Hotels

Catalan artist and designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán describes himself as a creator of atmospheres. Tasked with refurbishing a 19th-century building in central Barcelona — formerly the headquarters of Spain’s cotton textile foundation — he chose to preserve many of its original features and infuse the place with whimsical details and modern luxuries. The result is the Cotton House Hotel, a striking boutique hotel with charming wood-paneled walls and unique cotton floral installations, antique ceiling frescoes and bath products by Ortigia, a midcentury spiral staircase and a sleek cocktail bar where the turquoise-hued house specialty matches the Mediterranean sea. Guest rooms, beautifully outfitted in monochromatic tones, are named after different kinds of cotton, and the hotel’s public spaces, from the sunny glass conservatory and the rooftop saltwater pool to the elegant library and the glamorous vintage-inspired cocktail bar, are equally impressive.