Barcelona in Covid-19: hotels get creative as tourists disappear, and locals like basketball player Sergi Pino move into discounted hotel rooms over apartments

Dec 19 , 2020

La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain – now a ghost town due to the pandemic. Photo: Unsplash

The popular travel destination’s top sights like the Ramblas and La Sagrada Familia would normally be packed all year round, but not in 2020 – is a ‘Detroit effect’ plaguing the city?

Former basketball player Sergi Pino recently moved to Barcelona, but rather than renting a flat, he’s staying at a hotel that has been forced to get creative to compensate for the absence of tourists.

Normally one of the most-popular tourist destinations on earth, the city has seen most of its hotels close as Covid-19 has kept tourists away. The few that remain open have had to repurpose themselves to stay afloat.

Some have adapted their premises to suit telecommuters, while others have dropped the price for long-term stays to compete with the traditional rental market.

Tibidabo, Barcelona, Spain. Photo: Unsplash

Others are offering a deluxe experience to residents who, unable to travel, get to play the tourist in their own city.

At his new “home” in the Gallery Hotel, Pino not only has his room, but enjoys the use of the gym, the pool, the spa and an open space for teleworking all for 900 euros (US$1,080) a month.

“There’s more space, I’m happy and focused on my work,” he says, sitting in front of a screen in the shared working space wearing a grey suit and white trainers. “Nothing bothers me.”

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