Sant Adrià del Besòs will star in what will be the grand hotel opening in the Barcelona area in 2024. The Port Fòrum neighborhood is home to the SLS hotel, a five-star luxury hotel owned by the French giant Accor through its alliance with the British company Ennismore (17 brands and 139 hotels) that will open its doors in the fall. This is the only new high-end establishment – ??not counting renovations, repositioning or brand changes – that is planned in the Catalan capital during the current year and 2025, including here both the city itself and its area of ??influence. With an initial investment of 200 million euros by ASG, the establishment, with 31,000 square meters and 471 rooms, will be the first SLS in Europe. The brand currently has seven hotels (plus three planned openings) in places such as Beverly Hills, Miami, Bahamas, Cancun and Dubai.
His proposal is certainly not the “silent luxury” that has been popular lately. On the contrary, it is a luxury that likes to show off and attract attention. Chadi Farhat, Director of Operations of the brand, explains by videoconference why they have chosen Barcelona as their first European foray and what they hope to contribute to the destination.
It will be the first SLS hotel in Europe, why have you chosen Barcelona?
There are synergies between SLS hotels and Barcelona. Our brand is about the theatrical and the extravagant, the spectacular, and this city has that. We also greatly promote culture and design, another aspect that we find in this destination. We also look for places with a powerful culinary culture. All of this is the reason why we wanted to be in Barcelona, ??there is a logic between both brands.
The latest big international brands have entered the city. How do you face this competition?
SLS is one of the city’s first true urban resorts. And the offer that we will offer in Barcelona is unique. Whenever we look at destinations we identify gaps in the market to bring something new. The SLS in Barcelona will represent a new approach towards a luxury lifestyle that does not exist in the city today. In this same building there will be six very different restaurants and bars. We will offer three full size pools, a spa, ample event space. We will have a mix of leisure and business customers who know our brand.
The hotel is geographically outside the municipality of Barcelona, ??in San Adrià del Besòs, and very close to the La Mina neighborhood. Why did you choose this location?
It allows us to create something on a large scale and in an urban environment, and there are very few opportunities in the market to do something of these dimensions from scratch. For us it is very important to create the project from the beginning, to be able to put the touches of our brand and not get stuck in a certain building that we cannot change as we want. We think it’s a great neighborhood and, geographically, the hotel is close to all of Barcelona’s attractions. In fact, we are closer than other hotels that are within the municipality of Barcelona. It is an area that is changing and the launch of the SLS will be a turning point for the neighborhood.
In what price range will they move?
The price is always dynamic in our environment, it varies depending on demand, conventions, weekends. But a starting point for the initial rate per night would be around 350 euros.
What type of client can they contribute to the city?
We do not offer traditional luxury, as defined by certain brands. Our guests like these theatrical elements that we enhance and the culinary experiences. That said, we have a wide variety of ages, backgrounds and a good mix of leisure and business.
Many hotel chains are promoting luxury brands, is the demand for high-end tourism increasing? It seems immune to crises…
We see strong demand for luxury, particularly in the Middle East and Europe. The sector is also experiencing strong growth in the Asia-Pacific region. In the case of SLS, we provide, let’s call it, glamour, unpretentious escapism. And that customer is not the traditional one of a typical five-star hotel. I wouldn’t say they are immune to crises, but they want to travel more and experience these services.
Does the geopolitical situation in the eastern Mediterranean enhance Spain and Western Europe as a tourist destination?
We are very optimistic about the demand in Spain. And in Europe as a whole, with the Euro Cup in Germany and the Olympic Games in Paris, we expect great activity. This will generate a pull effect towards Europe, which, together with the ease of traveling across the continent, will boost demand.
