All started very well. We had contact with the club and the spa concierge around a week before we stayed at the hotel. The club concierge organized the transfer from and to the airport. They have a BMW 7 and a Mercedes S-Class. We requested to have the BMW, when we arrived and the Mercedes on the way back. Because the limousine service is extremely busy, it seems the customer doesn't have a choice of car. We received on both ways the Mercedes. Cost was 240 Euros / ca. 325 USD.
The drive was scenic along the coast and took twenty minutes.
At the hotel we were greeted by the bell captain, who took one piece of our luggage. We took the elevator to the first floor and went to reception, stating that we had booked the club lounge and were accompanied to the 33rd floor, where the club lounge is located. We were welcomed by a friendly staff member and offered a glass of cranberry juice. It was a nice touch.
While the club concierge took care of the check in formalities, we were invited to take a seat, and if we liked we could also help ourselves to the buffet breakfast. We arrived early, so we didn't expect our room was ready yet. To our surprise we were told it was, and we could go to it whenever we liked. Having finished our juices we decided we wanted to go to our room and were promptly accompanied to the 19th floor. By the way the Arts has real keys. To our dismay and the shock of the employee the room stank dreadful and was completely unmade. We went back to the club lounge, where we were told the room would be immediately taken care of and the House Keeping Manager informed.
We waited for another hour and still hadn't been updated. After checking again, we were told the room wasn't ready yet. We decided the weather was too nice to be wasted and went out to explore the area. At our return the room still wasn't ready. The club lounge concierge couldn't tell us when we were able to go to our room. Twenty minutes after the official check in time, we went down again. This time the room was made and the smell (cigarette smoke) was gone. We were promised our luggage would be also delivered soon. We never thought it would take the rest of the afternoon, a lot of phone calls and stress to get all our items delivered. We had left two back packs with the club lounge staff, when we went out exploring. We were both disappointed and questioning ourselves, if we had made the right decision. Frustration was running high, and we tried to figure out what went wrong. Deciding this was a freak accident we gave the hotel a second chance. From there everything went nearly smooth.
Our room was Asian looking with white chairs, one ottoman, a coffee table, a writing desk, flat screen TV, a king sized bed and a small bench in front of the bed. The bed stands and bed frame were dark brown. There was a wardrobe with safe and bath robes and a luggage rack. The mini bar was stocked with Hediard sweets and more usual stuff, like cola, water and so on. The orange juice comes highly recommended.
The bathroom had a separate shower and bath tub, two sinks, a small room for the toilet and bidet. We had Ritz-Carlton amenities, but we could have easily exchanged them to Bulgari or Acqua di Parma.
We used the laundry service, in room dining and of course the club lounge.
The laundry service was reliable and delivered our shirts and underwear as good as new. It was packaged like shop bought. It cost ca. 50 Euros / 70 USD for 3 shirts and two underpants.
We ordered room service on both evenings. The first time the order was not correct. Interesting enough the guy I ordered with repeated the items correctly. To my surprise instead of juice we received yogurts. When I told the lady, who brought the meal, she rectified it immediately. We weren't charged for the juices or the yogurt. The spaghetti/penne Bolognese were very good indeed, as was the Crema Catalana. It was huge. Some people would say the portion for the pasta was too small and the dessert too large. I thought it was just right. The Bolognese sauce came in an additional bowl, and you could add as much as you liked. Even when the pasta was finished, we ate the rest of the sauce with the bread that was served free of charge. A new trend we also experienced at the Intercontinental Hamburg. The price was high, but based on the quality of the food and how much it was, it was okay. We paid ca. 115 Euros / ca. 160 USD for one large bottle of still water, one grapefruit juice, one peach juice, one hot chocolate (It's not made traditional Spanish, which is good, because my better half doesn't like a very thick hot chocolate), two pasta Bolognese and one Crema Catalana.
The next day it was hard getting out of bed. It was so comfortable. We had both a good rest. The last problem we had was the shower. It is spa like with nozzles on the side and a rain shower. Unfortunately the water simply came out hot, no matter what way I tweaked it. Of course we were running a bit late for the club lounge breakfast, but we were assured it wasn't a problem and it was still on going. We were also promised the shower was going taken care of.
We were out and about for the rest of the day. There was an air show going on, and we enjoyed the promenade, the sun and the sea.
In the late afternoon we went to the Champagne Bar for a small snack. We had two glasses of Champagne (Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle and Laurent Perrier Rose) and tomato bread with Bellota Ham. All was delicious. We paid again around 115 Euros / 160 USD. Having seen the prices in other countries for the same champagne (For example at the Waldorf Astoria Syon Park a glass of Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle 43 GBP / ca. 50 Euro / ca. 70 USD) and the ham, it was outstanding value for money.
For me it was time to go to the Six Senses Spa, which I was looking forward to very much. It was my highlight of the stay. The Spa itself fits perfectly well with the rest of the building. It is located on the 43rd floor and I had to take two lifts. The floors between the hotel and spa are occupied by apartments.
At the spa I received a warm welcome and was asked to fill out a form. The spa is modern and has also dark furniture with white washed walls. I was then brought to the changing room, where I was supplied with my own locker, containing a bath robe, slippers and a disposable pantie. The changing room is fitted with showers, seating area, toilets and hair dryers, towels - basically everything one might need. A nice touch was also the jug of water, glasses and wooden combs provided.
After around twenty minutes my therapist arrived. We went downstairs to my treatment room. I had requested the signature treatment and received an intense back massage, as I requested, a clay wrap and a facial. The massage released all tensions, and I was sore the next day in some places. The rest of the treatment was relaxing. Afterwards I received recommendations for products by Aroma Therapy Associates that were good for me. Then I was brought to the relaxation area and received a pot of ginger tea. I studied the Six Senses Spa cook book, while I drank the tea, which was delicious. Back at the changing room I put on my bath suit and enjoyed the steam room and whirl pool. There are no mixed facilities. Gentlemen and ladies have their own.
When I was ready to leave, I was presented with the recommended products and the bill. I bought a facial mask. The treatment itself was 275 Euros, but very well worth it. When I was back on our room I realized how quickly time passed by. I had spent three hours at the spa. We arrived just in time for the club lounge dessert trolley.
There are five food presentations a day at the club. All were very good. He liked especially the sweets (cakes, puddings, fruits and so on), while I also enjoyed the savory snacks (smoked salmon, couscous, grilled vegetables and so much more). Guests could help themselves to champagne, beer and liqueur during the day. There was also a wide array of soft drinks available. If we asked for orange juice, it was delivered promptly and was freshly squeezed.
There is also afternoon tea served and there is a happy hour with wine.
The breakfast buffet is continental, but during the weekend an egg station is also available. The choice is wide, healthy and tasty.
On our last day we had a late check out at 14.00 hours, but could use the lounge until our limousine arrived to bring us to the airport.
We went to the hair dressers, located near the fitness center of the hotel and explored the neighborhood. The Zoo and the train station are just a short walk away, as well as the Catalonian Parliament.
Of course the hotel has other outlets than the Champagne Bar, Arola is especially famous. There is also Enoteka and Bites.
A Hediat Shop is located at the entry lobby of the hotel. Other shops are at the reception area. Unfortunately they don't sell Ritz-Carlton or Arts branded products, like polo shirts or baseball caps. We found that sad.
The hotel also has a small garden with outdoor swimming pool overlooking Frank Gehries famous fish, waterfalls and loads of art work.
Putting aside the issues we had, our stay was wonderful and we are considering returning soon.
©2011
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