Sometimes luxury isn’t just in magazine photos or on a night out that empties your wallet. Sometimes luxury can be taken apart, given a price tag, and cherished by those of us who have always dreamed of having a five-star hotel lamp in our living room. If you’re someone who is fascinated by interior design or simply looking for that piece with history that will add the finishing touch to your apartment, this weekend you have a must-see event in the heart of the city.
The 45 Times Barcelona Hotel, that imposing building that presides over Plaça Catalunya, is preparing for a radical makeover. Before transforming into the new and highly sophisticated Bless Hotel Barcelona, the luxury brand of the Palladium Hotel Group that is already a success in Madrid and Ibiza, it has decided to throw its doors wide open. But not to rent rooms, but to sell absolutely everything.
A second life for design in Plaça Catalunya
This is not just any flea market. It is an open house event to be held from January 16 to 18, where the hotel will become a giant showcase for furniture and design objects. The idea behind this event, beyond freeing up space for the comprehensive renovation that will bring Bless’s concept of “hedonistic luxury” to Barcelona, is to commit to the circular economy and give a second chance to pieces that have been part of the city’s nightlife.
The inventory sounds like paradise for treasure hunters. There will be everything from the obvious, such as designer chairs, tables, and armchairs, to those details that make a difference in a home: large mirrors, lamps with personality, professional coffee makers, and even ice machines. And if you’re someone who notices the smallest details, the organizers have confirmed that even door handles and other decorative elements will be for sale. It’s literally like taking a piece of the city’s hotel history home with you.
The method of emptying houses comes to hotels
Behind this initiative is Arquitectura del Orden, the company led by Astrid Romero and María López that has revolutionized the concept of “clearing out homes.” Their philosophy is based on honoring every object, from an antique piece to that plate that lost its match, finding them a new home where they can continue to be useful. Although they are used to entering mansions and stately apartments, this is the first time they have applied their particular open-door method to a hotel of this size in Barcelona.
For those who are already making room in their cars, it is important to know that, although admission is free, capacity is limited. You have to reserve a place through the Eventbrite website to be sure of getting in. The times to raid this design treasure trove, politely and wallet in hand, are Friday the 16th and Saturday the 17th from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Sunday the 18th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. This is a unique opportunity to walk the corridors of a luxury hotel with a new perspective: that of someone who knows that armchair would look great in their reading corner.