Historical Heritage Meets Contemporary Design in Mercer Hotel, Barcelona

I wasn’t sure we could take another step and the silent cursing that had been bottled up inside me was rising to the surface. Our cab driver had told us there was no way to get to the hotel in a car and dropped us at the bottom of an alleyway (it is important to note here that taxi’s can come in through another entry directly to the door!). An uphill alleyway at least 100 metres from our hotel with us carrying 2 large suitcases, 3 small ones, 3 backpacks, a pram the size of a small cow, a car seat and two tired children. Lazy son of a gun.

With a backpack strapped to my back I continued pushing the stroller uphill, it was fully loaded with 2 small suitcases in it, one backpack and a car seat. Mia was complaining as she pulled, or rather dragged, her small pink bag up the hill, while Caius was fearlessly running so far ahead I was switching between cursing the lazy cab driver and yelling at him to return.

Josh was pulling the two large suitcases and a small one. We continued our climb hoping that our hotel was somewhere on this cobbled alleyway.

We almost stumbled pass it. Hidden in the Gothic walls of the ancient city a bellman rushed to our aid welcoming us to the Mercer Hotel Barcelona.  We were quickly relieved of everything we owned, offered a cold glass of water, a packet of lollies for the kids to keep them busy, and a friendly, speedy check-in while we caught our breath.

Photo provided by Mercer Hotel

The Mercer Hotel is a 5 star luxury indulgence. The building was built on an ancient Roman defence tower dating back to 1^st century AD. When you walk through it’s chambers across the ancient floors you can almost feel yourself going back to that time, but luckily enough with all the modern conveniences of the 21^st century.

We were given a quick tour around the property and the library featuring original ancient walls was by far my favourite room. A perfect place to enjoy a quiet, relaxing read with your favourite book. While the hubby thought the rooftop pool with views over Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter was the place he would want to spend all day. 

After witnessing such beautiful and ancient architecture, it was a surprise, albeit a pleasant one, to find our suite finished with state-of-the-art elements. There was plenty of room for all of us as Mercer designed all 28 guest rooms in the hotel to be no less than 30m² floor space. On top of that there was a beautiful window/balcony overlooking the hotel’s courtyard with its 17th-century columns and fragrant blossoming orange trees.

It’s easy to see why the hotel has received so many prestigious awards, including recognition as one of the 100 Best Hotels and Resorts in the “International Traveller Magazine”.

We decided to spend an evening in our delightful hotel to thoroughly appreciate the luxury on offer, and we were delighted when the turn-down service arrived later that evening with delectable chocolates and cold water.

It was a leisurely morning the following day and we received the opportunity to witness the delightful breakfast service. The food served was simple, yet refined and executed with a high level of precision and quality. The superb personalised service was definitely the highlight for us. Every hotel staff member was warm and friendly. The central courtyard was a concert of aromas with fresh coffee brewing and delicate flowers adoring each table. Josh’s eyes kept drifting to the colossal chocolate cake and he wondered, could he really nibble on that for breakfast? Turns out he had no qualms with indulging in a sweet, rich cake so early in the morning. The breakfast of champions!

The hotel is conveniently located in between the ancient walls with restaurants either side and a short walk to the Gothic cathedral, and walking distance to the waterfront. Despite the exclusivity of such a historical hotel, every time we passed through the lobby the staff were extremely welcoming, especially with the children.

Our two nights in Barcelona were truly memorable because of our stay the Mercer Hotel, from my naughty bedtime chocolates to exquisite décor. If you are looking for a bit of exclusivity without the exclusion then perhaps consider a stay at the Mercer.