Tucked into a neoclassical building that dates back to 1859, the 68-room Casa Bonay in Barcelona's Eixample Dret neighborhood shines a spotlight on a place in the city many tourists never visit — but should.
"It's a very local neighborhood," explains Ines Miró-Sans, co-founder of Casa Bonay, open since the spring of 2016. "You can't see tourists. We are experiencing a change in this neighborhood. That's one of the things we wanted for our guests."
Naturally, Barcelona artisans were tapped as much as possible — and key historical elements preserved, like antique hydraulic-tile floors, sliding doors, and ceilings. "We kept everything [in the building] — the old stairs, the floors, the column, the facade," says Miró-Sans. "All the [furniture] pieces in the hotel are hand-designed. We just have a couple of vintage sofas."
Two shops in the hotel flaunt local movers and shakers in the arts world, too: Batabasta Shirt Makers, which also conceptualized Casa Bonay's staff uniforms; and Lino, a collection of both new and used books curated by Blackie Books.
Casa Bonay was one of Studio Tack's first projects, but now, the design firm boasts quite a few hotels in its portfolio, such as Anvil Hotel in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and The Sandman Hotel in Santa Rosa, California. "They were really open [to our ideas]," Miró-Sans notes. "We brought a lot of people into the project." This includes Santa & Cole (considered Spain's most famous lighting company) and AOO (a local furniture designer — Marc Morro — with his own showroom).
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Behind this red-and-white striped awning lies one of Barcelona's most anticipated collective-design projects in recent years, a hotel bringing together 10 designers.
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Casa Bonay's light and bright interior features heavily textured walls in a khaki hue, orange-ish floor tiles, room doors painted a bold blue, and potted tropical plants nearly as tall as the guests.
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Teixidors, a local textile company, designed all the bed linens and blankets, weaving the products on its looms with raw materials like silk, yak, cashmere, linen, and wool.
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Every single piece of furniture in the hotel, except for a few vintage sofas, was handmade by furniture designer Marc Morro of AOO, including this cocktail table and loveseat.
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Las Lilas, a local soap producer that incorporates herbs and plants into its products, was tasked with creating a line of natural soaps and shampoos (rosemary and olive oil soap and oat-bergamot shampoo). Those soaps —combined with the simple white sink and its espresso-black accents — contribute to a timeless aesthetic.
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Dubbed Libertine, this all-day lounge is filled with chic details like jade green walls and an eclectic mix of seating options.
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"There's many layers behind the project and we can say wine is one of them," says Miró-Sans, referring to the list of natural wines (produced with sustainable methods that are free of chemicals) as well as a special orange wine (due to prolonged contact with white-wine grape skins, it develops an orange hue) created just for Casa Bonay's restaurant.
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"It's like barbecuing at your friend's house on a Sunday," says Miró-Sans about the vibe at the hotel's rooftop space, which emulates a cozy little jungle shack.
