Fine Arts from the HOTEL ESPAñA, CATALONIA

The Hotel España opened its doors in the heart of Barcelona’s historic centre in 1859 and was originally called Fonda de España. At the turn of the twentieth century, the family that owned the hotel commissioned Domènech i Montaner to renovate the building, which he did with the collaboration most notably of the sculptor Eusebi Arnau, creator of the splendid alabaster fireplace that dominates the hotel’s bar, and the painter Ramon Casas, who painted the famous two-tailed mermaids that give one of the dining rooms its name. The work earned the praise of Barcelona City Council and, in 1904, the hotel was awarded the Diploma of Honour for “best artistically and ornamentally decorated establishment.” More recently, the hotel has undergone further alterations that have seen it retain the style and spirit bestowed upon it by Domènech i Montaner.

Photos from 2014