Our luxury hotel review series continues with our interview at and review of Majestic Hotel & Spa, located amid the grandeur of Passeig de Gracia.
This post is part of our series of you reviews and in-depth information about Barcelona hotels that fall into the Barcelona Hotel Association’s 5-Star Grand Luxury category. We’re launching this series because we want to give you the information you need to choose the Barcelona luxury hotel that most closely fits your personality and taste.
Majestic Hotel & Spa: Our Interview & Review
Hotel Majestic’s beaming white letters sit atop it’s classic facade like a Spanish version of the Hollywood sign. At street level, Barcelona’s business mavens and tourists steam by on the way to a seemingly endless lineup of luxury stores and metro stops. It’s a scene the hotel has enjoyed for almost 100 years. We talked with Communications and PR Trainee Arantxa Dominguez about what makes this 5-Star Grand Luxury (5SGL) hotel tick.
Click on any one of the links below to jump to a particular section:
What Sets Them Apart – How They Want Guests To Feel – Staff Personality
Favorite Aspect of Hotel – Opening Year– Best Suite
Family Amenities – VIP Programs – Location
Conclusions
What is your philosophy of service?
The Hotel Majestic philosophy of service is simple: achieving excellence of service. “We are a five-star grand luxury hotel,” Dominguez says, “so we need to cover all the expectations of our customers.”
What sets your hotel apart from other 5SGL hotels in Barcelona?
The hotel has been family-owned since it opened in 1918, and because of this, the property has a long heritage of hotel service. Unlike other hotels in Barcelona, Dominguez points out, the Majestic and the building it occupies has always been a hotel. These two factors make the Majestic unique.”We have almost one hundred years of experience, being in the city center and being in the heart of Barcelona,” Dominguez says. “It has been part of the story of the city.”
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| A sunny day on the Majestic terrace |
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| A view of the bar in Majestic Hotel |
How do you want your guests to feel when they are walking out the door at the end of their stay?
As clients walk out of the lobby of the Majestic, Dominguez and her colleagues want there to be a sense of wonder. “We want our clients to feel that it has been a marvelous experience. We want them to come back, of course,” she said. “But, we want them to feel as though they’re expectations and wishes have been exceeded.”
This expectation of marvel is borne from a realization that having the 5SGL recognition means providing a perfect experience, Arantxa said.
What is the personality of your staff?
The staff at Majestic Hotel pride themselves in their friendliness, which is an expression of the hotel’s family-owned heritage.”We are big because we have 275 rooms,” Dominguez says, “but we have a family feeling.”She points out that there is a group of staff at the hotel who’ve worked within the Majestic’s halls for more than 30 years. There are fathers and sons who’ve both served at the hotel, as well as staff who’ve met each other working at the hotel and have married.
What’s your favorite aspect or amenity in this hotel?
Dominguez smiles as she answers the question, turning to point behind her to a small stool next to an ivory pillar. “We’ve got a person who comes in here every afternoon and shines shoes at that chair. He’s been doing it for 20 years,” she says.
The chair and the grand piano behind it are are small touches that reflect the hotel’s desire to maintain tradition while moving forward into a new era of luxury. “These things are the type of traditional things we maintain,” Arantxa says. “It’s an essential part of the Majestic.”
Dominguez also points out her pride in the hotel’s Solidarity Room, a room in the hotel in which a percentage of each booking is put toward a local charity.
When did your hotel open?
The hotel opened in 1918, making it the oldest 5SGL hotel in Barcelona.
What is your best suite and what makes it special?
The Majestic’s Antonio Machado room is its most spectacular suite. The room is named after the Spanish poet Antonio Machado, who stayed in the hotel in the weeks leading up to his death. The room features 150 square meters of space. The room, along with all the top-level suites at the Majestic, include private butler service. The suite also includes old photos of Machado.
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| One of the Majestic’s penthouse suites |
What services are available for families?
The hotel doesn’t have a children’s program, Dominguez says. However, they do offer to certain guests VIK (Very Important Kids) amenities that include special bathrobes and a teddy bear for their younger clients.
Does your hotel offer specific VIP services?
Butler services are offered for clients who stay in the hotel’s penthouses. Guest Relations is available to everyone, but they focus their attention on guests in suite, junior suite and penthouse rooms. Also, the hotel offers spa and honeymoon packages.
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| The reception area of Majestic’s spa |
Where is the hotel located?
The Majestic Hotel & Spa is located on Passeig de Gracia in between the Diagonal and Passeig de Gracia metro stops. It is accessible by metro, bus and taxi.
Our Conclusions & Review of Majestic Hotel & Spa
Perfect For
Hotel Majestic’s history makes it perfect for the traveler who enjoys formal hotel service and appreciates family-owned business who take pride in their heritage. The hotel’s location on Passeig de Gracia is a big plus for those who want to stay in the middle of all the action.
Pros
- If you are a traveler who likes a full-service spa, this is the hotel for you.
- If you are a traveler who likes formal service, this is the hotel for you.
- If you are a traveler who wants likes luxury shopping, this is the hotel for you.
Cons
- If you are a traveler who prefers a younger crowd, this is not the hotel for you.
- If you are a traveler who likes informal service, this is not the hotel for you.
- If you are a traveler who wants to be the intimacy of a small property, this is not the hotel for you.
The Little Things:
- The bar offers a signature cocktail called the El Majestic Vespertini: vermouth, vodka, and gin served martini-style.
- Majestic is the only hotel in Spain with a room fully-adapted for clients with limited mobility.
- The hotel used to be called “Hotel Ingleterra”.
- Chanel, Bulgari, Gucci and Louis Vuitton are located on the same block as the hotel.
Booking:
To book a room at Majestic Hotel & Spa or to check availability for certain dates, click here to access our Barcelona Experience Booking.com reservation service.
Disclosure
Majestic Hotel & Spa provided Barcelona Experience with the photos used in this article and the subsequent social media posts. Also, the hotel provided us with a delicious cup of cafe con leche during our interview with Ms. Dominguez.
