Renderings of the new Leonardo Royal Barcelona Fira, which opens in summer 2021 (imagery: © Marc Sánchez and Neudahm Hotel Interior Design)

The first approved hotel after six years of construction stopping in Barcelona: Leonardo Royal Barcelona Fira stands out with its sustainable orientation.

Leonardo Royal Barcelona Fira is the first hotel in Barcelona, that will start operating in summer 2021, after a six-year tourism construction stop in the city.

At the same time, it is the first hotel of the Leonardo Royal brand in Spain. The project is characterised by avant-garde aesthetics, sustainable architecture and smart technology – and goes hand in hand with Barcelona’s efforts to become more climate-neutral as part of the European Green Deal. Specially designed for business travellers, trade-fair guests and event organisers, the four-star-superior hotel scores with its location in the Sants-Montjuïc district next to Fira de Barcelona, a major trade-fair centre in Europe, and the newly developing port district.

With its more than 10,000 sq m of total space, Leonardo Royal Barcelona Fira has a generous room concept that sets new standards in a highly sought-after city like Barcelona for a long time.

The 11-storey glass building with 204 rooms and an 8 m-high open lobby crowns a roof terrace with an infinity pool and sky bar and is guaranteed to become the next scene-stealer in the Catalan capital, where Leonardo Hotels now has four hotels, and nine throughout Spain.

“We are very excited about the imminent opening of this hotel. Despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic and the critical situation in the tourism sector, Leonardo Hotels is not giving up on pushing ahead with the new project and showing strength in Spain. We trust absolutely in the enormous attraction of the city of Barcelona, which has always been dynamic and innovative. We will do everything we can to support the revival of tourism, both leisure and business tourism here,” says Shay Raz, CEO of Leonardo Hotels Central Europe for Spain and Portugal.

Preserving hotel resources – with eco-energy, an urban garden and more

By 2030, as part of the European Green Deal, Barcelona wants to become a pioneer in urban planning with a climate-neutral character. The intelligent hotel management strategy of Leonardo Royal Barcelona Fira fits perfectly into the plans. It is based on two pillars: environmental awareness and, in parallel, the development of a more efficient use of resources that reduces costs and consumption.

A comprehensive sustainability programme is being implemented to achieve this: this includes the use of environmentally friendly materials such as recycled aluminium for window frames, which produces less CO2 during manufacture, or the installation of a wastewater recovery system, where filtered water from the showers is reused to fill the toilet tanks. This recycling technology enables significant savings in water consumption.

Another highlight is the Urban Garden on the second floor, which maximises thermal insulation and minimises the ‘heat island effect’. This 690 sq m garden accommodates native plants that provide optimal natural acclimatisation, creating a green space within the hotel.

In addition, the garden is irrigated with a rainwater storage system. The sustainability programme includes other energy-saving measures, such as the use of green energy by connecting to the Econergies district heating and cooling network to produce sanitary hot water and air conditioning through hot water for heating and cooling. The installation of photovoltaic solar panels on the roof and on the south and west façades achieves savings of almost 33%.

A new LED lighting system with motion detection ensures maximum efficiency and the commitment to maximum energy rating (A) on CO2 emissions achieves savings of up to 60%. In addition, parking spaces for e-vehicles with charging stations are provided.

Focus on companies, business and events

Due to its location next to Fira de Barcelona, another focus is on the corporate and MICE segment, with an attractive offer for the meeting market and event organisers. A total of seven rooms are available here for events and meetings of all kinds, bearing the names of well-known Spanish artists, and can be divided with panels as required, equipped with the latest technology and corona-compliant coffee and lunchbreaks known as the Brain Breaks.

Other hotel facilities include a restaurant, cafeteria, gym and wellness centre with personal-care treatments for business and city travellers.

There are 120 in-house parking spaces and a separate area for bus parking. Andreas Neudahm, head designer of Leonardo Hotels, is responsible for the interior design, combining the colours of the city on the Mediterranean with Moorish style and art nouveau elements by Gaudí – complemented by high-quality materials, luxurious furnishings and excellent equipment.

With Leonardo Royal Barcelona Fira, Leonardo Hotels Central Europe expands its presence in the Catalan capital to four hotels, and in the whole of Spain to nine. The hotel group entered the Spanish market in 2015 and has since opened hotels in Barcelona, Madrid, Granada and Bilbao. In Barcelona, Leonardo Hotels also operates Leonardo Barcelona Las Ramblas, Leonardo Barcelona Gran Vía and Leonardo Boutique Hotel Barcelona Sagrada Familia.

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