SOHO HOUSE BARCELONA
Founded as an exclusive private members' club for trendy creatives, Soho House Barcelona offers guests a luxurious and stylish retreat in the heart of one of Europe's most vibrant cities. Housed in a restored 18th-century building, this iconic boutique hotel, located in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, Spain, reflects a blend of contemporary luxury and artistic sophistication, capturing the vibrant spirit of the city.
CHECKING-IN
We stepped through an unsuspecting door into a vast, stylish entryway with grand ceilings and exposed brick, decorated with a mix of classic and contemporary design elements. The curated display of antique and bespoke furniture, plush upholstery and vintage rugs was an attention to detail which set the tone for the rest of the stay - a sense of Spanish culture and sophistication.
Known for valuing the creative community we thought the decorative pieces and unique artwork by local artists really added a touch of creativity and a connection to the local art scene.
The informal yet stylish staff at the front desk made the welcome warm and friendly and the check-in super straightforward. This was our first time staying at Soho House and we will tell you now, that they did not miss. The stay was outstanding from start to finish; let us talk you through it…
STEP INSIDE
We are not even going to play this one cool, we almost passed out when we walked through the door to our room. We don’t usually go into this much detail on the rooms but we have so much to say... just incredible.
As you may know by now, we are obsessed with decor and aesthetics - usually a key factor in our decision-making process when booking a room and as Soho House are renowned for their impeccable design taste we knew we needed to experience it for ourselves and boy, did we hit the jackpot. Not one to not exceed their reputation, they delivered.
We stayed in the ‘Small Square’ room, a spacious room featuring a dark oak king-size bed, desk, bar area and complete with a balcony overlooking the Plaça del Duc de Medinaceli (dreamy). Furnished with vintage and contemporary pieces, ornate bedside lamps and luxurious materials (the Egyptian cotton bed linen was divine) all created that Soho House state of luxury you would expect.
Our Moroccan tiled bathroom with vintage accents was equally stunning. A walk-in rainforest shower lined with 8 Cowshed scents to choose from (yes, we tried them all) and luxury Cowshed toiletries (to keep!) from face, body and shaving creams to toner and lip balms, they had it all.
The list of specially considered luxuries in the room is endless; matching Soho House robes, a hot water bottle, luxury bathroom miniatures, a complimentary laundry service and a favourite of ours - the cookie tin. In the room, you can also find an impeccable selection of everything you could want or need from Press green juices and Oreos to CBD oil and sunscreen. We chose not to look at the mini-bar bill at the end of our stay - if we didn’t see it, it didn’t happen. If you need more visuals you can see here.
Our morning coffees in this room were top-tier. Fresh juices and Grind coffee from the mini bar and light pouring in from the balcony whilst we Bluetooth our Barcelona playlist (shameless plug) on the Marshall radio to get us in the mood before exploring the city. In the evening, the bartender mixed us a drink (yes, in our room) before heading up to the rooftop for live music - a home away from home, but way cooler.
ROOFTOP RENDEZVOUS
Time to order a picante, lay on the iconic red-striped Soho House towels and lounge around the rooftop pool area all day on the giant shared daybeds, what a time to be alive. Arguably the vibiest (made that word up?) rooftop in Barcelona; a pool, bar and terrace offering panoramic views of the city skyline and the ocean. it’s definitely more of a chillout space than a place to swim lengths, so fortunately the poolside service is available all day for craft cocktails on tap. The wrap-around terrace is thoughtfully designed with comfortable seating areas, stylish loungers, and lush greenery, creating a tranquil oasis (until the DJ arrives) above the bustling city.
As always in Soho House, you will find an eclectic mix of people from cool locals to travellers who are often creatives and full of life. We always love to connect with new people around the world and the rooftop at Soho House creates an electric, buzzy environment to socialise and have fun.
As the sunsets across the city, the rooftop turns into a flirty, late-night scene and members and hotel guests mix and mingle over wine and cocktails.
THE REST OF THE HOUSE
It doesn’t stop there. Complete with a full-service spa, a gym, a screening room and several restaurants and bars - the house gets better and better.
THE CLUB ROOM
Another SH signature is the great open living room area ‘The Club’ where all members go to work, eat and hang out (because when we aren’t living the suite life - we do actually have a job to do). This is the more exclusive area of the house (where photos are illegal - but we got some for you anyway) with mismatched furniture, bookshelves, and lots of natural light which made this the perfect work area for us during our stay.
GYM
On the ground floor, you’ll find a state-of-the-art Cowshed gym with every piece of equipment you could need including Technogym machines and a steam room. Trying to burn off the room snacks, we took a free spin class at the separate studio space where they teach hundreds of free classes a week from boxing to yoga and more. A really energising atmosphere, we highly recommend taking advantage of this perk considering it’s included.
SPA
A second indoor pool in a cave-like underground setting can be found at The Cowshed Relax Spa. Complete with massage cabins, an array of luxury treatments and a Hollywood-style dressing room aesthetic, it screamed ‘I’m that girl’. We only had time for a quick mani at the mani/pedi station but we heard the massages are next level.
CINEMA
Need a chill night? The private movie theatre with plush green armchairs, footstools, and your very own blanket, regularly screens current films and you even get unlimited candy.. we’re sold.
EVENTS
Usually for members only, if you’re lucky enough to be a guest at the house at the same time as a SH event such as their Secret Sounds nights, then definitely check this out. We didn’t catch one in Barcelona but we’re regulars at the London Houses and the vibes are unmatched.
SPEAKEASY
Have a late-night tipple in the underground Speak Easy dubbed ‘The Green Room’ mainly used for parties and cocktails - the velvet burgundy chairs and crystal glasses made this very much our scene.
DINING SOHO HOUSE STYLE
CECCONI’S
A classic SH signature, the hotel’s main restaurant Cecconi’s is based on the ground floor, which serves Italian-inspired cuisine with a focus on fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Cecconi’s is always our go-to whenever there’s one available and while we love to try the local cuisine, something about the Cecconi’s menu hits the spot - the wood-fired pizzas never miss. Non-guests can also eat here, so be sure to book in and taste for yourself.
THE CLUBHOUSE
Order from the Club room on the fifth floor for a Mediterranean menu open all day. In true Spanish style, we ordered tapas and Ginger Cosmos (a house special) from here daily - our favourites were the patatas bravas and calamari plates *chefs kiss*
ROOFTOP
If you’re planning on staying up on the roof all day, you will be catered to with a combination of House regulars from the restaurant below, we even got a chance to sample the BBQ menu in the summer months which was sensational.
INSIDE INTEL
Sitting on the graceful Plaça del Duc de Medinaceli, with the boats of the Port Vell twinkling off to the side, the hotel is a two-minute walk to the bottom of La Rambla and the nearest metro station and also a 10-minute walk to the Cathedral.
Ask one of the concierge to book a taxi to wherever you need to go. We also recommend downloading the ‘YellowTaxi’ app (like Uber for Spain) to get around the city with ease and at reasonable prices.
Rooms can only be booked by Soho House or Soho Friends members, so we definitely recommend applying for at least a ‘Friends’ option in advance so you can book with ease.
As we mentioned, as this is an exclusive members club so there are no photo policies in some communal rooms
Soho House never misses. The design concept and aesthetic are inspired by Barcelona's rich architectural heritage, vibrant culture, and bohemian charm. However, there are so many other sights to see, places to eat and things to do so check out our Inside Guide to Barcelona for our favourite spots and recommendations that you definitely don’t want to miss.