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Press Information 

Hotel with individual character and sensuous bathrooms 

The ‘Mandarin Oriental Barcelona’ sets new standards in the topof-the-range 

hotel category – relying in the bathroom on products 

of the designer brand Axor 

Schiltach, May 2010. In the heart of the Catalan capital of Barcelona, 

the exclusive hotel group ‘Mandarin Oriental’ opened its first five-star 

luxury hotel in southern Europe in November 2009. Responsible for the 

spectacular and multi-faceted interior design is the world-renowned, 

award-winning designer Patricia Urquiola. Almost the entire furnishing 

as well as the high-quality collection of fittings in the luxuriously 

designed bathrooms were created by the Spanish-born designer. 

With its outstanding location directly on the prestigious shopping street 

of the Passeig de Gràcia and in close proximity to the famous Gaudí 

building Casa Batlló and the lively Las Ramblas, the new luxury hotel 

offers guests the perfect base from which to explore the sights of the 

city. The former bank, built in the middle of the 20th century, was 

completely renovated and converted under the direction of the famous 

architect Carlos Ferrater and his Studio OAB, based in Barcelona. In 

doing so, the natural stone façade was largely preserved. On the 

ground floor, the windows were enlarged and converted into a 

colonnade, opening the building up towards the street and 

accommodating exclusive shops as well as giving access to the hotel. 

Harmonious mix of styles 

An imposing ramp welcomes guests in from the Passeig de Gràcia and 

into an atrium bathed in light that extends upwards through all nine 

floors. Numerous wall openings break up the vertical internal façade 

and offer exciting vistas from the floors into this vast interior space. The 

atrium’s glass roof provides ample daylight to all the floors, with indirect 

artificial lighting setting the right ambiance in these areas in the 

evening. A walkway in the center of the atrium leads the visitor straight 

into the bright and welcoming hotel lobby on the mezzanine floor 

located between the ground floor and the first floor. The view from here 

takes in the former stock exchange trading floor, which now features a 

lounge area and the restaurant ‘Blanc’, which is decorated entirely in 

white. In the banquet hall extending over two floors, large studio 

windows in the ceiling create a bright and airy atmosphere. The ceiling 

decoration in the form of a white metal mesh creates a private 

ambience. On the roof section of the hall, a 660-square meter terrace 

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with a café was perfectly integrated in to the structure of the building – 

the so-called ‘Mimosa Garden’. Colorful mimosas, small trees and 

shrubs adorn the terrace. Jointly designed by landscape architect Beth 

Figueras and Patricia Urquiola it is considered the hotel's hidden 

treasure. The gourmet restaurant ‘Moments’, featuring warm golds and 

browns throughout, offers modern Catalan cuisine. Another attraction is 

the ‘Bankers Bar’ with its elegant interior design integrated into the 

space that was previously the vault of this former bank. A very special 

experience awaits guests on the 300-square meter roof terrace. It offers 

a breathtaking panorama of the city, as well as an open-air infinity pool 

stretching across the entire width of the roof. 

The 98 rooms and suites are spread across all the floors from the first 

floor to the eighth floor in the main part of the building fronting Passeig 

de Gràcia. The ninth floor is taken up by the 200-square meter 

Presidential Suite with roof terrace. Patricia Urquiola’s interior design of 

all the rooms is bright, friendly and very contemporary, with creames 

and whites dominant. High-quality materials, such as oak floor boards, 

custom-made carpets and designer furniture make for a noble 

ambience. The choice of furniture, materials and the architecture varies 

in all the rooms and make every room a unique environment. A lively 

mix of styles featuring contemporary and discreet Asian influences – 

such as wardrobes reminiscent of the lacquered Chinese boxes from 

which the artist drew inspiration – lends a highly personal note to the 

design and reflects the Asian provenance of the hotel chain. 

Poetic and vital design 

A highlight of the interior design is the bathrooms with their high-quality 

fittings. Colored or satin glass walls provide a semi-transparent visual 

screen, yet without completely separating the bathroom and sleeping 

areas. The creative designer paid particular attention to ensuring that 

the details were right: for this reason, all the bathrooms are fitted with 

mixers of the bathroom collection Axor Urquiola she designed herself. 

This collection, created by Patricia Urquiola in cooperation with Axor, 

the designer brand of Hansgrohe AG, expresses the vitality and passion 

in the designs of this Spanish artist. 

“I like to think at the different levels of architecture and design 

simultaneously”, she explains herself. And in this she succeeded 

perfectly. In designing the mixers, she skillfully combined organic 

shapes and clear lines, resulting in creations that express her own 

poetic language as well as being easy and convenient to operate. 

Above the wash basin table with its clean, straight lines, the Axor 

Urquiola three-hole wall-mounted mixer completes the harmonious 

visual appearance and underlines a sensuous design that radiates 

lightness and vitality. Arising sculpture-like next to the bathtub is the 





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elegant, free-standing bathtub mixer from the Axor Urquiola collection. It 

is the high-quality, precision manufacturing that imbues the Axor 

Urquiola bathroom collection with the discreet luxury that makes it the 

perfect choice for a hotel in the five-star category. 

For the same reason, the mixers of the Axor Urquiola bathroom 

collection was also used throughout the stylish spa area located on the 

second basement level of the building. A minimalist, clean design 

featuring Asian accents in muted, dark colors characterizes this 1000square 

meter wellness section. The reduced design of these fittings 

again represents a perfect match for the interior design concept and 

complements the high-quality appointments. Guests have a choice of 

eight treatment rooms offering a broad range of holistic therapies. 

Included are two luxurious suites for couples and a futon for traditional 

Thai massage. The 12-meter indoor pool is separated from the 

generously proportioned hamam by green glass screens. A range of 

warm-water areas, a sauna area and a fitness center complete the 

services offered here. 

The exquisite wellbeing service and the high-quality appointments are 

the hallmark of the multiple award-winning Mandarin Oriental Hotels 

found around the world. Each hotel features an individual design that 

reflects local influences. By blending styles and objects, the new luxury 

hotel in Barcelona blends very well into this lively Spanish metropolis 

where tradition, avant-garde and a diverse mix of cultures mingle and 

are at ease with each other. Patricia Urquiola has succeeded in creating 

a design that radiates energy and poetry, one which awakens the 

senses of the guests, especially in individually designed bathrooms and 

in the meditative wellness oasis. 

Stefanie Merbecks 

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Barcelona, Spain – Facts & Figures: 

Location: Passeig de Gràcia, 38-40, Barcelona, Spain 

Architect: Carlos Ferrater, JoanTrias de Bes, of Studio OAB, 

Barcelona, Spain 

Interior design: Patricia Urquiola, Milan, Italy 

Principal and 

operator: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Hong Kong 

Completion: 2009 

Bathroom mixers: Axor Urquiola/ Hansgrohe AG 





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*** 

Axor the designer brand of Hansgrohe AG is regarded as the epitome 

of supreme quality and perfect, innovative design in the exclusive 

bathroom. With a vast number of independent, comprehensive 

collections, which Axor develops in cooperation with internationally 

renowned architects and designers such as Philippe Starck, Antonio 

Citterio, Jean-Marie Massaud, Patricia Urquiola or Phoenix Design, the 

designer brand provides unlimited freedom and so allows the creation 

of highly individual bathroom solutions and personalized interior 

designs. Axor collections can be found in the Burj Khalifa as well as in 

the Yoo Apartments in Manhattan, in the Bulgari Hotels of Milan and 

Bali as well as on the Queen Mary II, in the Grand Hyatt in Shanghai 

and also in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Barcelona. The Axor brand 

manager is Philippe Grohe (43), grandson of the company’s founder 

Hans Grohe. 

Better City, Better Life: 

Hansgrohe AG is represented in no fewer than four projects at the World EXPO 

2010 Shanghai. Find out more at: www.hansgrohe.com/expo2010 

Further information: Hansgrohe AG 

- Press Office - 

Beatrix Pfundstein/Dr. Carsten Tessmer 

Tel: +49 (0) 7836/51-1215/-3009 

Fax: +49 (0) 7836/51-1170 

E-mail: public.relations@hansgrohe.com 


www.hansgrohe.com 





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Phone +49 7836 51−1215 

+49 7836 51−1226 

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Picture Overview ‘Mandarin Oriental Hotel Barcelona’ 

The ‘Mandarin Oriental Hotel Barcelona’ is the new luxurious address in the heart of the Catalan capital in close 

proximity to many sights like the lively Las Ramblas and the famous Gaudí building Casa Batlló. The new fivestar 

luxury hotel is situated in an elegant building of the 20 th century. Designer Patricia Urquiola was decisively in 

charge of the design of the hotel. 

Hotel_Mandarin_Oriental_Barcelona_facade Hotel_Mandarin_Oriental_Barcelona_view 

The impressive entrance area is reached via an 

imposing ramp which is bathed in light coming through 

the glass roof. Numerous wall openings break up the 

façade which extends to nine floors. 

The ‘Mimosa Garden’ is a green oasis with colourful 

mimosas, small trees and bushes. It is situated on a 

660-square meter roof terrace with a café. 

Hotel_Mandarin_Oriental_Barcelona_entrance Hotel_Mandarin_Oriental_Barcelona_Mimosa_Garden 





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Phone +49 7836 51−1215 

+49 7836 51−1226 

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The bright and welcoming hotel lobby of the luxury 

hotel invites to stay and to relax. 

The restaurant ‘Blanc’, furnished in white colour 

promises culinary enjoyment. It is situated in a hall 

extending over two floors, where large studio skylights 

in the ceiling create a bright and airy atmosphere. 

Hotel_Mandarin_Oriental_Barcelona_lobby Hotel_Mandarin_Oriental_Barcelona_Restaurant_Blanc 

Tthe 300-square meter roof terrace offers a breathtaking view of Barcelona. A very special experience is a bath 

with a terrific panorama in a pool which is stretching across the entire width of the roof. 

Hotel_Mandarin_Oriental_Barcelona_terrace1 Hotel_Mandarin_Oriental_Barcelona_terrace2 

Patricia Urquiola has furnished all the rooms bright, friendly and very contemporary – 

with creame and white dominant – and with high quality materials. Each of the 98 rooms is equipped 

individually. Consistently are the noble ambience and the mix of contemporary design and Asian 

influences. 

Hotel_Mandarin_Oriental_Barcelona_Deluxe_Room 





Germany 

Phone +49 7836 51−1215 

+49 7836 51−1226 

+49 7836 51−1297 

+49 7836 51−3009 

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A highlight of the interior design are the bathrooms with their high-quality ambience. They are fitted with 

mixers of the bathroom collection Axor Urquiola, created by the Spanish designer herself. The Axor Urquiola 

three-hole wall-mounted mixer and the free-standing bathtub mixer turn the bathroom into a luxury space of 

wellbeing. 

Hotel_Manadarin_Oriental_Barcelona_bathroom_Junior_Suite Hotel_Mandarin_Oriental_Barcelona_bathroom 

_Barcelona_Suite 

The mixers of the bathroom collection Axor Urquiola was also used throughout the stylish spa area. Muted, dark 

colors and Asian accents characterize the 1000-square meter wellness section. The generous spa area 

disposes of eight luxurious treatment rooms, two couple suites, a hamam, sauna landscape, fitness center and 

a 12-meter indoor pool. 

Hotel_Mandarin_Oriental_Barcelona_Spa_treatment_room Hotel_Mandarin_Oriental_Barcelona_Spa_indoor_pool 

Copyright: All pictures with the courtesy of the 

Mandarin Oriental Group 

Please note that we have only been granted the rights of use for the pictures requested by you, while all other rights are 

held by the photographer. The pictures may therefore only be published without having to pay a fee if they are clearly 

and expressly used only for describing or advertising the services, products and projects of the Hansgrohe AG and/or 

one of its brands (Axor, Hansgrohe, Pharo and Pontos). Any other publication is subject to approval by the respective 

holder of the rights, and has to be paid for as agreed with him/her in each case. 





Germany 

Phone +49 7836 51−1215 

+49 7836 51−1226 

+49 7836 51−1297 

+49 7836 51−3009 

Fax +49 7836 51−1170 






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pictures with the courtesy of the Mandarin ... - Hansgrohe-int.com

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