That the client is the first thing, it has been possible to verify these last two and a half months of confinement required by the coronavirus at the hotel Alma Barcelona. Joaquín Ausejo Asiáin, CEO of the Alma Hotels, has been confined with his family (wife and two young daughters, one and four years old) in this select establishment of the Eixample, mainly to serve a permanent guest. The unsuccessful stay of the executive, son of the founder of the family hotel company, has also served to prepare thoroughly the return to activity, which occurs today. It will be different from the one before pandemic, according to a strict protocol of sanitary security. But, in any case, it will mean, as he optimistically explains, “make the wheel turn again and contribute to the revival of the city, to which we owe ourselves.”
The experience of the Soul during this long confinement has been somewhat unique. “We closed on March 13,” says Ausejo, “but a client has resided in our hotel for three years and although we did not know very well how to do it, we were clear that we should continue to host it in the best possible way.” Like practically all hotels, it also had to close and apply a ERTE by force majeure to its employees. Still, he was able to keep this exceptional, personalized activity. For this, in addition to him, the director, a cook and a housekeeper moved to the establishment, who these weeks have been, together with the guest, residents of this imposing building on Mallorca street next to Passeig de Gràcia. For a few days, this five-star luxury hotel also housed a family who had to go to Barcelona to operate on a son, an emergency case to which he was able to respond. “It is that – emphasizes – hotels are not prepared to close with a key and padlock …”
The Eixample establishment is one of the first in the city to reopen; his fabulous garden is the great attraction
All this time the Soul has remained active. “We have made family life and enjoyed a lot –continues Ausejo–; the garden is wonderful, also the attic, to have a rice on Sundays … The truth is that it has been very beautiful ”. In addition, this reclusion forced by the pandemic has served this manager to think well about how the hotel should function during the de-escalation, which already in phase 1 in which Barcelona is located allows some services. “We are one of the first hotels in the city to reopen and we are going to do it with great enthusiasm,” he stresses. The fabulous garden is the claim of this return. Its tables and chairs surrounded by greenery, more valuable than ever, could not be missed. The bar works from today in the afternoons and the restaurant at lunch and dinner, always with reservation. It is already complete for this week and next. “There is a great desire in the city to go out for lunch or dinner and we want to be there,” he says. Customers will be able to stay even though the public areas of the building remain closed.
The reopening of the Alma will allow the reincorporation of sixteen employees who have been to ERTE, a step that the CEO of the company particularly values. “Our industry, the tourism industry, has long been reviled, they say that it provides little added value,” he regrets, very critical of what generic statements he says. And although he admits that many things need to be rethought and improved, he wants to vindicate the personnel of the sector. “They are great professionals,” he says, “they know languages, they know the traveler and their different cultures …” And now, he recalls, “they are experiencing a very difficult situation, they are unemployed.” For this hotelier, the reactivation must take place as soon as possible. Visitors must arrive. “A city like Barcelona,” he warns, “is nothing if it is not connected to the world.”
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