Barcelona is one of those rarest of destinations. Beach. Tick. Mountains. Tick. Bustling city. Tick. Sun. Tick. Good transport links. Tick. Sustainable hotels. Tick. I could go on.
It’s also one of the destinations that our clients love going to. Whether it be an incentive travel trip for their top performers, a company conference or a corporate retreat, Barcelona is the ideal destination to host it.
And if you’ve got the time to embrace slow travel, it’s also not impossible to get to via train. There are good train routes from around Spain, France and Portugal. And if, like us, you’re coming from the UK, you can make it to Barcelona within 11 hours and can even enjoy a croissant in Paris.
To complement a sustainable event program in Barcelona, we wanted to highlight 5 of our favourite sustainable and eco-conscious hotels in this cosmopolitan city.
Mas Salagros EcoResort
Mas Salagros was born with the goal of promoting sustainable tourism and bringing ecology to the hotel and event industry. Perfect for an incentive trip, this luxury resort considers sustainability in every aspect from organic amenities to local and seasonal ingredients for catering. Activities nearby include wine tasting at one of the eleven DO Alella wineries, playing 18 holes at the Vallromanes Golf Club, the AIRE Ancient Baths and a selection of organic gastronomy experiences.
As a venue that was created from eco-friendly values, the building has been constructed using sustainable materials including 250 square metres of solar panels that help generate renewable energy to power the resort, heating and hot water generated by Biomass and a rainwater collecting system for watering gardens. As a result of these initiatives, Mas Salagros boasts a Green Globe certification, one of the highest sustainability standards in the world.
Chain: Independent
Guest Rooms: 60
Suites: 22
Meeting Rooms: 7
Largest Meeting Room: Mas Salagros + Foyer, 270 sq. m
Distance from Airport: 42.4km
Le Meridien Barcelona
A 5 star hotel deep within the city centre, Le Meridien Barcelona doesn’t deliver eco-luxury at the expense of the environment. Situated on the famous street, Las Ramblas, this hotel is conveniently located near the city’s main attractions and top restaurants. The banquet and conference centre offers 420 square metres comprising sixteen meeting and function rooms which can host events of every occasion, from business meetings to cocktail receptions, workshops and team building events.
As a Biosphere certified hotel, Le Meridien has a long list of initiatives from LED lights, eco-friendly materials, re-usable laundry bags and coffee capsules, a zero waste kitchen with sustainable menus. It also has two on-going projects that involve the installation of solar panels to generate renewable energy for the hotel, and an encore cistern which will reuse and utilise water from air conditioning condensation.
Chain: Marriott International Hotels
Guest Rooms: 231
Suites: 40
Meeting Rooms: 7
Largest Meeting Room: Espai Barcelona, 238 sq. m
Distance from Airport: 12km
Grand Hotel Central
The Grand Hotel Central offers a unique blend of history and design, creating a fresh definition of luxury for those seeking a five-star boutique hotel. This historic hotel offer a number of event spaces that can cater for intimate private meetings as well as larger events. Although the history has been expertly preserved, all meeting spaces are fitted with the latest technology, Audio Visual equipment and ambient lighting systems.
Another Biosphere-certified hotel, Grand Hotel Central believes sustainability and luxury should work hand in hand. There are solar panels on the roof to generate renewable energy, all food is locally sourced, food waste is minimised and all plastics are avoided.
Chain: Independent
Guest Rooms: 147
Suites: 12
Meeting Rooms: 6
Largest Meeting Room: Central Lounge, 187 sq. m
Distance from Airport: 14.5km
Hyatt Regency Barcelona Tower
Designed by British Architect Richard Rogers, the Hyatt Regency Barcelona Tower's unique and futuristic features are amongst the first you'd see as you arrive into Barcelona's international airport. 29 floors up and 105 metres high, the hotel is topped by a crown-like glass dome that offers 360 degree views of the city. An ideal location for conferences and events, the hotel has over 4000 square meters of event space divided into several meeting areas with a maximum simultaneous capacity of 1,800 people, as well as being conveniently located near one of the largest congress centres in Europe, Fira Barcelona.
Hyatt Regency Barcelona Tower integrates environmental sustainability into all aspects of their operations while constantly innovating. Biosphere-certified, the hotel uses Hyatt-specific software to monitor sustainability metrics which will allow them to improve year on year. 100% of the hotel's electricity consumption is sourced from renewable sources, they measure the carbon footprint of events which can be offset, and they are committed to replace items to more sustainable materials, such as corn pelp pens (which we loved!) and wooden keys for rooms.
Chain: Hyatt Hotels
Guest Rooms: 280
Suites: 42
Meeting Rooms: 20
Largest Meeting Room: Gran Salón Cosmos, 1614 sq. m
Distance from Airport: 6km
Hotel Arts Barcelona
Towering over Barceloneta Beach and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, Hotel Arts Barcelona offers 5-star luxury with a focus on design and culinary creativity. Accompanied by a striking 52m golden whale sculpture, two levels of gardens and terraces, and two outdoor pools, this is one of the hottest properties on Barcelona's seafront. The hotel boasts over 3,500 square meters of meeting space spread out over 21 different rooms including Arts 41, an exclusive space 100 meters high on floor 40 and 41, featuring stunning views of sea and city.
Hotel Arts Barcelona strive to provide an excellent all-round service while being committed to sustainability, the environment and the local community. The hotel has several certifications including BREEAM, Biosphere, and the Barcelona Sustainable Tourism award and it works hard to establish procedures and new projects that help reduce it's carbon footprint. Some of their note-worthy initiatives include 100% green energy, re-using rain water, donating food surplus, replacing non-LED lights and participating in forest and beach clean ups around the city.
Chain: Marriott International Hotels
Guest Rooms: 483
Suites: 58
Meeting Rooms: 28
Largest Meeting Room: Gran Salo Gaudí, 1343 sq. m
Distance from Airport: 20km
If you want to find out more about Barcelona and the sustainable activities, hotels and restaurants that you can experience there, feel free to get in touch with us at hello@zentiveagency.com.
About Zentive Agency
Zentive is a sustainable events agency in London focused on doing good. By integrating technology and following sustainable event practices, we create eco-friendly events that help you connect, reward and motivate your audience whilst leaving a lasting positive impact on the world. We believe in constantly pushing the boundaries of event planning and execution, embracing cutting-edge technologies, creative concepts, and immersive experiences. Our goal is to ensure that each event we organise leaves a lasting impact on attendees, participants, all stakeholders along the value chain, and the planet.