news: review: The Arts of hospitality
The Arts of hospitality
Most planners from the Gulf region are well versed in luxury and are often disappointed with European hotel venues where star ratings seem to adopt different criteria.
On a recent business trip to Milan, my five-star hotel assumed that because I had booked single occupancy, I would be happy with a tiny single bed in a cramped room with no temperature control, no place to put my luggage, a cupboard that wouldn’t close when you hung a suit in it, and a box TV. I was not.
So you can imagine the refreshing change when I checked in at The Hotel Arts in Barcelona, a hotel that puts the Ritz back into hospitality but without the branding. Operated by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, it cannot use the brand due to legal issues that apply to European destinations with the original ‘The Ritz’ Hotels. But no matter, every aspect of service was up to the usual company standard.
Receiving a room upgrade is never a bad start to any hospitality experience and at The Hotel Arts, a Club Room guest receives more than a jumped up business lounge with bitter coffee and a few dried biscuits (as experienced in Milan). Instead, a welcome glass of champagne and special check-in on the club floor situated on level 23 overlooking the Mediterranean marked the beginning of my stay.
I was informed that breakfast was available in the club lounge as well as lunch and evening snacks, tea, coffee, juices, spirits, wine and champagne. All included in the room package. But that’s not all – how about complimentary use of an electric SMART car to discover Barcelona? That’s a first and I liked it – it shouted cool, trendy and caring all at the same time and I suddenly loved the hotel before seeing my room.
At The Arts, room with a view is no disappointment. Expect sweeping Mediterranean, yacht club or city views. From any angle, Barcelona is no eye sore and accompanied by expected luxury – think Nespresso machine, in-room entertainment with club tunes signature anthems greeting you every time you re-enter the room and the usual The Ritz-Carlton menu of pillows and “float on a cloud” down duvet.
Staying in a Club Room transforms your stay in a 483-room hotel to a boutique experience. With just 12 rooms per floor and three club room floors, I could take the staircase up a floor and I was in an equivalent of a comfortable living room with coffee table books, five-star service and some very friendly fellow guests. There are always the exceptions of course. In this case an entertaining couple who brought their own tarts to breakfast – to clarify, the edible variety – after their omelettes couldn’t be cooked in three minutes flat.
Meeting space at The Arts is impressive in scale. The conference facility with separate entrance and capacity for over 1,000 delegates ticks all the boxes. But for emotional value, a trip to Arts41 floor is well worth the elevation. Stunning views, bright and airy, this is the place to inspire creative conferencing.
The thing that struck me most about The Arts was the service. The “ladies and gentlemen” (in The Ritz-Carlton speak) were young, dynamic, serviced focused and managed just the right mix of familiarity and respect. Away from the sometimes mechanical nature of hospitality in the Gulf, service was excitingly fresh.
For more information on The Hotel Arts, please visit: www.hotelartsbarcelona.com
