Hotel 1898

Hotel 1898 occupies a protected local heritage building on Barcelona’s Rambla, set on a trapezoidal plot with three principal façades. Seven openings organise the main frontage around a central vertical axis. The central entrance forms a monumental arch, with Ionic columns and figures of Hermes and Fortuna. Montjuïc sandstone covers the principal frontage from base to rooftop.

Construction began in 1880, and the building remained a company headquarters until its sale in 1929. Its ground floor later housed Banco de Santander offices. Josep Maria Sagnier added the Xuclà and Pintor Fortuny façades in 1929 and 1935, combining neoclassical and rationalist elements. A corner niche holds a statue honouring Mariano Fortuny.

The conversion between 2003 and 2005 turned the historic headquarters into a hotel while preserving its colonial-style interiors. The former ground-floor warehouse became the hotel spa. Inside, the lobby’s barrel vault and classical decoration lead towards rooms with plaster ceilings, wood panelling, fireplaces, and bookcases. Above them, a balustraded rooftop terrace offers panoramic views of Barcelona.