Gran Hotel La Florida
Crta. Vallvidrera al Tibidabo, 83-93, Barcelona, Spain
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Gran Hotel La Florida is a unique place, a bit of an oddity; it is equal parts city boutique and luxury resort, located on a hilltop just outside of Barcelona. The view is stunning, overlooking the city, and beyond, the Mediterranean, and the location is secluded, a thousand feet above the city, yet with relatively easy access to any destination within — which is to say that although the hotel is at least fifteen minutes from downtown, Barcelona traffic is such that an extra fifteen minute commute is a small price to pay.
Of course there are facilities here you won't find in the city, the crowning jewel of which may be the 37-meter indoor/outdoor stainless steel swimming pool, with its outdoor poolside bar, and the sun decks on the terraces below, also overlooking Barcelona. The Spa features a sauna, a steam bath, and a full range of fitness equipment, as well as a host of Natura Bissé beauty treatments.
And the hotel itself is above and beyond most city boutiques; this is a place that, in its first incarnation (established 1925) played host to the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Jimmy Stewart, and now, in its second life, is reaching for the same exclusive audience. One difference is in size — the building itself has been expanded, and rooms are not just more numerous, but much larger than before — in fact some of the modern hotel's bathrooms were once entire guest rooms.
The renovation was extensive, involving heroic architectural measures, and an all-star team of designers, and it shows in the end product, which is a stylish and elegant hotel, yet one which has not forsaken its roots. Colors are muted yet furnishings are rich, opting for creamy leather plushness over faceless Ikean minimalism.
The restaurant, L'Orangerie, is a genuinely fine one, a stylish indoor/outdoor environment serving a refreshingly authentic Spanish cuisine that shames some of the nation's trendier cooking. This is a place where Barcelona's beautiful people come to see and be seen (we told you it was convenient!) so don't be shocked if you see models in the bar, Club Luna — but if you are worried about a 24-hour party scene, have no fear; this is too refined a hotel for any of that.
Please note: The Hotel will be undergoing some renovations from May 21st, 2013 until May 31st, 2013, from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. It will affect the Lobby Bar indoor and the New Orangerie area. However, the hotel is making every effort to ensure this does not interfere with guests' stays.
- 74 Rooms
- Style: Modern Design
- Atmosphere: Quiet
- 12 Guest Reviews
- Gran Hotel La Florida
- Crta. Vallvidrera al Tibidabo, 83-93
- Barcelona, Spain
Hotel amenities and services
- 24 hour front desk
- 24 hour gym
- 24 hour room service
- Adjoining rooms
- Babysitting (on request)
- Bar
- Central air conditioning
- Free wi-fi
- Garden
- Indoor swimming pool
- Jacuzzi
- Luggage storage
- Multi-lingual staff
- No pets allowed
- Outdoor swimming pool
- Restaurant
- Sauna
- Smoking rooms (on request)
- Spa
- Spa treatments (on request)
- Steam rooms
- Valet parking (charges apply)
- Wake-up service
Other Barcelona hotels
12 Guest Reviews
All reviews are from Tablet guests with verified stays.
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- Jeremy
- Stayed October 2010
- Rating: Excellent
What I liked:
The staff were excellent, friendly, helpful, anticipated our needs. The front desk were really helpful with Barcelona information - transport, restaurants, walks etc. The concierge service was the best I have experienced.
The restaurant and bar staff were attentive all the time - this is the only restaurant that we have been to where the water glasses were refilled as often as the wine glasses. This did not happen the last time we ate in a Michelin 2-star restaurant!
What the hotel could do better:
There are signs of needed maintenance appearing, don't leave it too long as the beautiful old building deserves great care. We had a wonderful stay.
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- Nigel
- Stayed August 2010
- Rating: Poor
What I liked:
The view is stunning. It is in a beautiful location on Mount Tibidabo overlooking Barcelona. The design and architecture are stunning on initial inspection, but that is a very thin veneer...
What the hotel could do better:
This hotel is in a beautiful spot and when it was initially re-developed I'm sure it was great, but it is looking tired. I was there for 6 days and got to know it pretty well. I had a good room with a fabulous view but there was lots of little things that had obviously been wrong for a long time, but which had not been corrected, such as damp in the bathroom, poor drain smells in the bedroom and bathroom, and a really poor selection of English language TV.
The service in the hotel was reasonable but not really of the level I have experienced in other 5* hotels and below what I would have reasonably expected.
The pool is great to look and I used it at least twice every day. I never saw it cleaned though and there were bits of rubbish and distintegrating tissues in it from the poolside bar on every occasion.
When I got back from a day out at 7pm one day wanting to have a shower and change for dinner I discovered my room had not been entered or made up all day. The management did not handle that issue well at all.
There is a big water feature at the hotel with water cascading onto a flat glass roof and then tumbling down a long glass wall. There are large growths of green algae on the vertical wall, signs of long term leakage, and glass staining. These problems would have taken many months to develop and would not cost that much to fix. Being such an important visual feature in the hotel they should take more care over it. As it is it looks shocking.
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- Jason
- Stayed August 2010
- Rating: Excellent
What I liked:
The most beautiful views of any hotel I've visited in the world.
What the hotel could do better:
A few less amenities than a normal 5-star, but in the end, didn't really make or break my overall perception.
