GENERATOR HOSTEL | BARCELONA

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The first words that spring to mind when you mention ‘hostel’ are cramped, loud, smelly and small. You’d be pleased to know that there is a hostel / hotel that is anything but… It is called Generator Hostel, and it is located in Barcelona’s Gràcia district, a ten-minute walk from Antoni Gaudí’s famous Casa Batlló apartments. The architectural landmarks – basilica La Sagrada Família and Park Guell – are also nearby.

This one-of-a-kind combination of a hotel and hostel was designed by an award-winning The Design Agency from Toronto, which is managed by a trio of designers Allen Chan, Matt Davis and Anwar Mekhayech, who also happen to be long-term friends. The Generator Hostel is truly stunning. From the moment you walk in, you are taken aback by the splash of Mediterranean colours – all subtle and audacious hues of yellow, orange, and red which reflect the Catalonian influence on Barcelona.

There is a forest of lanterns, created by local artist Juliee Plottier, which hang over the hotel bar. The inspiration for the lanterns came from the annual Festa Major de Gràcia. To the right is the hostel lobby with a pavilion that is designed to reflect Barcelona’s long and proud nautical history. This area of the hostel is affectionately called ‘The Birdcage’ and it features 7-metre-high wooden boards which resemble a ship’s hull. The next feature you see is a winding staircase which stretches through the pavilion and leads onto a glass mezzanine.

To say that the Generator Hostel is eclectic would be a huge understatement. Whichever part of the hostel you end up in, you are immersed into different design layers and styles. One of the designers of the Generator Hostel, Anwar Mekhayech says that the Design Agency’s concept for Generator Barcelona was “to curate the space like a full-scale art installation”. watch video below

Lanterns at the bar in Generator Hostel in Barcelona Spain

If you fancy a book to read, or play chess, pool or foosball, Generator Barcelona took care of that too by creating a guest play room. You can even take pictures of yourself in a retro-style photo booth and immediately upload them to social media via the hostel’s Internet stations.

Just to let you know – Generator Paris and Rome are coming in 2014! watch video below

Reception area at the Generator Hostel in Barcelona Spain

Spiral staircase at the Generator Hostel in Barcelona Spain

Bathroom design at the Generator Hostel in Barcelona Spain

Bar area at the Generator Hostel in Barcelona Spain

Interior design of the Generator Hostel in Barcelona Spain

Interior design with a red chair and a chess board on a circular table at Generator Hostel in Barcelona Spain

Lounge area at the Generator Hostel in Barcelona Spain

Street level window at the Generator Hostel in Barcelona Spain

Street view from the exterior of Generator Hostel in Barcelona Spain


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