Just two months after a popular European urban sustainability exhibit swung through the eastern Spanish city, Hotel Arts Barcelona is now hawking electric smart cars of its very own.

Starting this fall, Club Level guests will have exclusive access to 100% electric smart cars, which will be branded with the hotel's logo (though, better that than Frank Gehry's nearby fish sculpture).]]> ASchechter 2011-08-05T09:15:01-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/4/21/91422/2724 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/53048/BARCELONA.jpg" class="top"><p> <p>One of Barcelona&#146;s most iconic hotels, the five-star <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Hotel+Palace/ian/173755"><b>El Palace</b></a> has just completed a pretty intense makeover--two years in the making and a cost of about 22 million Euros. From the photos, it looks like it has been worth every penny. <p>Just check out the bedroom above where the designers have paid homage to the hotel&#146;s 1920&#146;s roots whilst creating a grand, lavish feel throughout. <p>The hotel was originally opened in 1919 by <strong>César Ritz</strong> and over the years various celebs have slept in the beds - The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, <strong>Sophia Loren</strong>, Woody Allen, <strong>Sir Paul McCartney</strong> and <strong>Whitney</strong> have all been spotted there. Kind of like <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Savoy+London/local/1782">The Savoy London</a>, only in JulesLdn 2011-04-21T14:02:03-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/2/24/102556/526 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/21888/ohlafrontaage.jpg" class="top"></p> <p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/2/14/15854/7858/hotels/Searching_For_the_Newest_Hotel_In_Barcelona_Just_Look_For_the_Security_Cameras">Last week</a> we had the first glimpses of Barcelona's newest five-star digs, the <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Ohla+Hotel/local/4823">Ohla Hotel</a></b>, and now that it's opened, the first reviews are trickling in&#151;and they look good.</p> <p><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187497-d1940950-r97432957-Ohla_Hotel-Barcelona_Catalonia.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT">Writes one TripAdvisor</a> who's already checked in:<blockquote><p>The Ohla Hotel is new to Barcelona and its recently opened rooms are immaculate and staff are super-keen as a result.<br /><br />The exterior may be historic, as is the nature of Barcelona, but the inside is ultra-modern and minimalist. How minimalist? It's tough to find the toilet in your room. It's actually hidden behind a moving wall.<br /><br />The amenities are new, clean and slick, though. My room had a big TV, a queen-size bed with extra large pbb 2011-02-24T14:42:07-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/2/14/15854/7858 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/21888/ohlafrontage2.jpg" class="top"> <p><i>UPDATE: the hotel tells us that the official opening is 18 February. In the meantime, PulsoBCN has found out that room rates start at 170 euros for basic rooms, 190 for interior rooms and 270 for junior suites. To be continued...</i> <p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/barcelona%20hotels"><b>Barcelona</b></a> may have been off our hotel radar for a little while, but looks like things are hotting up in Spain&#146;s city of cool &#150; because, right in time for V Day, a new hotel opened its doors for a soft launch on Saturday. <p>It&#146;s called the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Ohla+Hotel/local/4823"><b>Ohla Hotel</b></a>, it&#146;s five stars and it&#146;s on Via Laietana, just round the corner from the cathedral and the Gothic Quarter. <p><a href="http://pulsobcn.com/2011/02/11/sneak-peek-ohla-hotel-barcelona/">PulsoBCN</a>, who wasn&#146;t too impressed juliab 2011-02-14T15:08:54-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2010/9/8/221357/2395 <![CDATA[<P><Img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6193/VoyagePrive.jpg" class="top"> <p>Well, looky what we've got here. It's another private sale hotel site! This one&#151;<b>VoyagePrive</b>&#151;isn't anything new, however; it's been around for awhile overseas, bestowing travel deals on its 5 million members in Britain, France, Italy, and Spain. They've just opened up the site to the US, and so far, we're liking what we see. Too bad it's getting difficult to keep all the private sale sites straight. <P>VoyagePrive offers up a selection of approved hotels for 5-day sales, with room rates slashed up to 75% off. Looking at this week's sales, featuring $59 rooms at New Orleans' <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Saint+James+Hotel/local/1090">Hotel St. James</a></b>, $135 junior suites with free WiFi at DC's<b> Capitol Hill Suites</b>, 2 nights with breakfast for JetSetCD 2010-09-09T10:19:46-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/