HomeDesignLuxurious Artefacts Barcelona’s Claris Hotel Provides the Perfect Escape For Art Lovers If you’ve never known much about ancient civilisations such as the Maya, Chimú, Nayarit, Tairona, Quimbaya, Veracruz and Jalisco, then you would come away a little wiser after a stay at the Claris Hotel in Barcelona. Each of the rooms in this hotel-come-live-in museum contains items from a spectacular collection of pre-Columbian art, some of which have never been seen before in Spain. The Chairman of the chain, Jordi Clos, has a strong interest in ancient craft, allowing the hotel to bring art as close as possible to their guests. Claris pool Claris pool and terrace La Terraza; Claris Summer Day Claris Inside Claris Façade Claris Patio Junior Suite Duplex Junior Suite Duplex Claris Junior Suite Claris Junior Suite Claris Junior Suite Duplex Claris Executive Claris Corridor Pieces of Egyptian art on loan from the Egyptian Museum of Barcelona are scattered around in communal spaces all through the building, as well as being displayed in the hotel’s own personal museum on the first floor. Artistic relics aside, the hotel has a intentionally timeless feel to it: with olive and maple inlaid with rosewood marquetry, merbau and aged oak hardwood floors, gold leaves on the ceilings and walls with hand‐painted decoration, stucco, and black titanium granite from Brazil. Modern photography is anachronistically hung next to classical paintings, and antique lamps are juxtaposed with modern lighting fixtures. We asked Helena Vinas from Claris Hotel a little more about the art and interior design: The Plus: How do you manage to get hold of such great artwork and artifacts? Helena Vinas: Derby Hotels Collection has built up this private collection over the course of 35 years through international auctions, museums and collectors. Jordi Clos (the chairman of the chain) feels passionate about hotels, art, culture and his home city, Barcelona. He is a collector, a scholar and sponsor of art and culture. He is well known in his country for his amazing collections, The Jordi Clos foundation, The Egyptian Museum of Barcelona, The School of Egyptology and even for his own archaeological excavations. TP: How much is the design influenced by the Barcelona or Spanish art/fashion scene? HV: Barcelona and Madrid are cities where you can find art and culture everywhere. They boast many different types of art, and each one has its own museum, representation, etc. Barcelona is a well-known city in terms of design, architecture, maybe that’s the reason why every citizen feels passionate about art. TP: Who are your customers? HV: Guests at the Claris Hotel are connoisseurs of art, culture and luxury, who appreciate the quality of the materials and the sophisticated combination of classic styles with the most avant‐garde modernity. we’ve had the architect Toyo Ito, Jean Paul Gaultier and the Sting came before. TP: Which are the most commented on pieces in the hotel? HV: An original nineteenth-century Japanese kimono, over 1,600 year-old statues of Hindu gods and etchings of Napoleon’s battles in Egypt.
