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FOUNDED in 1968, Derby Hotels Collection (DHC) is one of the most prestigious hotel and hotel apartment companies in the Catalan area of Spain. Each property under the Derby umbrella boasts a unique collection of ancient and modern works of art.
Derby Hotels has most of its properties in Barcelona, but it is also present in Madrid, London and Paris. At the recently concluded 34th International Tourism Trade Fair in Spain, DHC launched a new touristic accommodation facility, Barcelona Apartments, fully equipped with modern amenities and located in the city centre.
Arai, a new concept in luxury tourism, was launched last year. Nestled in the heart of the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, this four-star superior monument aparthotel is a combination of a high-quality boutique and apartment hotel. It has 31 rooms all following a core principle: respect for the building’s history.
A €12 million ($16.48 million) exercise in archaeological restoration, the hotel features exclusive museums from DHC chairman Jordi Clos’ private collection. A majority of the pieces exhibited at Arai form part of the history of the palace which houses it. The building, dating back to 1702, is one of the best examples of Catalan architectural heritage.
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Claris… elegance steeped in history |
DHC’s association with historical properties continues with its London-based hotel, The Caesar, which is housed in a recently remodelled Victorian building and enjoys proximity to Paddington station and Hyde Park. The Caesar was awarded four stars by Visit England for the third year running, along with a Silver Award. The Caesar is one of five London hotels to receive this award.
In Barcelona, Hotel Claris was selected as “Best City Hotel in Europe” by the prestigious publisher Condé Nast Johansens and, among other accolades, was included in Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best Hotels 2008” ranking, which lists the 500 best hotels in the world.
The Urban Hotel in Madrid is another of the biggest award‐winners in the chain.
In 2012 it was selected as one of the “Top 25 trendiest hotels in Spain” by TripAdvisor in its “Travelers’ Choice Hotel Awards”. This is an honour shared by the Banke Hotel in Paris, named one of the “Top 25 trendiest hotels in France”.
The Banke Hotel, Paris was also selected in 2011 for the category of best design and decoration by Qualitelis as part of the “Trophées Clients de l’Hôtellerie”.