REVIEWS HOTEL W Barcelona By Tom Newcombe RAIL By Tom Newcombe
Virgin Trains East Coast London Kings Cross-Leeds
Placa de la Rosa dels Vents, 1, Final Passeig de Joan de Borbo, Barcelona 08039 • Tel: +34 93 295 28 00 •
w-barcelona.com
W HOTELS is Starwood’s hip, youth-orientated luxury brand, now in the Marriott portfolio. W Barcelona has recently undergone a multi-million pound renovation, with all 472 rooms and suites transformed and a new overall design unveiled. Famed for its iconic sail-shaped building, the hotel is on the beachfront close to the docks, with enviable views of the Mediterranean.
Rooms: Three different room types – Cozy, Wonderful and Fabulous, are all a roomy 40sqm. They come with free wifi, rainfall shower, Bliss Spa products, chaise longue, BOSE wireless speakers, iPod docking station and 32in TV. The Wonderful and Fabulous rooms come with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer spectacular sea views. My open-plan Fabulous room offered plenty of space, storage and natural light. Six suite categories range from the Studio suite (67sqm) to the headline Extreme Wow suite (295 sqm) which incorporates the entire top floor. Restaurants & bars: A host of different food and drink options, most with views of the Med. Bravo24 restaurant offers local Catalan cuisine, while Eclipse, on the 26th floor, is the place to go for classic and signature cocktails. Wave bar, where breakfast is also served, offers an eclectic mix of Mediterranean dishes. The Wet Bar, as the name suggests, is located on the outdoor pool area. Meetings & events: 6,800sqm of renovated meeting space offers more natural light
124 BBT May/June 2017
and updated technology. The Great Room has over 1,000sqm of space with floor- to-ceiling windows and can accommodate 1,300 guests. Companies also have the option of booking meetings outside on the Sun Deck or in one of the upper floor suites. Leisure: Set across two floors, the Bliss Spa offer manicure and pedicure, eight treatment rooms, men and women’s lounges for post-treatment relaxation, steam room, sauna and indoor hot-tub. W Barcelona has partnered with outdoor fitness company Urban Gorillas, which offers aerobic-style morning workouts on the sun-decks, offered free to guests. The ‘W Insider’ team can advise on the city’s best hidden gems and quirky venues for eating, drinking or meeting. W Insiders are similar to a concierge service, but with Converse trainers, beards and beads. Verdict: With all its signature cocktails, ‘Wow suites’, DJs, spa treatments and sun decks, its traditional hotel offering is still spot on – with a wide variety of meeting rooms, excellent bars and restaurants, and well-designed rooms.
VIRGIN TRAINS EAST COAST SERVICE has seen major developments over the past 12 months with a £140 million investment programme that includes new seats and a ‘Netflix-style’ entertainment app. The service runs from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh seven days a week. The operator is aiming for a 50 per cent market share of the popular air/rail route by 2023.
Boarding: Virgin East Coast offers first class lounges at London Kings Cross, Doncaster, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds, Newcastle, Darlington, Berwick-upon- Tweed and Edinburgh Waverley. All the lounges have recently been refurbished and offer a mix of workspaces, sofas and comfy chairs. There is an excellent range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, especially when compared with other UK rail lounges – Virgin’s own Tilting Ale is definitely recommended. You also get free newspapers, snacks and wifi. The lounge in Kings Cross is large and didn’t feel cramped, even on a Friday afternoon. It also offers free neck and back massages. The lounge is available to all first class and ‘Rewards’ passengers. Facilities: Virgin’s new onboard entertainment system BEAM is impressive and a service that sets it apart from other operators. The app, which must be downloaded before you board, gives you access to the latest films, TV box sets, books and games. It’s available to all passengers. My stream loaded immediately
and was as good quality as my home wifi with no drops in service throughout. Free wifi is available to first and standard passengers, but with standard you must have booked direct – if not it’s free for 15 minutes, then £5 for the rest of the journey. Food & drink: Virgin East Coast has enrolled the help of chef James Martin to design its onboard menu. Standard class passengers can buy items such as salmon and cream cheese sandwiches, chicken curry, sausage rolls, cakes and gluten-free snacks. First passengers receive ‘at seat service’ with meals including bubble and squeak, chicken in white tarragon sauce and a variety of alcoholic drinks. Verdict: It was refreshing to experience a service that has clearly listened to its customers and invested millions of pounds in improving key facilities and journey touchpoints. Overall, I was impressed with a service that is different from other rail operators, with its friendly ‘social media savvy’ staff and new, modern-design carriages. Buyers might baulk at having to go direct for the free wifi but the automatic delay repay system will help soften the blow.
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
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