Almanac Barcelona

An urban observatory over the Eixample

On the eighth floor, the skyline reads like a nautical chart: fixed binoculars point to the Sagrada Família, the Cathedral, and Tibidabo while the Azimuth Rooftop turns the roof of the Almanac Barcelona into a night-time viewpoint. The name is not just for show. In navigation, the azimuth is the angle between a reference point and a celestial body; here, that angle unites cocktails, architecture, and an open-air dance floor, at the corner of Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes and Pau Claris, a stone's throw from Passeig de Gràcia.

House and afro-house at sunset

Clubbing at this venue doesn't happen in an industrial basement: it happens up high, with the Eixample at your feet. The Azimuth Rooftop Sessions organize a monthly schedule at sunset, with DJs playing warm house, afro-house, and melodic beats, zodiac-themed cocktails, tarot readings, and VIP tables behind the booth. The hotel suggests a boho chic dress code for these events—fluid silhouettes and earth tones—and closes these sessions around 23:00. The Azimuth Rooftop Bar is open every day from 12:30 to 00:30; on weekends, the terrace fills with locals and guests, with live DJs transforming the rooftop into an elevated dance floor. The official capacity of the rooftop is 120 people: a boutique format with a glass-enclosed lounge, a perimeter terrace, and greenery. A pool of just over ten meters extends the deck for daytime use of sun and cocktails before the session kicks off.

Two building bodies and a deck for dancing

Almanac opened in February 2018 as the brand's first hotel, on the former headquarters of Agrupació Mútua, a 1962 block built where the Vilardaga palace once stood. The renovation by OAB (Carles Ferrater) projects glass cubes over that structure; the interior design by Jaime Beriestain, distinguished in 2018 with a Versailles interior award, features Ibiza marble, walnut, and a helical staircase that crosses the lobby. Downstairs, Virens supports the building's plant-based gastronomy, linked to Rodrigo de la Calle. Upstairs remains the room that matters to the electronic night: a hotel deck that has found its club identity in the sunset, binoculars, and an open-air dance floor, with valet parking for those arriving by car.