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by SARAH ANDREWS
Just off Barcelona’s stately Paseo de Gracia stands the Omm, a hotel-restaurant-bar-nightclub-spa fusion that has successfully bridged the gap between hotel guest and city resident. The Omm manages to be much more than merely another place to spend the night, thanks in large part to its enviously well-orchestrated mix of contemporary design, intelligent flow and creative use of space. It’s an attraction in its own right, acting as a sophisticated meeting point for residents and out-of-towners alike.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
On The five-star Omm is the first hotel opened by the Grupo Tragaluz, a family company whose 10 Barcelona-area restaurants have given new vitality to the city’s gastronomic scene over the past two decades. Yet the Omm’s opening in 2003 was no freestyle leap of faith. Every element of the hotel, its restaurants and its public spaces was studied and laid out according to a detailed plan designed to reflect the owners’ vision.
DELIBERATE DESIGN
OnFrom the street, the Omm’s limestone façade, designed by Catalan architect Juli
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Capella, is unmistakable. A series of seemingly arbitrarily spaced flaps of limestone look as though they’re peeling away from the building, like the pages of a book. A visually interesting element that adds texture and flair to the otherwise rational architecture,
the flaps are also a useful design solution intended to give rooms extra privacy.
The buzz of city traffic slips away as you step through the fishbowl-like revolving |
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doors and into the lobby of the Omm. Even the name (think of a yogi’s chant) makes you slow down a pace or two. The reception desk is tucked off to one side and remains outside the flow and feel of the lobby itself. Its colour scheme (deep crimson) contrasts sharply with the muted beiges, deep greys, olive greens and splashes of rust red that characterize the rest of the space. It’s as though checking into the hotel is merely something you may need to do while you’re here; it’s certainly not the raison d’être of the space.
That feeling, like everything at the Omm, is deliberate. No doorman ushers you in; no bellboy reaches for your bag; no imposing wall separates the entrance from the plush couches or the bar. The idea is that anyone is welcome to enter here and make themselves at home. And enter they do. (continued...)
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THE CITY’S SALON
On an average Wednesday afternoon, a man with a newspaper and shopping bags sips a coffee on one of the lobby’s comfy couches, while beside him someone clicks away on a laptop. Two women perch on stools at the bar, and a group of dark-suited executives talks over a late lunch at the informal Moo Vida restaurant. There’s a constant flow of traffic to and from the very back of the room where the high-end, Michelin-starred Moo restaurant has its home. There are no barriers between these different areas, no tall bookcases or wine racks blocking the views between one and another. There is only the free-flowing shared atmosphere of a hybrid space where each element has its own personality and purpose.
Near the entrance, floor-to-ceiling glass windows replace exterior walls, inviting the light and life of the city to filter in. A visitor first encounters the lounge, divided into smallish sitting areas of plush sofas, square leather poufs and hard-lined aluminium coffee tables. Scattered sparsely about are wooden lamps spilling warm pools of light into the otherwise lowly lit space. The overall effect seems like a cross between a living room worthy of a design magazine, and an intellectuals’ café.
DINNER & DRINKS
Just beyond the lounge stretches the Moodern bar, surrounded by sleek black stools. Off to the right, a row of simple wooden tables are lined against the wall. Here, people can order a drink or snack all day and late into the night. The bar blends almost seamlessly into the Moo Vida restaurant; the kitchen’s long hours (1.30pm-1am) ensure that there’s always activity.
After Moo Vida, a simple metal curtain and a change of décor are the only things that alert you to your arrival in Moo, where 4-person tables are widely spaced around the room and a small interior patio fills the area with natural light by day. Moo is known for its creative Mediterranean cuisine, which is served in small rations meant to be shared, rather like gourmet tapas. The concept’s originality is highlighted by unique touches around the restaurant: sculptures by different artists dot each table, and charger plates, each designed by a famous designer, chef, artist or friend of the owners, add a whimsical touch. The total seating capacity of both restaurants is about 130 diners.
SEAMLESS TRANSITIONS
Throughout the lobby and restaurant area, the décor transitions seamlessly from day to night thanks to its minimalist yet welcoming aesthetic and use of intelligent design solutions. For example, huge angled skylights are cut through the ceiling above the Moo and act like light funnels to give a warm feeling by day. As the sun sets, automatic sensors are activated and artificial light takes over, creating a cool evening glow.
The two restaurants, the bar and the weekend-only nightclub Ommsession (located is in the basement beneath the lobby) are vital aspects of the Omm itself. The hotel, restaurant and beverage businesses (which are managed separately but all fall under the hands-on ownership of the Tragaluz Group) are designed to feed off each other, each aspect energizing and giving new life to the other two. In other words, this is as much a restaurant with its own hotel as a hotel with its own restaurant.
STEPPING INTO SUNLIGHT
In another part of the building are the 91 rooms of the Omm (58 standard doubles, 16 superiors, 9 junior suites and 8 suites), marked by their luminosity and serenity. The hallways, however, make arriving guests feel as though they’re backstage at a rock concert, with black carpet, black walls and black ceilings. These hushed, darkened tunnels ensure guests’ privacy as they pass though and provide a vivid contrast with the rooms themselves.
When the room door swings open, the effect is like stepping into bright sunlight from the shadows. A spacious rectangular room painted all in white and bathed in natural light greets the guest. The absence of hallways or otherwise wasted space enhances the airy feel, and simple furnishings, some purpose-designed by local firms, create a serene mood. The large white bathroom lies behind a white armoire that doubles as a wall; the bath and toilet areas are completely separate, a whim of the designers. (continued...) |
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MINIMALIST CALM
The room is absolutely uncluttered, adding to its calm aesthetic. Nowhere will you see a cord, outlet, light bulb or distracting gadget. Everything is neatly tucked behind the furniture or is built into the walls. Even the air vents, fire alarm and curtain rods are hidden from view, thanks to a cleverly lowered ceiling which leaves a narrow canal around the room’s perimeter where these unsightly but necessary elements hide.
The exterior rooms look onto a busy street and are protected from both traffic noise and the peering eyes of neighbours thanks to the limestone flaps on the façade, which act as curved walls for the rooms’ balconies. The flaps also direct the view toward the fashionable Paseo de Gracia, a half-block up, instead of down to the busy street below.
PLENTY OF PERKS
A host of extra services add to the Omm’s appeal. A rooftop terrace with a summer-only bar affords views of one of Barcelona’s best Modernist buildings, La Pedrera. The 8-cabin Spaciomm spa, with a soothing Japanese design aesthetic, offers treatments ranging from reflexology to oxygen therapy. And an outside-owned full-service hairstyling salon provides yet another place to get pampered. While these complementary spaces are not the core of the Omm’s business, they do play an essential role in the concept of the hotel. Like Moovida and Moo, the spa and salon are open to the people of Barcelona and are yet another way for the hotel to connect with the city. On a more basic level, these extras fulfil the desires of a demanding public, who expect such comforts from any five-star hotel.
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THE WOMAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Such a unique project cannot exist without a uniquely determined personality behind it. The heart and soul of the Omm is Rosa Esteve, a self-made restaurateur who runs the business with her son, Tomàs Tarruella, and daughter, Sandra Tarruella (who designed the hotel with partner Isabel López). Esteve oversees the Omm with a critical eye and larger-than-life personality. Her presence is inescapable. Not only is she here every day -- constantly passing through the lobby -- but her hand is in countless details. She chooses the spa technicians, and it was her insistence on originality that led the group to create the line of perfumes and bath products used in the hotel (all for sale in the spa). At 67, she scoffs at the idea of retiring.
From its conception, the Omm has always aimed to be more than just another hotel. And its frequent repeat guests, popularity with celebrities, and successful track record of 80% weekend occupancy and 60% mid-week occupancy year-round prove that it’s met the goal. While there are no plans to expand the Omm or build another hotel in the city, Esteve is looking toward Madrid, where she hopes to open a second hotel sometime in the future. It will not, however, be another Omm. In its hotels, as in everything it does, the Grupo Tragaluz looks to push boundaries and break stereotypes. What will come next is anyone’s guess.
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NORTH-CAROLINA NATIVE SARAH ANDREWS is a travel writer and editor who has been working in Barcelona since 2000. She?s the author of numerous guidebooks to Barcelona and is the coordinating editor of Hotelier International.
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DETAILS:
HOTEL OMM
CARRER ROSSEL&OACUTE 265 08008 BARCELONA SPAIN
OWNER: GRUPO TRAGALUZ
MANAGER: JORDI MAESTRO
CONTACT: +34 93 45 40 00
WWW.GRUPOTRAGALUZ.COM
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