Interview with Miguel Barceló, General Manager at NAKAR Hotel from Palma de Mallorca

Lifestyle - Interview

by Melisa Kaya

At the beginning of the project of NAKAR Hotel, they had a priority to create a design hotel that guests could meet their every need during the stay. With the rooms equipped with technological features, the interior design where the local touch will be felt while the modern perspective is maintained, the spa with its own pool, the rooftop with the view of Palma de Mallorca, the CUIT Restaurant which inspired by the Majorcan gastronomic tradition, and its central location in Palma de Mallorca, NAKAR Hotel is waiting for guests who want to live new experiences. I talked to Miguel Barceló, General Manager at NAKAR Hotel, to get more information about both NAKAR Hotel and Palma de Mallorca.

Miguel, before start talking about NAKAR Hotel, could you tell us about your background and hotel management experience? Who is Miguel Barceló?

I studied Hotel Management in Barcelona, at the ‘Sant Pol de Mar’ Hotel School. After finishing I did some trainees in different Hotels as a waiter and receptionist: Washington DC, Frankfurt and Canary Islands. After the trainees, I started to work as a receptionist in a Resort in Fuerteventura (Canary Islands). Then I was moved to assistant manager in a Hotel in Lanzarote and started to climb until becoming a General Manager. During all this process I had the chance to experience different types of Hotels: All-inclusive resorts, apartments, Golf resorts, conventions hotels, and boutique Hotels. For me, this variety of experiences in a different concept of Hotels is what gave me a lot of experience and a wider point of view.

After 13 years out of the home, I decided to move back to Mallorca and started to work in boutique and Design Hotels. 3 years ago I had the opportunity to participate in the NAKAR Hotel project, where I was involved from the very beginning.

NAKAR Hotel - Rooftop

NAKAR Hotel is located in the heart of Palma de Mallorca. Could you briefly tell us about Palma de Mallorca?

Palma is a great city that offers a lot of things. Having the airport only 12km away make this city a great destination and a very easy place to arrive. Palma’s airport is directly connected with the main cities in Europe and help that we can have a rich variety of nationalities coming to the island during the year.

What makes Palma a very special destination is that you can combine it with the rest of the island. You sleep in the city, but during the day you enjoy all island. Compared with other cities, Palma is very easy to move in and to escape from the center. In just 10 minutes you are out of the city and in 55 minutes you can be on the Eastern coast relaxing in a beautiful Cala.

This possibility of mixing a city with the beaches, the mountains and the countryside, makes Palma the perfect place for a holiday.

NAKAR Hotel

Could you tell us about NAKAR Hotel and the overall concept?

NAKAR Hotel is the result of having thought of all the elements and details that a Hotel should have today to meet the needs of the modern traveller. Everything has been studied and designed to ensure our customers the best experience during their stay. Location, design, technology, comfort, silence, gastronomy, care (SPA), emotions and service.

One of our motivations is to ‘create community’, and from the beginning, we wanted to be a Hotel in touch with the city and be open to non-staying people. Everybody is welcome to enjoy our facilities in our CUIT Restaurant or having a drink in our rooftop during the sunset. NAKAR Hotel has become a meeting point for local people and non-residents.

NAKAR Hotel - Reception

Please tell us about your design concept that bearing the signature of Majorcan Interior designer Marga Rotger.

The interior design of the Hotel is one of the main success factors of this project, using local materials like the stone in floors, walls and the pool at the rooftop. The design and concept of the rooms have been borne by the Majorcan designer Marga Rotger.

"The simple lines of the facade with the main features of rationalist style were determining factors while creating the interior design project. A style in simple shapes that occur in the absence of ornamentation. The combination of premium quality materials like oak wood, stone, glass, and black lacquered iron creates a warm atmosphere that is breathed in every corner of the hotel. The careful indirect lighting favours the feeling of relaxation and well-being that is transmitted to the client. Spaces with neutral colors and splashes of black colour to give a touch of elegance and sobriety. "

NAKAR Hotel - Room Jr Suite

How did you apply technology to the rooms to make your guests feel comfortable? What kind of technological features available in your rooms?

When thinking about how much technology shall we put on the rooms, we targeted that we need to not make it complicated.

Rooms at NAKAR Hotel have been designed for the modern traveller and all have a strong WiFi connection (free of charge), every room has his own private hot-spot. All televisions are 40" and 55" (in the suites and junior suites) and feature a modern Smart TV system which allows the guest to utilize screen mirroring, connecting their smartphones or tablets with the television and play photos, videos or audio. You can display on the TV apps like Netflix, HBO, Spotify, etc. (you need to have your own account).

Several electric outlets are intelligently distributed around the room, and also several USB connections, to charge any device directly without an adapter, or an adapter plug different from the European system.

The safe-deposit box in the room has the capacity to store a laptop of up to 15" LED light that illuminates the interior and also an internal electric outlet to charge the battery while it is stored inside.

The lights in the room may be dimmed by a home automation system with a selection of various moods.

The rooms have a presence detection system to turn off the lights when guests leave, saving energy and helping the environment.

NAKAR Hotel - Room Suite

What type of different rooms and suites do you offer to modern travelers? Could you tell us about your rooms and suites? What are their features?

We have 7 different room categories: from single-use ones, double rooms with and without views to the main street. Our Deluxe rooms are the most demanded ones because include a private patio and jacuzzi. The top categories are our Suites that have a balcony with direct views to the main street and an incredible design bath tube. We have a nice option for families or groups of friends, connecting 2 of our double rooms.

NAKAR Hotel - CUIT

NAKAR Hotel is host to CUIT Bar and Restaurant with a unique view of the city. Could you tell us about the chef Miquel Calent and CUIT Bar and Restaurant?

On the 8th floor of NAKAR Hotel is situated the CUIT Bar and Restaurant, where one can experience the wonders and talent of the well renowned Majorcan chef Miquel Calent.

From our restaurant CUIT, you can enjoy a unique view of the city, from where you can see the historic centre, the Cathedral, Bellver Castle and the beautiful bay of Palma.

NAKAR Hotel - CUIT

The CUIT Restaurant is a place to socialize and interact. The menu is based on an artisan and seasonal cuisine, inspired by the Majorcan gastronomic tradition, very Mediterranean and reformulated with new trends looking for the best seasonal products that the island can offer. Organic, sustainable cuisine that recovers and gives life to old traditional recipes of the island.

NAKAR Hotel - Breakfast

Breakfast is served in buffet format and offers a rich variety of juices, pastries, fruits, hot drinks, eggs, hot dishes, yogurts, cereals, etc., mostly made with local, seasonal and sustainable products.

NAKAR Hotel - Rooftop

The 9th floor of the NAKAR Hotel. How could you describe the Rooftop?

On the 9th floor of the NAKAR Hotel, one can find the secret of the Hotel: a wonderful terrace with amazing sea views and also over the rest of the city. From this terrace, you can see the Cathedral, Bellver Castle, the port of Palma and incredible views of the Bay of Palma.

On this terrace, there is an infinity pool with a length of 12m and a sun terrace with sun loungers for the enjoyment of our customers. This space is exclusively for hotel guests during the main hours of sunshine.

Late in the afternoon and after sunset, it is the perfect place to enjoy views of Palma that can be seen from the terrace, stimulated with a few drinks and enjoying our music.

NAKAR Hotel - SPA

Please tell us about your services and amenities. How could your guests spend time at NAKAR Hotel?

NAKAR Hotel has a SPA that is situated on floor -1. Our clients can easily obtain access by elevator to leave them directly in front of the SPA.

Our facilities include: 1 Heated pool, relaxation area with deck chairs by the pool, sauna, steam bath (hammam), showers and 2 treatment cabins (one double).

Our menu offers therapeutic treatments, sports massages, and muscle contraction treatment. Also, beauty treatments such as facials, manicures, and pedicures are offered.

NAKAR Hotel - SPA

What can your guests do when they step out of the NAKAR Hotel and step into the streets of Palma de Mallorca?

Palma is a city that invites you to explore and that can easily be covered on foot, offering different leisure options like shopping, sightseeing, and a rich and varied cuisine.

From the centre of Palma, it is easily accessible to several beaches. Within 10 minutes you can reach the beaches of Ciudad Jardín and Can Pastilla, and towards the west, the beaches of Cala Mayor and Illetas. Just in front of the Hotel is the bus stop to easily arrive at these beaches.

Thanks to its perfect location, from NAKAR Hotel, it's easy to quickly reach all the attractions of the city:

Right on the doorstep of the NAKAR Hotel begins the commercial and shopping area, where you can find the best shops, with a route that goes down to the Paseo del Borne.

Within 300m is located the popular district of La Lonja, full of restaurants and nightlife.

Also, within 300m, in the other direction is situated Santa Catalina, known as the ‘Soho of Palma’, another area worth visiting, with highlights such as its market, shops and the bars and restaurants.

For those who want to visit the oldest part of Palma and its monuments, including the Cathedral, they just have to walk 500m to reach the upper area of the city, where you can walk among the streets and historic buildings dating back to the fourteenth century.

Palma is a city open to the sea, where you can enjoy the sun and mild temperatures throughout the year. Just 400m separate the NAKAR Hotel from the seafront where one can find the fishing port, marina and the promenade that runs along the coastline of the city. This promenade offers the possibility of long walks beside the ocean and also a variety of restaurants.

NAKAR Hotel - Room Deluxe

What do you offer to your guest for making their holiday unforgettable? Which services and features of NAKAR Hotel make it different from other hotels in Palma de Mallorca?

According to our guest's reviews and comments, the 4 things that make us special are:
1. The location
2. The staff and the service
3. The concept and unique style
4. The rooftop and the wonderful views

NAKAR Hotel - Meeting room O

What kind of additional services do you offer for business travelers? What could you offer to companies that want to organize their meetings in NAKAR Hotel?

Situated on the first floor of NAKAR Hotel is a conference room of 40m2, with a capacity for meetings of up to 25 people. The room has natural light and the best current technology for holding events: Television screen of 80”, sound system, natural light, video conference system, flip chart.

In our restaurant, you can organize lunches or dinners for groups up to 60 people. Our space has fantastic sea views and plenty of natural light.

Events can be combined perfectly with our rooftop on the 9th floor, where cocktails, coffee breaks or al fresco dining can be held while enjoying the best views of Palma. The capacity of our rooftop is up to 60 people.

NAKAR Hotel - Room Jr Suite

How can travelers make their individual or business/group reservations? Do you have any advantage packs that you offer to your regular and long-term guests?

The main reason when our guests decide to choose NAKAR Hotel is because our concept. We don’t want to attract people by decreasing the rates. What we want is to attract the right people that value our concept and wants to enjoy our style and special environment. Is because of this that we don’t like to do aggressive offers. Instead of this, we offer a lot of details and added value.

We like to reward our guests when they book directly with the Hotel: through our website, by email or by telephone. For these cases, we have created a ‘promo code’ offering: a bottle of cava on arrival, -5% discount, Apple TV and premium wifi.

We also like to take care of all the repeat and loyal guests that decide to come back to NAKAR Hotel, and we like to offer a free room upgrade (upon availability).

NAKAR Hotel - Palma de Mallorca

Which is the top season for travelers who want to visit Palma de Mallorca? What is the reason?

The high season goes from May to October, making these months the most visited ones, and the main reason is the weather.

But also in mid-season or even in winter worths visit Palma. Out of high season, you can find lower rates and the city continues plenty of activity. The weather, even being in winter, are much more softer than in the rest of Europe.

Our guests use to come out of the season to practice sports like biking or golf, and do activities like shopping, cultural tourism, and gastronomic trips.

NAKAR Hotel - Rooftop

What are the most famous attractions near you?

Visiting the histórical monuments as the Cathedral, Bellver Castle or walking through the old-town streets. Enjoy the Mediterranean cuisine and local gastronomy.

From Palma, you can easily plan some excursions to visit some nice villages as for example Sóller and his beautiful harbour, where you can arrive by the old-style wood train departing from Palma.

Renting a boat for your own, or in a group boat excursion to enjoy Palma Bay and visit some of the nicest beaches from the sea.

If you have only one weekend in Palma de Mallorca as a first-time visitor, in this limited time, what are the best things to do?

The city of Palma can be discovered in 3-4 days. Is perfect for short scapes. But of course we have many guests coming 1 full week, but in this cases, my recommendation is to mix the experience of Palma with exploring the rest of the Island. This is for me the best way to know Palma (as a city) and Mallorca (as an island). Renting a car some days and visit beautiful villages or other areas out of Palma could make a very complete trip.

Many people ask us ‘what can they do in Palma?’. Because of this, we have created a ‘Palma Guide’ which is uploaded to our website. This content is based on our own experiences and local recommendations, and is available for anybody that visit our website. The same tips that we recommend at the reception are the ones that we have in our ‘Palma Guide’. All the content is constantly updated and refreshed making it a very useful tool for anyone who wants to visit Palma.

www.nakarhotel.com/palma-guide/

How do you describe Palma de Mallorca in one sentence?

As described by ‘The Times’ in 2015, "Palma is the best place to live in the world" .

Thank you Miguel for this enjoyable interview.

For more information, please visit the website of NAKAR Hotel

This interview was conducted in a Question-and-Answer format. The answers were checked for grammar and punctuation and published without any additional editing. Friday, October 12, 2018. All photos are the property of their respective owners.