This Eclectic Barcelona Hotel Is Seriously Making Us Want To Redecorate

By  Kristine Hansen Updated
casa bonay Casa Bonay

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).

exterior Casa Bonay

1. Exterior

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.

2. Hallway

hallwayCasa Bonay

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.

3. Room

roomMeritxell Arjalaguer

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.

4. Room

roomCasa Bonay

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.

5. Bath

bathCasa Bonay

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.

6. Lounge

loungeCasa Bonay

Dubbed Libertine, this all-day lounge is filled with chic details like jade green walls and an eclectic mix of seating options.

7. Restaurant

restaurantCasa Bonay

"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.

8. Rooftop

rooftopCasa Bonay

"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.

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