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TRAVEL
ESCAPE Routes
Beat the
winter blues
in Barcelona
In November (the month of nothingness
– unless it’s your birthday or you really
like fireworks, naturally) there’s only one
thing to escape the wintery gloom: pack
a designer bag, phone a friend and book
a weekend break. And this month there’s
only one place to visit: Barcelona.
The ultra-glam W Barcelona hotel
has just opened by the beach in
Barceloneta and is the city’s new
must-visit spot, boasting super-chic
facilities including a rooftop bar with
views of the city.
First-time visitors will discover there’s
loads to do. Barcelona’s timeless art
scene is always worth a visit, but for
something more hip, try the recently
revamped Raval district, which is
now full of art studios, galleries and
gorgeous boutiques.
Head to Fundación AD (fundacionad.
com), which showcases the most
cutting-edge international art from
Julian Opie and Damien Hirst to
Takashi Murakami. Sign up to lecool.
com before you go – this free weekly
newsletter is the key to finding the
most happening events, eateries and
exhibitions in the city.
Why it’s hot There’s never a bad time
to visit Barcelona. With modern art,
world-class culture, inventive food
and a ridiculous amount of energy,
if it doesn’t pull you out of your
post-summer gloom, nothing will.
Eating and drinking Barcelona is
a temple to cuisine, with plenty of
seafood and Catalan specials to enjoy.
Start your day in a street-side café
with a café solo to accompany your
people-watching, then move on to
tapas. Cal Pep (calpep.com) is one
of the city’s finest bars for lunch.
THE W BARCELONA BOASTS
FABULOUS VIEWS OF THE
BARCELONETA DISTRICT
RELAX AT THE W HOTEL’S ROOF-TOP
BAR, ONE OF BARCELONA’S
MOST SUPER-CHIC HANG-OUTS
Gastro-god Ferran Adrià cooks at
the internationally renowned restaurant
El Bulli (elbulli.com), two hours away,
but you need to book months in
advance. However, if you’ve not
pre-booked, you still have options.
Chic restaurant Moo at Hotel Omm
(hotelomm.es) offers Michelin-starred
fine dining and has a truly fabulous bar.
Then have a cocktail or two before
going clubbing: grimy and authentic
Boadas (Tallers 1, near Las Ramblas)
and sleek Dry Martini (drymartinibcn.
com) are two of the best. Go out late,
because the club scene only gets
started at around 2am.
Photo opportunity Take your pick
from the gardens and mosaics in
Gaudí’s Park Guëll (gaudiallgaudi.com);
his semi-finished Gothic church the
Sagrada Família (sagradafamilia.cat), or
the harbour cable which runs from the
Old Port to the five-star Miramar hotel.
Purse-friendly pillow Ten minutes’
walk from Las Ramblas, doubles at
Chic and Basic (chicandbasic.com)
start at £89. It’s hip, modern and fun.
Stay at W Barcelona from £227 per double
per night, room only (w-barcelona.com)
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Holiday hunter
FIND FIVE-STAR INSPIRATION
Planning a blow-out holiday? Go
armed with a credit card to the
Luxury Travel Fair at Kensington
Olympia from 5-8 November – it’s
the oracle on every y decadent
destination going.
Tickets from m £12
(luxurytravelfair.com). lfair.com).
SPLURGE IN N NYC
Splash out on n a trip to
the Big Apple e with a
reduced rate e at the
Soho House hotel
and members’ s’ club
(with the rooftop ftop
pool from Sex ex And And
The City, right). ht).
£1,099 for
three nights
plus flights
22-29 Nov;
vhiphotels.
co.uk.
SEE THE CITY THAT
NEVER SLEEPS,
CARRIE-STYLE
GO SPA-HOPPING O PPING
Hop from country to country,
all from the comfort of a hotel
in Mallorca. The Hilton Sa
Torre hotel offers a two-night
spa package that includes
seven spa treatments, each
inspired by a different nation.
Available until 31 March 2010
(hilton.co.uk/mallorca).
AROUND THE WORLD IN SEVEN
SPAS – FROM THE COMFORT
OF THE HILTON SA TORRE
CHEZ MOI, CHEZ VOUS
Roomorama.com is a new take
on the old concept of home
swapping, giving you the chance
to share your house and use
someone else’s home when you go
away. List yourself on the site, put
in your travel dates and say hi to
cheap stays in New York, Boston,
Chicago and Toronto.
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