Elegant but easygoing, luxurious yet laid-back, The Cotton House Hotel deftly weaves sumptuous surroundings with cheery charm. It’s one of those special places that balances high style (and high-thread count) with real hospitality. Formerly command central for Barcelona’s Textile Foundation, the 19th-century, neoclassical beauty is now the city’s best boutique hotel.
This is the stunning lobby. I love the mashup of styles from the distressed mirror-panelled wall and original ornate ceiling to the contemporary furniture and art.
It is a Marriott property but falls under the company’s Autograph Collection umbrella, which means it is anything but a chain hotel. Acclaimed interior designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán was the mastermind behind the rich and nuanced aesthetic. I loved walking into the lobby – all ardently dark and decadent with comfortably cool air and the most delicious scent. In fact, the whole hotel smells wonderful thanks to its signature eponymous fragrance. The uniformed staff – tan linen suits for the men, white cotton dresses with tan belts for the women – adds to the pulled-together vibe here, as did the chilled glasses of cava that Reyes, the most charming porter, gave us at check-in.
The hotel was made for Instagram, from its Mid-Century Modern suspended spiral staircase to the coffered-ceiling library and romantic dining room lined with glass-fronted cases that display softly lit bolts of cotton.
Look closely - the staircase really is suspended from above so it doesn’t touch the walls.
A corner of the library. The mod turquoise leather chairs speak to the hotel’s pitch-perfect knack for melding old and new.
How gorgeous is this? A mix-master win of contemporary verve and original charm in the library.
One of the hotel’s dining rooms and you can tell, even in a photo, how flattering the light is here. Those are bolts of cotton on display behind the glass and guests can arrange to have a bespoke cotton shirt made.
The bolts above pay homage to the hotel’s cotton provenance as do the room categories, which run the gamut from Madras to Damask. We stayed in a sixth-floor Egyptian room, which had a balcony overlooking the restaurant’s terrace .
The view from our balcony.
This is what greeted us as we opened the door to our room: a very thoughtful and personalized greeting from the hotel. I think they did a pretty good job with the maple leaf.
The delights didn’t end there. In-room treats included a bottle of The Cotton House’s Home Fragrance.
And more! A lovely Rioja, a handwritten welcome note and the sweetest treats from berries to chocolate truffles.
This was our huge and super comfy bed. I think I sat on it before I took this as it normally looked like it had been made with a cricket pitch roller.
The cotton theme is woven throughout the space. This pretty number was above the desk in our room.
A beguiling corner of the library, where you can enjoy a cocktail in the evening.
Trying to look like I’m accustomed to hanging out in delicate parquet rooms with boiserie embellishments.
Batuar, the hotel’s restaurant and bar, serves drinks and nibbles in the library.
It’s the kind of hotel you don’t want to leave unless, of course, it’s to step outside to the rooftop pool.
Just chillin.’ It’s kind of hard to look cool in the hotel’s waffle-weave robe and slippers so I added the shades.
I zoomed in a little but you can see the Sagrada Familia from the rooftop.
We had breakfast in Batuar every morning. It is sun-filled and cheery and we were assigned a different table each morning which was nice because there are pretty rooms flanking this space. The one you can see in the back is lined with beautiful dishware.
The breakfast options were seemingly endless and included indulgences like housemade chocolate and honey muffins.
The Cotton House is faultless and if, for some reason, you don’t stay here, make sure you visit for a drink and to take in all the jaw-dropping decor.
More bolts of cotton on display. This is the room, off the library, where guests can be fitted for a bespoke cotton shirt.
Looking back with gratitude. Thank you Cotton House for an impeccable stay and we can’t wait to see you again.
