W Barcelona will blow you away

Locals don’t know what you’re talking about when you mention the W. They know this magnificent sail-shaped hotel as the Hotel Vela (vela means sail in Spanish.) But it’s not hard to get the message across. The hotel towers above Barcelona’s shoreline and can be seen sparkling in the sunlight from most points near the beach.

w-barcelona

I generally don’t write a blog post exclusively about a hotel property unless it is really something special. The W Barcelona definitely fits that bill. It is my hotel of choice for anyone interested in luxury travel while in Barcelona, and truly made me never want to leave.

w-barcelona

The lobby of the W Barcelona has breathtaking views.

On our check-out day, I could be heard repeatedly screaming, “I’m not leaving” as my friend Virginia and I made our way back down the beach to the hotel after a night out celebrating with the locals. We’d been fortunate enough to have been in Barcelona for the Festes de la Merc,¨ a week-long celebration in honour of La Merc,¨ the female 17th century patron saint of Barcelona.

Dancing in the streets of Barcelona during the Festes de la Merce really gets your blood pumping!

The decorated streets of Barcelona during the festival were awesome.

The city was rocking! There was free entertainment everywhere in the streets! People dancing and singing, colourful decorations, and some of the best fireworks I have ever seen.

The fireworks were some of the best I have ever seen.

How fortunate we were to have timed our visit to experience this excitement. I knew I’d love Barcelona, but being in the city during festival time and staying at the W Hotel made these three days among the most memorable of my life.

Here is a post about the street art of Barcelona. And about the best chocolate experiences of Barcelona. It such a great city for chocolate and art lovers.

If you do go to Barcelona, I’d highly recommend getting a copy of Eyewitness Travel’s Top 10 Barcelona, a handy guidebook that is comprehensive, yet light enough to throw in your purse or backpack. More on Barcelona can be found on the site of Barcelona Tourism.

The view of Barcelona’s Sant Sebastia Beach from the W Hotel is mesmerizing.

And if you want to have a truly amazing time in this must-see city, do give the W Barcelona a try (or at least drop in for a drink!) It will cost you a few Euros more than most upper-end hotels, but the view, the ambiance, the food, drinks, service and accommodations are well worth it. As Arnold says, “I’ll be back!”

Doreen Pendgracs

Known throughout the Web as the "Wizard of Words", I've been a freelance writer since 1993. I researched and wrote Volume I of Chocolatour that won a Readers' favourite Award in 2014. Always enjoy experiencing new destinations and flavours.

14 Responses

  1. Salika Jay says:

    I see why you didn’t want to leave this hotel. It’s truly magnificent. An architectural marvel.
    Salika Jay recently posted…Barcelona Nightlife – A Starter GuideMy Profile

    • Doreen says:

      Absolutely one of the most amazing properties I’ve ever stayed at. Gorgeous architecture and ambiance, beautiful beach setting, fantastic F&B, great staff. Fabulous!

  2. ehiggs88 says:

    Hi Doreen!

    Thanks for the comment on my blog, much appreciated.

    This festival looks amazing! I am heading back to Barcelona (yet again) in February for an unlimited amount of time so I might even be there for this festival, I will have to remember it!

    Emma

    • Thanks for your comment, Emma, and welcome to the blog!

      Lucky you to be heading back to Barcelona! What an amazing city! Enjoy your travels, & I’ll be sure to visit your blog again as I’ve now got it listed in the list of travel resources on my blog.

  3. I rec’d a comment from Jose Miguel Martinez that I’d like to share with all of you who are interested in Barcelona eats:

    One more tip on pricey Barcelona: Restaurant “Les quinze nits”, in Placa Reial, just off the Ramblas (left as you go down): very good, inexpensive food. Prix fixe.

    Thanks for the tip, Jose!

  4. Hey Doreen… I found you through the Blog Spot. Barcelona is one of my favorite cities. Greetings from Belgium.

  5. Thanks, Linda and Sandra. If you like people, art & culture (and knowing you both, I am certain that you do) … you’ll LOVE Barcelona! New post to follow next week. Stay tuned for more insights on how to enjoy this fabulous city!

  6. Sounds like a place I should put on my “to-go” list. What fun!

    sp

  7. Linda Strange says:

    Marvelous (too short) article and photos! Look fwd to the next instalment, and meanwhile, as you’ve piqued my interest, I’ll read up on Barcelona.
    LL

  8. Veronica says:

    Wonderful pictures Doreen and if anyone two people would be up to really enjoying a city wide celebration it would be you and Virginia.
    I’m green with envy.
    Veronica Leonard

  9. Thanks for your comments, Elle and Veronica. Nice to have you visiting the blog.

    Yes, Barcelona is definitely a high-energy city that requires stamina and more than one visit!

    Cheers!
    Doreen.

  10. Loved Barcelona when we were there for the Olympics. So many interesting places to visit, from walking Las Ramblas, exploring the streets leading out from it and the fabulous Market Place, to the awesome Sagridia Familia. Looking forward to our return visit.

  11. You’re right, V! We’ll definitely have to go back!

    And in the next post, I will put up a pic of the beach sculptures. They were truly amazing!

  12. It’s true. I literally had to drag Doreen from the W and put her in a taxi and then onto an overnight train to Turin. We were infected by the excitement of the place and our proximity to what must be the world’s most interesting and accessible beach. Even the lifeguard chairs doubled as public sculpture! But our time there was too limited to appreciate all that Barcelona has to offer: great architecture, history, food – those elusive great tapas, Doreen – and a city that serves its citizens.

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