MADRID TOWER - SEPTEMBER 2011

Whoosh! Here I go. Midday, September 4th 2011 and the high-speed AVE train, with me on board, zooms towards Madrid. We hit 300 kph, watch a soppy movie, have a coffee and as the final movie credits are rolling, less than three hours later, we slide into Atocha station. No airports, no check-in, no delays, no nonsense. I love it!
Jump into a cab and after a short trip, I arrive at the Eurostars Madrid Tower. Located at the top of the Castellana, opposite the somewhat drab Chamartin station, this four-star hotel is housed in one of the four sparkly skyscrapers that have recently changed Madrid's urban landscape.  Behind is a building site. The plans for a spanking new conference centre scuppered by the credit crunch, leaving three silent, lonely cranes and a small workforce to fill the hole with a car park; another reminder of the sad current state of the economy.
That being said, inside the hotel it's a different story; one that gleams and glistens. A small but efficient reception area leads to the bank of lifts that service the 30 floors. You can't really get lost here. The hotel is a tall tube so nothing is far from the elevators. The main meeting space is in the basement while the smaller rooms are on the 6th and 28th; all with wonderful views over the city and the mountains. The higher you go, the better the views so the real jewels in the crown are the panoramic dining area and the Volvoreta gastro restaurant at the top of the hotel. Both areas are contemporary and roomy with double-height ceilings. The real star however, is the view. Personally, I'm not one for early mornings, but a cooked breakfast while watching the sun rise over the hills is a great way to get life in perspective and start the day on the good foot.
The hotel bedrooms are large and pleasantly decorated; the beds are sublime. Do however mind the showers. A twist too far and you will be left winded and groping breathless for a nearby towel.
All in all though, the hotel is a real gem for corporate events and somewhat of a lone star in  Madrid's empty sky of large, contemporary business hotels.
However, despite its size (the Tower has nearly 500 rooms),  this hotel is far from being a soulless hotel in a soulless area (let's face it, Chamartin is hardly the fodder of glossy brochures). Once through the revolving doors, the atmosphere here is warm, friendly and may I say, even boutiquey (does that word exist?). The staff are a true asset to the Tower, filling the hotel with character, warmth and a can-do attitude, and that's what hotels are all about, don't you think?

One of the bedrooms

Breakfast room with a view

American psycho event wardrobe

Hotel from below

The event team demob happy 

AVE and home to Barcelona

THE ALMA HOTEL *****

The lobby bar

Contemporary deco style rooms

Barcelona's newest five star, one of a rapidly growing posse, is located a stone's throw from Paseo de Gracia. Unassuming, it is easy to walk straight past this gem.  Such austerity and understatement turn out to be the signature here.
The lobby and restaurant are both spartan and beautiful. Greys and blues predominate in this sparsely furnished and spacious area. Light floods in from the garden at the back and tranquility reigns. Think 30s New York. The finishing here is of the highest caliber. You cannot help nut think that the person who owns this place loves it like a person. You just want to touch everything and skim the lobby library books. There's a Giacometti hardback in there somewhere - further evidence of the passion for design here. 
In the wide corridors, old typewriter keys indicate where the rooms are located. Another lovely touch. Open the doors to reveal contemporary bedrooms that somehow transport you back to between the wars. Warm colours grace the walls and bespoke furniture marries beautifully with deco style furniture.   The pictureless walls perhaps make the rooms a little impersonal but that is just an opinion. The overall sense is one of solidity, quality and comfort. 
A trip up to the panoramic roof terrace and there is no mistaking this is the 21st century. The spectacular views of contemporary Barcelona include possibly the best aspect of the Sagrada Familia in all its glory.

lobby bar and restaurant

 Down for lunch in the restaurant and the eye for detail continues. Lovely service combining informality with efficiency (no robotic waiters here), lowish seating and a meal prepared with care and attention (even if a little on the salty side on this occasion) bring a very pleasant visit to an end.
Conclusion? Modernista Barcelona and deco New York all wrapped up in a neat contemporary package! Martini anyone?

The terrace is available for functions

slow-cooked beef

 

 

DandyLion Sessions 2

http://soundcloud.com/tobykenyon/august2011
Sit back, relax and enjoy

DANDYLION MIX JULY 2011

Here are some of my favourite tracks from this summer in a new mix. I hope you like it. http://soundcloud.com/tobykenyon/july-2011-dandylion-cocktails#

At the beach 28th August 2011

ASTURIAS SUMMER 2011 - Toby, Tom, Richard and Michael.

12/08
9pm - board sleeper train bound for Asturias; "the real Spain". All extremely excited about this moment. Cleverly designed sleepers with their own mini showers and fold out bunk beds all in about 8m2. Polish off a bottle of cava in an instant and head for dinner (average) which we enjoy to the steady rock of the train as it heads north. Early to bed. Bottom bunk for me and top for Tom. Did I say steady rock? Funny how perceptions changed with eyes closed. A background hum becomes a full orchestra and a steady rock hits 5 on the Richter scale. Thank god top-bunk Tom was hemmed in by a metal framework to avoid rolling into the toilet mid- trip. Bleary-eyed breakfast and back to the room to clean teeth. Why oh why does the shaving cream tube look identical to the tooth paste? Do they do that on purpose? With Gillette-fresh teeth, I alight the train. ! I'm not sure but I would swear the ground is moving.

13/08
8 am - Walk towards the hotel in Oviedo sun, unbeknown to us it is to be the first and last of the trip. All excited at the prospect of the Ayre hotel housed in the new Calatrava-designed conference centre, an arresting building in signature style. Check-in, get changed in loo. Hotel all a bit too white and "try to hard" for my liking. However, we have been upgraded to suites so who's complaining. Off to town for a tourist spin.. cathedral - tick, main square - check, market - done. Very pretty. Relaxed day and siesta in lovely bed (see 11/08).  Arrive at chosen restaurant for dinner. Closed in August! Why do they do that? I guess they must be in Barcelona on holiday! Second choice restaurant in main drag. Waiters pour cider from heights almost successfully into glasses "to aerate it". With or without air, you can keep it. Like bitter scrumpy? Go to Asturias. Dinner very disappointing. Can't even remember the name of the restaurant. Let's check out the scene someone suggests. Well, Saturday night at Versache's bar (no, it is not a typo) is a bit like the man himself; dead. (Sorry Gianni, couldn't resist that).  At least it made us all feel youthful. I guess any young gay man worth his salt gets out of here once the nappies are off.  Probably all living in Barcelona. Good night Oviedo.

14/08

42 today. Will it rain? It normally does. Approach window and open curtain to confirm my belief that the heaven's nearly always open on my birthday.  Breakfast, gym and check-out. This morning we are off to the pre-Romanesque building of Santa Maria de Naranco,  one of a clutch of buildings of the same style in the region. "Pre-Romanesque" goes the conversation in the car. What is that then? After casting our minds back to those tippex-sniffing moments during history lessons at school and all still unable to  fathom how a building from 848 could possibly pre-date the Romans! Duur, read the guide! The Romanesque period started in the 11th century and has fluff all to do with the Roman Empire. Santa Maria de Naranco - check! Rain - check. Back in car - check. We head off to Cudillero, "the prettiest fishing village on the Asturian coast; and it knows it" - claims the guide. We check in at the Casona de la Paca, just outside Cudillero in the village of El Pito, loosely translated as "Todger". Sounds vaguely Dorsetian don't yo think. The hotel is a lovely house set in pretty gardens with cosy rooms. Check in and head for lunch on foot.  500 metres past new builds and empty plots cordoned off by wire fencing. Country bliss it isn't. We arrive at the restaurant of choice, El Pescador. Admittedly, this is the busiest weekend of the year in Spain but after waiting for 90 minutes for mains, tempers (mine mainly) begin to fray. It's my birthday godammit! The food is okay but far from the unbeatable cuisine we were all expecting. 90 minutes waiting time = too much wine, so we all slope off for a siesta after lunch. Rejuvenated, we head to Gijon for the evening. Annual fiesta and fireworks. Lovely evening . Maybe we should have spent more time here. Another birthday over; phew!

15/08

Wake after an amazing sleep (again) and enjoy an amazing breakfast (again). Drizzle? Check! Read the papers, grab brollies and head for Cudillero. Well, that's what we came for! Shabby chic doesn't quite hit the mark. Faded beauty? Nope. Delapidated, dingy? Yep, that's more like it. Probably looks nicer in the sun! Decide to ditch our guide book and sniff out more picturesque spots but not before a peek at Playa del Silencio, "one of Spain's most beautiful beaches". Okay, the approach is lovely and the cliffs dropping down to the sea are worth a photo but let's not go overboard. Probably looks better on a sunny day, we all agree. The guide gets stuffed into the glove compartment and off we go. With a plate of fried potatoes and blue cheese inside us we jump in the car and end up at Playa de la Concha... That's more like it. A quiet cove with a small hotel restaurant, Casa Miguel, at one end. Wine anyone? Yes please. An hour spent over a bottle of crisp Galician white gazing out to sea and putting the world to rights leads to dinner in the unassuming restaurant and perhaps the best meal of the trip. Cuttlefish in red wine and soy sauce! Oh yes...

16/08
Is it raining or am I dreaming? No not dreaming... We grab the car and drive off to Aviles, "once the most polluted city in Spain" - whooppee! Can't wait. But hang on a sec.. It is now home to a fabulous new conference and exhibition space; a gift from one of Brazil's many national treasures, architect Oscar Niemeyer. So, off we trot, expecting to see dead horses in the river and locals with unsightly skin diseases and alopecia. But none of the above. Aviles has a lovely old town with a nice vibe which is a pleasant surprise. Our hotel, the NH Palacio de Ferrera, overlooks the main square and is housed in a lovely 17th century palace. The Niemeyer centre on the other hand disappoints both in form and content. The buildings fail to impress any of us and the exhibitions available are of little interest to people who aren't particularly interested in searching for the interesting side of something of little interest (excuse my ignorance)  Guggenheim, eat your heart out, NOT! Personally, I miss the point of putting a city on the map only half-heartedly. Why bother? After lunch we set off on another magical misery tour as we head for the surfers' paradise that is Las Salinas. The photo in the guide (yes, out it came again) was alluring; so off we go. Bugger! Fooled again, that sly photographer took the shot with his back to the twenty-odd, grey 1960s skyscrapers. What is this? Elephant and Castle-on-Sea? Bundle back into the car and search around fruitlessly for something more, you know, characterful! Dinner in Aviles and bed.

17/08
Not going to even mention the weather. Sod it! Today is the day I've really be looking forward to; Los Picos de Europa, Spain's greenest and lushest mountain range with bears and linx and everything.  Are we going to heaven or are the clouds getting lower? Where are we? Stop! This is dangerous! Yep, a blanket of mist frustrates our moment of bucholic bliss and plans to visit the lovely Covadonga with its mountains and lakes. Whatever! This trip has been ever so slightly blighted by the weather, so we take it on the chin and head back down towards the coast. This time to the east and the seaside town of Lastres, which comes third in the Miss Asturias beauty contest. Well, who wrote that damned guide anyway? Burn it!  Lastres is a beautiful spot spanning some stunning beaches. The quaint town creeps up the hillside overlooking the Atlantic bays and provides some lovely panoramic walks. The sun comes out for us (a bit) and we all revel in our last few moments of our holiday at El Mirador restaurant, a not-so-stylish place with good food, decent prices and spectacular views of the coast. This is more like it. Two bottles of Martin Codax later, we waddle down to the Jurassic coast for a walk, admire a dinosaur print and head for the airport.

In all, this has been a great trip with amazing mates. We have laughed, we have relaxed, we have been restrained, and not gone overboard. Thank you my dear Asturias. See you next time without my guide book!

Atlantic beach

Hills and one of many viaducts

Casa Miguel - Playa de la Concha

Breakfast at La Casona de la Paca

La Casona de la Paca

Niemeyer in Aviles

Palacio de Ferrera

Michael pouring scrumpy

Palacio de Ferrera

Lastres

Lunch at El Mirador, Lastres

Blue eyes at El Mirador, Lastres

Tom and Toby at Lastres and a real dinosaur

Calatrava - Oviedo

Jazz hands - Ayre Oviedo

Calatrava - Oviedo

Oviedo

Statue Oviedo

It's a bum on the other side too - Oviedo

Calatrava

Mood lighting at the Ayre Oviedo

Top-bunk Tom

SAL CAFÉ

This cool chiringuito restaurant on the beach at Barcelona is a lovely place to hang out. The food is fine rather than outstanding, but the friendly service and the atmosphere on the beach terrace make for a perfect dining experience. Sal Café does not have any pretensions and it does what it does very well.
When I was there with friends on August 8th I enjoyed a cold tomato and basil soup with mascarpone which was very refreshing. This was followed by the sirloin steak which was not terribly inspiring but relatively enjoyable. All of the above was washed down with some lovely crisp Rueda and some great company helped the slow digestion.

Inside there is a kind of future-retro feel in black and orange which is cool but I would take the terrace on a sunny day every time.