Barcelona’s Grand Hotel Central will reopen its doors in March 2024 following refurbishment. 

Under new ownership and management, the hotel’s 147 rooms and suites, two F&B venues and wellness amenities have been reimagined by Juan Alvarez of London-based Catalan design studio, Sagrada. 

Inspired by the building’s storied history and the life of its founder, Francesc Cambó, the new Grand Hotel Central has been designed as a celebration of local culture, as well as an allusion to the Noucentisme era and that of the Chicago School, both of which were key influences in the original design of the building back in the 1920s.  

Natural materials such as wood, stone and polished concrete are used throughout a soft colour palette of earthy tones, muted blues and blush pinks. Every piece of furniture is bespoke and inspired by the Catalan Noucentisme movement, which emerged as an alternative to Modernism in the early 20th century. The movement spotlighted ideals such as reason, accuracy and clarity – as such, everything from lighting to coffee tables and headboards has been designed with clean lines and colour reduction in mind.  

Bespoke bathroom amenities are from Barcelona-based Carner, while the hotel’s signature scent has been crafted by master perfumer, Alberto Morillas, to enhance the sense of place. 

Guests and locals can wine and dine al fresco at the Terraza del Central on the eighth floor, which offers Mediterranean-inspired sharing plates to a backdrop of the Barcelona skyline. The eighth floor is also home to a spa, complete with a hammam, sauna and Natura Bissé treatments. The rooftop is also the site of the hotel’s infinity pool, which looks over Barcelona’s old town. 

Come June 2024, the hotel’s lively streetside restaurant, Can Bo, will open its doors with a regularly changing tapas menu that champions seasonal, locally sourced produce.  

Throughout the hotel is art from Catalan artists such as Angels Ribé and Ramón Herreros, while the entrance hall serves as a regularly changing gallery spot curated by Barcelona-based art historian, Victoria Combalía. At the heart of the property is the wood-panelled library of Francesc Cambó, which houses his personal collection of books.