Live the Freixenet life at Hotel Continental in Barcelona. Christmas in Spain isn’t Christmas without the famous Freixenet Christmas advert. For some, the advert has become as much a part of the Christmas traditions as the tree and the nativity scenes. More than 40 years of famous faces, the golden ‘burbujitas’, and one of the world’s best selling cavas has a special Hotel Continental connection for Christmas 2018. Previous guests may have spotted our hotel cameo, but for those that didn’t and for those who don’t know what all the Freixenet fuss is about, here’s a little of the history.
Freixenet is Cava
The century long wine making heritage of Freixenet began with a marriage proposal. When Dolores and Pedro married in 1911, their mutual love for wine and creative inspiration saw the birth of what many view as the quintessential Cava. It was Dolores and Pedro who started the tradition of golden bubbles, but it was the creative genius of their son Jose that saw the arrival of the brand’s synonymous black frosted bottle and their famous Christmas advert. Now in 2019, the fifth generation of the family continues the company’s traditions including the eagerly anticipated Christmas commercial.
Christmas and Cava
Since Liza Minnelli first performed Cabaret for the 1977 debut advert, many in Spain have fallen in love with the celebration and glamour of the Freixenet Christmas advert. Most years feature famous faces, whether it’s Gene Kelly singin’ in the rain or Pierce Brosnan wooing Nieves Alvarez, Antonio Banderas out to sea with Sharon Stone or Paul Newman, Cindy Crawford or Shakira; Freixenet have had the biggest names on the planet raising a glass of their famous bubbles. In fact, the bubbles are so integral to the advert that they are often brought to life with dancing women in golden costumes who earned the nickname ‘burbujitas’.
Cava Celebrations at Hotel Continental
2018’s celebrity cameo that we took the most note of was Hotel Continental’s glamorous Luis XV lounge with it’s elegant stucco work, gilded ceilings and decorations, Versailles inspiration and its delicate chandeliers. The lounge’s golden hues and the hotel’s unique Barcelona heritage acted as the perfect setting for the culmination of a day of celebrations in Catalunya.
Live the Life at Hotel Continental
Hotel Continental’s heritage dates to the mid 1800’s, and throughout the property there are original fittings and furnishings including crystal glasses and marble fireplaces that give guests a sense of the glamour that has been a way of life for the property. What sets the Hotel Continental apart as heritage hotel is not just the guestbook of famous historical visitors, or even the exceptional location on the Ramblas, but is the refreshing affordability that allows even more Barcelona visitors to experience this property.
For visitors wanting to experience the legendary Hotel Continental hospitality and a little of the Freixenet life, book a stay in one of the suites that connect to the Louis XV lounge. The Suite Versailles is a light filled room with large Cartier-glass windows and classic Baroque styling that made it the obvious choice for one of Spain’s most famous TV adverts.
