Monument Hotel

Two stars isn’t much for a hotel — unless they’re Michelin stars. Monument Hotel is an elegant new five-star hotel that’s opened on the same premises as Restaurante Lasarte, a two-star restaurant by Martín Berasategui, the Basque chef who holds more Michelin stars than any other chef in Spain. Lasarte is a landmark, considered one of the best places to eat in Barcelona, and now it has a hotel to match. Both are located in a grand 19th-century building on the Passeig de Gràcia, a few minutes’ walk from a pair of Antoni Gaudi’s dazzling architectural projects, Casa Battló and La Pedrera. So it seems natural that the Monument Hotel’s striking modern interior, with its curving ceilings and soaring vertical beams, is vaguely reminiscent of Gaudi’s great masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia cathedral.

The public spaces bring together old and new, featuring pale stone and romantic staircases — a reminder of the building’s past — with industrial steel with futuristic light fixtures. The 84 guest rooms and suites are lined with wood paneling and exposed brick. Many have balconies overlooking the city; all, thoughtfully enough, are soundproofed. They feature spacious bathrooms with free-standing tubs and products by Jo Malone, plus heated floors, Coco-Mat pillow menus and Egyptian cotton sheets, flat-screen Loewe TVs, Bluetooth sound systems, and minibars stocked with complimentary sodas.

We needn’t mention the onsite restaurant again: most guests will be staying at the Monument primarily because of its connection to Lasarte. But should you crave something a bit more casual than a world-class eleven-course tasting menu, there’s also a Mediterranean-inspired eatery, Oria, and an opulent cocktail bar that looks straight out of a James Bond film. The Monument Hotel also has a state-of-the-art spa and fitness center: convenient, whether you’re preparing to look the part at Barcelona’s top-end restaurants or recovering from last night’s gastronomic indulgence.