Room Mate Carla, Barcelona, Spain

At the rate the Room Mate hotel group is turning out new properties, it’s only a matter of time before it completely corners the market in bright, cheery, well-priced lodgings located in glossy outposts like Mexico City, Florence, Istanbul and Miami Beach. For now, the focus seems to be Spain with Room Mate Carla just opening in Barcelona, which brings the city’s haul to three properties and a fourth scheduled for later this summer. 

Tomas Alia headlines the interior design of the 81-room Carla with an almost futuristic bent. The public spaces are splashed in swathes of deep blue and lime green. In the lobby, customized geometric-shaped armchairs set off screens of enameled ceramic and furnishings that were apparently inspired by Gaudi’s brand of kooky modernism. 

Meanwhile, the white-on-white bedrooms are dressed in a kind of stark minimalism that alternates between pop-art overhangs and graphic motifs, and high-ceilinged mouldings – courtesy of the building’s 19th-century provenance – that are more reminiscent of an art gallery.

The Carla’s location – near Paseo de Gracia – is a particular plus, as well as a reflection of the group’s penchance for interesting locations. The retail and culinary delights of Las Ramblas, the colour and tastes of La Boqueria market, and Barri Gotic cathedral are all within easy reach.