The moon’s gravitational pull on the earth ensues in a dance between swelling and waning waters, and this dramatic cycle guided Rockwell Group’s design of the SLS Barcelona. Backdropped by the Mediterranean Sea, the 471-key urban resort—the brand’s first foray in Europe—enlivens Port Fòrum, a marina district in the northern part of the city.
Eva Longoria, partner and studio leader of Rockwell Group’s Madrid office, was enthralled by “the power of the moon and how it influences the natural rhythms of life,” she says. “Considering the location of the hotel, we thought of the visuals of water coming up and going down.”
Bold artwork complements ethereal chandeliers in the pre-function Gala foyer
Inside the new build, designed by b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos, Rockwell Group first captured this dynamic in the lobby. A neon-flooded tunnel off the entrance symbolizes transformation as guests walk through its wave-like arches to the waterfront. Likewise, the undulating two-tone terrazzo flooring “echoes the movements of the tides,” Longoria says.
Reinforcing the celestial narrative are the guestrooms. These disparate spaces draw from various lunar phases, where “you can see the mood shift—in the curves of the headboards and in the color palette,” says Longoria.
In addition to Deluxe, Rockwell Group’s lobby café-lounge, there is a duo of animated poolside hangouts—Coral and rooftop Cosmico—designed by Ennismore’s in-house AIME Studios. Three more F&B destinations are the handiwork of AvroKO, including the dreamy pink- and green-hued tapas bar L’Anxova Divina, which pays homage to Antoni Gaudí’s trencadís technique, a mosaic style embracing ceramic and glass shards.
Myriad tiles grace the AvroKO-crafted pink and green-hued tapas restaurant L’Anxova Divina
For Mediterranean restaurant Lora, developed in collaboration with London-based hospitality company Studio Paskin, a golden, sun-bleached atmosphere was the objective, “so everything has this subtle saturation to it,” says Sarah Smith, design manager at AvroKO’s London office. The jewel of the room is the bar, which glows in the evenings, recalling water fountains found in the courtyards of Lebanese homes and palaces.
Most enigmatic is Kyara, the cocktail bar from Alex Kratena and Monica Berg of Tayēr + Elementary in London. Fragrance-fueled libations are hatched in the laboratory-like Compounding Room, then served amid a post-modernist ambiance that Smith describes as “2001: A Space Odyssey meets villain’s lair. Dystopia was a big word for this project.”
Here, amber glass portals are embedded in concrete walls and low ceilings juxtapose “bursts of metal tonality and soft curves,” she adds. “We used steel everywhere. We knew the detailing had to be slick, so we explored it as a beautiful object.”
A golden, sun-bleached vibe permeates Lora, the Mediterranean restaurant designed by AvroKO in collaboration with hospitality group Studio Paskin
Rockwell Group’s bespoke sinuous sofa offers a quiet perch underneath the lobby’s off-kilter, Baroque-style chandelier
The bar at L’Anxova Divina celebrates Barcelona’s stunning wrought-iron balconies
This article originally appeared in HD’s October 2025 issue.
