During its nineties transformation to a global city of diseno, Barcelona polished up its downtown with a new subway, fine new architecture and a freshly rebuilt waterfront. But aside from the haughty L'Eixemple, the inner suburbs have remained more homely. Now, that's changing, with high-end redevelopment creeping even into scruffy commercial areas. Last year the local water utility unveiled its Torre Agbar, a colourful, vaguely phallic high rise by French architect Jean Nouvel that offers competition on the skyline for Gaudi's Sagrada Familia. And just metres away rose the Hotel Diagonal, one of three local hotels owned by the Spanish Silken group. New-construction hotels are rare in Barcelona, and the Diagonal is aggressively contemporary both inside and out; the black-and-white facade, designed by local architect Juli Capella, evokes a piano keyboard 13 storeys tall.
Location A bit off-centre for pleasure travellers, though downtown is a ten-minute cab ride away, or about five subway stops - hardly a big deal given Barcelona's excellent metro and the station entrance a few steps away. But the immediate area is still in the process of gentrification: in spite of its name, Plaza de las Glorias Catalunyas is a highway roundabout, and the neighbours are dusty junkyards and modest apartment houses. There is also, incongruously, a new shopping mall across the boulevard, offering plenty of fast-fashion options and a pub.
Ambience Very smooth. The Silken Diagonal is a bit large to fit the boutique category, but the curvaceous lobby makes it clear this is not your average chain hotel: It's a dim oasis lined with zebrawood panelling and flashy pinstripes of copper. The area's suburban vibe makes the restaurant and bar - outfitted by Capella in glass-tile mosaics - feel a bit cold. Instead, guests tend to gather in the less formal street-front lounge for a drink and a smoke. The business centre, briefly open, is now closed, suggesting this is really a leisure destination; proof positive comes at the rooftop pool, surrounded by young Brits working to augment their tans.
The pool has a killer view of the city, which is shared by most rooms - though on the west side, the adjacent Torre Agbar will command your attention, its red- and blue-lit glass skin a nice contrast to the minimal décor.
Clientele A mixed bag. Largely British and other European tourists, including a fair number of middle-aged folk who might feel out of place in the city's more scene-y hotels.
RoomsThe Diagonal's 228 rooms employ the usual boutique-hotel design vocabulary: espresso-stained wood, minimal limestone bathrooms, and top-quality linens. But the details - like plenty of seating and expansive built-in cabinets - make them unusually livable. Capella's botanical-print headboards add a lush note, and the beds themselves are appropriately drowse-inducing. The biggest design move in each room is the exhibitionist-friendly glass-walled bathroom, but the design sensibly plays it safe with a translucent screen that can slide in front of the glass for modesty's sake.
Unfortunately, the hotel seems to have trouble keeping up the high maintenance that such interiors demand. The cleaners earned their tips getting my room's surfaces pristine every morning, but repairs were another matter - in my room, both the bathroom door and one of the automatic window blinds were seriously broken.
Rooms are spacious for their price range. The 39 superior rooms, which stick out from the facade in an irregular pattern, are significantly larger and offer views in two directions. But beware: If you're in one of these (or next door), you may get to know your next door neighbours better than you'd like.
Service Fuss-free. Staff are highly professional, fast-moving, and pleasant without being pushy. During my visit, the hotel was short-staffed at night (apparently a seasonal problem), but I saw a porter step in courteously to room service duty.
Food and drink High-end Catalan-centred fusion in the restaurant, Piano (which, while being named after the hotel's exterior design motif, does not actually have a piano). A nearby "cafeteria" offers drinks and a cheaper small-plates variation on the menu. The extravagant, carefully prepared breakfast buffet is worth its $21 price tag.
Bottom line Hospitality, large-hotel efficiency and a measure of boutique style - it's worth the subway ride.
Alex Bozikovic