed & Adrenaline package runs in conjunction with the Drive Me company. Here, guests select a vehicle from among several luxury cars, such as Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Porsches. They are then picked up in their chosen vehicle at the hotel entrance, chauffeured through Barcelona, and eventually arrive at a professional racetrack. Once there, they can truly enjoy their 500-horsepower sports car, driving it on the track and burning off some adrenaline!
