Contemporary and classic converge in Ernesto de Ceano’s design of the Barceló Emperatriz hotel, a modern nod to the 19th-century building and inspired by Spain’s Empress Eugénia de Montijo.

Touches like marble and wood harmonize in the lobby lounge alongside contemporary light fixtures and seating.

Each lobby enclave is partitioned by a metal curtain, at once translucent and reflective.

Modern furnishings in each guestroom—like quilted velvet seating—are done in light colors.

Onsite restaurant Mutis features a floral mural referencing the elaborate gardens typical of classic Spanish palaces.

The restaurant’s neutral tones are offset by the vibrancy of the floral mural and seating. 

De Ceano reimagined the historic grand mirrors favored 19th-century nobles as avant-garde wall art in the hotel’s corridors.
Photography by Fernando Alda