It was big news when Hotel Arts debuted shortly after the Barcelona Olympics. It was in a waterfront area that had been deeply depressed, but is now vibrant. Its owner named it in recognition of his desire to focus on the best in the arts for his hotel – sculpture, architecture, cuisine.

But he also wanted a superior management company – so he called in Ritz-Carlton. However, with the Ritz in Madrid owning that name in Spain, it cannot be used in marketing or branding.

The hotel can take advantage of the Ritz-Carlton association in contexts like a trade show or in corporate sales to meeting planners and upscale travel agent groups like Virtuoso.

So Hotel Arts, according to longtime spokeswoman Rosemary Trigg, set out to create its own brand – and to develop a market mix that would fill a 44-story, 483-room hotel that is not in the heart of Barcelona but is close to its beaches.

According to Trigg, “In North America, we have established a positioning as our own brand. Many clients contact us afterward and say, ‘The hotel was lovely, just like a Ritz-Carlton.’”

With a mix that is about 25% U.S. and 25% U.K., the hotel provided a solid foundation by drawing half its business from high-end groups (although meeting space is tastefully separated in the hotel).

The rooms are then kept full with weekending Europeans, leisure travelers who want to be near the beach; and in close cooperation with the local tourist office, guests who are on tours ranging from gastronomy to biking.

The hotel also maintains its from-the-beginning focus on the arts with regular exhibitions, outreach to local artists and arts competitions for students.

And to keep up with looming competition from a new Mandarin Oriental and other luxury properties coming to town, Hotel Arts recently invested heavily in redoing all rooms and public spaces, including a major upgrade to its spa, now operated by Six Senses Spas.

Ritz-Carlton is using the example of Hotel Arts for two other non-branded hotels: the Villa Padierna in Marbella and the new Penha Longa in Sintra, Portugal (Lisbon’s Ritz presents similar copyright` issues)   -- hoping those properties can emulate the example of Hotel Arts.

At a time when not everybody wants to stay in a “branded” hotel, Hotel Arts Barcelona might even enjoy an advantage born of necessity: management by an experienced and respected company, and a reputation of its own.

Harvey Chipkin