Barcelona’s Yurbban Passage Hotel and Spa is an urban concept hotel catered towards millennials and hipsters. After opening a couple of years ago, this hip hotel, which is housed in an old 19th Century-built textile factory, has become one of the city’s most popular spots for those looking for non-pompous, mindful, relaxing stay in Catalonia’s capital city. TLE recently visited to see what all the fuss was about.
Yurbban Passage Hotel is on the edge of Barcelona’s uber-cool Gothic district – an area popular with artists, musicians and creatives. The boutique hotel is just a seven-minute walk from Plaza Catalunya one of Barcelona’s main squares. Here you can access buses and trains to and from the airport. There’s also independent shops, cafes and restaurants selling local, sculptures, healthy food and artisan patisseries nearby.
But the beauty of this inner-city, social hotel is that it’s close enough to Barcelona’s star attractions (Gaudi’s Casa Batllo is 15-minutes on foot and Ciutadella Parc is 10-minutes walking) but just far enough away from La Rambla that you won’t have to fight your way down the city’s busiest promenade. Barceloneta beach is around a 30-minutes stroll or under 20-minutes by metro.
Yurbban Hotel and Spa has 60 rooms in total – ranging from standard and luxury to terraced suites. Standard rooms are fairly small by European standards but completely functional. Local designer Raquel Sogorb has made rooms feel bigger by keeping things clean-cut with an almost Scandinavian finish – crisp white walls, dark light fittings and blends of oak and walnut finishes.
The little touches, like the tongue-in-cheek copywriting, cardboard coat hangers and free-to-use yoga mats, ensure it’s sustainable, fun and millennial-friendly. Rooms come with dressing gowns, slippers and fully-stocked mini bars.
The rest of the hotel has a bohemian feel with thick, woven patterned rugs, sunken lounge chairs, whitewashed exposed brick. There’s even a shuffleboard and photo booth in reception.
Yurbban Hotel and Spa’s restaurant, D’Aprop, works with a Michelin star chef to create inexpensive, evolving Catalan inspired menus (a lunch menu is €17) and ingredients are sourced from locally where possible.
Breakfast at Yurbban is served from 7am-10am in the restaurant area. Fresh juices, smoothies and teas and coffees are served (or cava if you’ve not had enough the night before) alongside acontinental breakfast (with fresh fruit and breads sourced locally). You can also ask a waiter for omelettes or eggs done different ways.
Every night guests are invited to ‘wine o’clock’ in the lobby from around 7pm until 8.30pm. Cava, white and red wine are left on a table for anyone to enjoy with the idea that those who sleep in a hotel together socialise together.
Although one of the pearls in this hotel’s necklace is its rooftop dipping pool and decking area looking out over the city. While downstairs in the basement the hotel has a neat, relaxing spa area, complete with a plunge pool and steam room. Massages and other treatments are available at extra cost. Guests can also purchase local handmade products from the hotel’s shop (bags, jewelry and souvenirs).
Grab a drink in a cute courtyard at the Antic Teatre around the corner from the hotel.
Rooms: Room rates start from €161 (£140) per room per night.
Location: Carrer de Trafalgar, 26, 08003 Barcelona
Website: preferredhotels.com/property/yurbban-passage-hotel-spa-1547
Adam was a guest of Yurbban Passage Hotel and Spa.
