Exploring Barcelona
Exploring Barcelona, Spain Northcutt Travel Agency
I recently had an amazing opportunity to travel to Barcelona, Spain that was hosted by United Vacations and Marriott.
I had the privilege of staying at the world renowned W Barcelona. The hotel itself stands out in Barcelona amongst any other hotel for its magnificent outside aesthetics. The architecture of the hotel is intentionally built to look like the sail of a sailboat.
Photo Credit: Marriott
Photo Credit: Marriott
If the outside of this hotel didn’t wow me enough, I certainly couldn’t deny my wonderment by the time I walked in the doors. The vibe is beach resort chic and you feel that immediately when you walk in with the hanging chairs and the pink and black décor.
I didn’t get into my room right away because we had arrived early. This meant I had a couple of hours to explore the hotel and see the sights. You would have thought that this was the new coffee shop in town. Young professionals enjoyed working and connecting. It was the mid-day hang out spot for sure. I was pleasantly surprised to see on a Monday afternoon how many people were at the beach or having brunch and wine out on the terrace overlooking the Mediterranean. Not a bad way to spend a Monday afternoon if you ask me!
Something I really value in beach vacations are hotels that have direct access to sandy shores. The hotel I stayed in has a direct pathway that walks straight out onto the beach. You can leave your room, go to the lobby, take a right and you’re at the beach. It’s the only hotel that has a dedicated spot on the beach with chairs exclusively for their guests. This is certainly another win in my book!
Exploring Barcelona, Spain Northcutt Travel Agency
Once you’re on the beach it’s like you’ve been transported to one of the most relaxing and beautiful places you can imagine. The warm sunshine on your skin and the sound of the crystal clear waves are something I could never grow tired of. I loved getting to see people laying out on the beach, working out, running, skateboarding, and biking. It’s a very popular spot for all kinds of outdoor and water activities.
Why I’ll Definitely Choose the W Again!
The Rooms
The “W” in this hotel’s name definitely stands for “wow”. Being a travel agent and having a love of exploring the world means I’ve seen quite a few hotel rooms in my life. Because of this, it now takes a lot for me to be awestruck by an initial walk-in. This room was one of those moments!
Photo Credit: Marriott
The beds face the Mediterranean. We could stop there but honestly it gets even better! Facing the Mediterranean means you have an amazing sunrise and sunset to look at from your room. If you want to you get up early in the morning you can catch the most beautiful sunrise over the water. When you go to sleep at night, you’ll get to see the Mediterranean and all of its glimmering lights.
Photo Credit: Marriott
Photo Credit: Marriott
The décor of the room is on point with what the W stands for. The Barcelona concept of having Gaudí Style décor in each room just brings that essence of Spain out so you know that you’re not just in any W but you’re at the W Barcelona.
I definitely appreciate the way the W took into consideration the space factor that we all crave as Americans. They made it such a space-saving room as far as the closet’s, and the mini bar, and all of these little hidden components around the room and in each piece of furniture to not overwhelm the room with a lot of stuff but to make it more functional.
For a European hotel room it’s huge!
The Amenities
At this hotel, you will find all of the technology amenities as far as the automatic closing of the blinds and the lights at your bedside with the push of a button.
Things like a fitness center and spa are the kinds of things that do just that. The W, of course, has both! The fitness center at this facility is rather large for a hotel and enticed me to want to go to because of the view. Picture this: while you’re on the treadmill or working out you have the comforts of being inside a fitness center but the view of being at the beach. See the below picture. Their spa services are one of the best in Barcelona and were filled up the day we arrived until 10 PM that evening.
Photo Credit: Marriott
Photo Credit: Marriott
Photo Credit: Marriott
Photo Credit: Marriott
There are 3 pools, including the indoor pool. Again you have that resort style feel but the added bonus of overlooking the Mediterranean on the rooftop of the W.
Photo Credit: Marriott
Photo Credit: Marriott
The Food + Service
This the last and probably most important thing.
Each time you walk into the hotel and each time you walk out of the elevator, you were greeted by an associate. There was never a lack of staff to help with a smile on their face. They were happy to be there and happy to help and that just goes to show you the outstanding culture that they’ve built here and at all of the Marriotts. We continued to comment on how amazing the staff were and how accommodating they continued to be throughout the trip!
The food that they served at the reception our first evening there was amazing. Tapas are everything in Spain and some of the best you’re going to find is at the W. The food was really good and shockingly filling with all of the small bites that came around. My personal favorite was the cheeseboard.
Photo Credit: Marriott
Photo Credit: Marriott
Let’s Send You to Barcelona!
Cheers to all of you who are reading this and now want to come to Spain to explore everything that Barcelona has to offer. I definitely recommend if you are wanting a resort style trip, to let me help you book your own amazing trip with Marriott!
I would love to have you be a special guest with my recommendations as I now have the connections with the staff at this property to make sure that you are taken care of flawlessly!
If you loved this, be sure to check out THE PERKS OF USING A GUIDED TOUR