There’s nothing wishy-washy about the design of Casa Camper Barcelona. Beige is banned. Everything is black and white. And red. A lot of red. The vibe is bold, confident and creative, and from the get-go, you just know you’ve arrived in the heart of hipdom and feel like a VIP member of a chic club.
There’s a host of designer features, but they’re all about improving your experience at the hotel rather than just looking cool. There are lots of thoughtful touches in the rooms, such as an open rail and shelf system rather than a conventional wardrobe, so you can store and see all your stuff easily. There are reading lamps, full-length mirrors, lots of coathooks along the wall and a covetable pair of Camper Wabi mules to pad around in. The bathrooms have large windows so you can look at the vertical garden as you get ready to go out, perched on a saddle stool.
You don’t just get a bedroom at Casa Camper; you have your own sitting room too. Rather than having rooms giving onto the street (which would be a bit noisy), the canny designers put the sleeping areas on one side of the corridor that runs through the building. So the bedrooms give onto a courtyard with plants creeping up the back wall, with a living room on the street side. Here, you get another television, as well as a hammock, sofa, desk and a balcony so you can watch the goings-on down at street level from a discreet distance, or gaze across the roof terraces of this intriguingly edgy part of town.
What’s hot?
- The zingy design
- Free snacks and drinks
- Good eco credentials
What’s not?
- No spa or pool
Need to Know: Casa Camper Barcelona
Number of rooms: 25
Check-in/check-out times: 2pm and 12noon
Room service: No. But you can help yourself to drinks and snacks in the lobby and take them up to your room.
Swimming pool: No. Just a gym.
Spa: No
Dogs welcome: No
Eating and drinking: There’s a buffet breakfast, with cereal, fresh fruit, yogurts and croissants, and you can also get eggs and bacon cooked to order. You can help yourself to water, soft drinks, soup, sandwiches, salads, cakes and other snacks whenever you want, day or night, at no extra charge. There’s no proper bar as such, but you can buy beers and other alcoholic drinks from the central reception counter. Dos Palillos, which is on the hotel premises but accessed independently, is one of the best and most fashionable restaurants in Barcelona and specialises in Asian tapas created by hot chef Albert Raurich, who previously worked at El Bulli. If you want to eat there, you’ll need to book ahead.
Near to? The hotel is right by the MACBA contemporary art museum, the FAD design centre and the CCCB cultural venue in the heart of the hip Raval neighbourhood with loads of cool bars and boutiques in the immediate vicinity. Turn right out of the hotel and you are on the Ramblas in five minutes.
Getting there: Sants train station is about 10 minutes’ away by taxi, and Barcelona El Prat airport is around 20-25 minutes’ drive. If you get the bus from the airport to Plaça Catalunya, it is about 7 minutes’ walk down the Ramblas and along the pedestrianised Carrer Elisabets – easily doable with a trolley case.
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