Tara Stevens, Barcelona based travel writer, shares her experience with us on a recent stay at the hot new Mandarin Oriental in Barcelona:
Didn’t get to sample the Spa unfortunately, had a peak around it though and looks pretty fab. Very dark and sultry. Did have a swim in the pool – good size for a downtown hotel and the steam room thick with jasmin was divine. Carme Ruscallada’s new restaurant Moments is being headed by her son Raül. I was there on a Monday so it was shut, but they do a lunch special for €49, which struck me as a good way of getting a taste of greatness without the price tag. Design is sleek, elegant and understated in the rooms and bit more jazzy in the common areas such as Blanc – a restaurant and lounge (the heart of the place) situated on the trading floor (MO was a bank before) – with its contemporary Emmanuel chairs, leather sofas and zellij inspired hanging space divider. Ate there: modern Asian food came with a twist like tuna sashimi topped with green curry ice-cream, and the Bankers Bar, complete with renovated safety boxes does a mean bankers martini with vodka, cardomom, lemon juice and ginger. Classy stuff, had three over the course of the night with wine in between and not a trace of a hangover.
