We were among the first guests of the first Praktik boutique hotel in 2009 - Praktik Rambla. I can still recall the feeling that this hotel inspired in me, especially during siesta and in the evening before going into town for dinner. The building, dating back to the early 19th century, is in eclectic style, with - you've guessed it, my great passion - huge windows, perfectly framed by white, wispy curtains. I could sit for hours, watching them sway in the only breeze to drift in that particular day during the warmest summer of 2009.
I also remember the scent of shower gel and shampoo. It has remained my favorite until this very day. The fragrance of those lovely toiletries still takes me right back to Praktik Rambla.
Praktik hotels boast very functional and tastefully decorated rooms, with details that pulls you into the story behind them, a perfect atmosphere, the staff, well designed community areas for guests, lamps, floors, hardwood surfaces... I could go on and on.
Owing to this concept, coming back to such a hotel after you spend the whole day exploring this city, you don't feel that you're missing out on anything Barcelona has to offer. The hotel itself becomes a part of your trip that you end up telling everyone about. The hotel where before going to sleep you just quietly say: Thank you.
It was then that I fell in love with the concept of Praktik hotels. They simply draw you in.
Shortly afterwards the Praktik went on to open hotels Praktik Bakery, Praktik Vinoteca and Praktik Metropol in Madrid as well as Praktik Garden. In 2015 we stayed in Praktik Garden and once more, we were wowed by the idea, the green concept, functionality of the rooms and the hotel location. The Garden hotel had a great green terrace and this hotel became our favorite spot to begin and end the day.
And now, after hearing about a new hotel, somewhere halfway between these two and still close to all others (with the exception of the one in Madrid), I found myself looking into dates for Barcelona. I haven't heard of anyone ever packing their bags for a hotel; it's always the city that we come for. But I am packing my bags for a hotel simply because it rounds off the story of my Barcelona like no other.
This new hotel, called Praktik Èssens, touches on the strongest among my senses that sometimes scares even me with its potency. The sense of smell. It is scent that always launches me into a narrative, I remember fragrances and attach colors to them, which makes it is easy to store them away in my memory. I have this incredible thing for fragrances. I can recall them even after 30 years.
And imagine now my favorite concept hotel chain in my favorite city opening a hotel that is all about fragrances, taking their guests on a wonderful sensual trip through its rooms.
„Praktik Èssens has created its own fragrances to capture the essences of the sea, the mountains, and the flowers of the city and its surroundings. After a careful selection process, Praktik presents its 4 Èssens fragrances: Mar, Herbas, Flor and Barcelona. This last fragrance is remarkable in that it blends the three previous fragrances in very studied proportions. For us, it directly evokes the city of Barcelona!“
We still haven't discussed this at home. This desire of mine to take a stroll through our favorite city, breathing its scent in, but somehow I know we will go there. Now or later on, I just know we will! Maybe we manage to catch the 25% discount they are offering on any available room in the period between 1st March (when the hotel actually opens) until 16th April. The very discount we used ten years ago when the Praktik Rambla opened and when we fell in love with the entire concept.
So what do you think, is it time to hop on a plane and go get a new story?
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