You might be familiar with the scene in the first Austin Powers film where Mike Myers is spinning on a rotating bed, trying to lure Liz Hurley to sleep with him.
That's the image conjured by W Barcelona's penthouse suites – unashamedly wacky, flirty, and eccentric. The iconic hotel – which protrudes from the shoreline like a giant sail – has recently refurbished the premium suites, dubbed Wow and Extreme Wow (the latter obviously being the bigger one). With floor-to-ceiling windows, the suites have impressive panoramic views, with the sprawling city on one side, and the Mediterranean sea on the other.
The designers – Ian Bayliss, Stephen Crawley, and Lucy Southall – from London-based studio Bowler James Brindley (BJB), have included plenty of quirky features, staying true to the rest of the hotel, with its twinkly walls and swinging seats.
The spinning bed
The Extreme Wow suite sleeps six people and comes with its own DJ booth and full-height speaker installation – meaning you can bring a bit of Barcelonas vibrant nightlife back to your hotel room. Both suites are also equipped with football tables, huge bar areas, and jacuzzi-adorned terraces.
Our favourite feature was the king-size circular rotating beds, which – as well as being fun – allow guests to conveniently lounge in the direction of the Spanish sun (or, indeed, the 65-inch curved TV).
Stephen Crawley, co-founder of BJB, says the colour scheme aims to reflect the changes in the quality of light as the city shifts from day into night, with sunset-themed golds and blues saturating the rooms.
Having taken inspiration from Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali, its not surprising that the rooms are slightly bonkers, and Crawley says the aim was to take recognisable images and shapes and render them in an unfamiliar way.
One wall has a huge circular hole in the middle, which doubles up as a sofa, a window, and feels a bit like a portal into another dimension.
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Both types of suite have massive circular mirrors, pendant lights, round rugs on timber floorboards, free-standing tubs, and shower rooms (oh, and a steam room in the E Wow).
The W Hotel Barcelona
The British-born designers are renowned for taking inspiration from the heritage of the towns and cities the hotels are based in, and that certainly applies to these suites. For one, theres plenty of Gaudi influences, such as the curved sofa – a tribute to the iconic Serpentine Bench in Park Guell. Gaudis system of proportions also influenced the layout of the suites, meaning you get an amazing view, regardless of where you are in the room.
The bar is finished in large broken ceramic tiles, while the light fittings are designed to look like a bundle of small plates – a gentle nod towards tapas cuisine. Much like the rest of the hotel, the Wow suites have got a playful charm; they dont take themselves too seriously, and neither should the guests.
The Wow suite at W Barcelona starts at €2,090 a night. The Extreme Wow suite starts at €11,000 a night
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