I don’t remember how I discovered the Praktik Hotels in Barcelona, however, after my stay at the Praktik Bakery Hotel, I was hooked. For my recent trip to Barcelona, I considered another stay at the Bakery, however, my family is gluten free and it seemed wrong to revel in the joys of freshly baked breads, croissants and brownies so I suggested something they would enjoy, the wine hotel, Praktik Vinoteca, one of five concepts Praktik Hotels offers. My family loves wine so this was intriguing to them. I did caution that the boutique hotel would have small functional rooms and was not “just book a Marriott room”. They heard wine and immediately said “yes”
Located in L’Eixample historic district, Praktik Vinoteca blends into the street front. When you enter the hotel, the small lobby with leather couches, wooden floors and what looks like a bar or West Elm furniture store might confuse you at first, but it’s definitely a hotel. The check in desk does double duty as the hotel bar complete with an extensive wine menu. When you check in, you’ll receive coupons for two glasses of wine or cava during your stay. After a long day’s journey, a glass of cava hits just right. After my cava tour of Barcelona last visit, I’m a fan of cava all day long.
The business center is opposite the two elevators and the long hallway leads to the common living room and outdoor patio space. So, you can take your glass of wine or cava in three distinct spaces on the ground floor. You don’t need to be a guest to enjoy the wine and spaces as I saw quite a few folks buy a bottle of wine and go to the patio to enjoy a cool night outdoors in a quiet area. The hotel has a wine tasting experience with their sommelier for a fee (book in advance).
My family had booked the adjoining family room and those were located on the ground floor between the front lobby and back living room. European rooms are not known for being spacious and family rooms are hard to find at an affordable rate. Pratik Vinoteca family rooms in Barcelona are a nice option as they essentially connect via the hallway but are two separate rooms offering more space. My family had two rooms (they in one room and the teenage girls in the other) and more importantly, two bathrooms, which when traveling with teenagers is important. Their rooms were next to the living room area and the outdoor patio so that was extra space. The hotel offers free-wifi and it was strong throughout the hotel. ‘
As for me, my exterior double room was on the top floor of the hotel, the sixth floor. It overlooked the outdoor patio space on the ground floor so I could see my family when they were outside. I booked directly with Praktik Hotels which offered a 5% discount and lowest rate. My three nights stay in June was 530 euros, which to me, was a great deal at the time as I rarely travel in high season.
The layout of my room was a bit different from Praktik Bakery which had the bathroom as the first entry point. When walking into the room, the shower was on my right and the toilet on the left, each in their own enclosed spaces. The doorway shutters were open to the bedroom so you can have privacy if traveling with another person.
The bedroom was just enough space for me and my suitcase with room to walk around to the windows. The closet was an open layout (no door) with hangers and drawers in addition to a safe. Each side of the bed had a small table and outlets along with a hanging light. Most important, the room was air conditioned. Barcelona was in the 90s the week of my visit, so the cool room was a welcomed escape after a long day of sightseeing (Wine Bike Tour, Montserrat, Making Espadrilles, Park Guell, La Sagrada Familia) and walking with my family.
Breakfast is served in the living room area and consists of traditional European options of bread, meats, cheese, yogurts and cereal. As a few members of my family are gluten free, the hotel accommodated them with gluten free bread, cookies and a few other items in addition to free range at the breakfast buffet. Breakfast can be added at time of reservation or in person for 8 euros per person which is a great option to start your day. The breads are from the sister hotel, Praktik Bakery, so you can experience the freshly made treats without staying there.
The outdoor patio was used a lot by my family to taste test bottles of cava and local snacks. It was nice place to catch up on the day, plan the next day and sort out dinner options. Given I was on a different floor, this was out meeting point each day/night. Despite a full hotel, the outdoor patio area was never crowded so it felt like our own private oasis.
Prior to check-in, I had emailed the hotel to inquire about airport transfers, gluten free restaurant recommendations and wine tour suggestions. Joaquin was quick to reply and provide a wealth of information including English speaking airport transfers from Barcelona airport direct to hotel. He also provided a list of wine tours; we settled on a bike tour with Penedes Ecotours to sample natural wines in the region. This personal touch is always such a welcome bonus at hotels nowadays given the turnover in the industry. Joaquin has been with Praktik Hotels for nearly five years having worked at Bakery for three years and now he’s with Vinoteca.
If traveling to Barcelona, I definitely recommend staying at Praktik Vinoteca for the comfortable rooms, great location, personal staff and of course the wine menu! What better way to sample Spanish wines and cava then at a hotel which curates the wine selections for you?