Simply Abu Dhabi XXVII

2 4 4 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Much smaller in scale, but equally striking and containing the same unmistakable allure and Soho House magic, is the new members’ club and hotel in Barcelona, opened in October 2016. Dominating one corner of the Plaça del Duc de Medinaceli, with the yachts of the Port Vell marina bobbing on one side and the labyrinthine alleyways of the Barri Gòtic on the other, Soho House Barcelona is in the perfect spot: it’s just a few minutes from La Rambla and less than a ten-minute stroll to a range of attractions and landmarks. It nails an essential part of the Soho House formula: location. Warm-natured and welcoming, Richard van Batenburg, General Manager, graciously explains over coffee in the elegant members’ club room how important the site is. “Finding the building was a challenge because we love to be in unique places. Our partner found the building in 2011 and approached us, and when Nick came to see the building, well he always goes straight up to the roof to see what the views are like, and of course he got up there and saw the views of the Mediterranean, the Tibidabo and Montjuic mountains, and he said, ‘Wow… this is an amazing location. You really feel like you’re in Barcelona’. And this is the feedback we get from our members.” The building is listed and consequently the Soho House developers had to work within certain constrictions, including preserving the three façades of the building. The entire core was gutted to create a blank canvas for the interiors team, led by Vicky Charles, who began waiting tables at Café Boheme nearly 20 years ago. With Charles at the helm, the team has transformed, in typically show-stopping fashion, the inner space into a homely sanctum with the inimitable Soho House signature style.