Her Expat Life recently partnered with Sweet Apartments in Barcelona, to offer our members of our co working and co living discounted rates on accommodation with them. We caught up with Nuria, the manager to find out what 'Sweet Accommodations' can offer female expats and digital nomads.
1: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today, can you tell us about Sweet BCN
Apartments? (How long can guests stay for, what amenities do you have and what
makes you different from other apartments?)
At Sweet BCN Apartments we offer different type of accommodations in the amazing
destination of Barcelona. For guests that are looking for a short city break we offer our private vacation rentals, a lovely studio apartment with terrace and a comfortable three bedroom apartment, both located in the bohemian and artistic neighbourhood of Gràcia. We also have a very large apartment, with a total of 8 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, perfect for families, groups of friends or work colleagues who want to stay all together while visiting the Catalan capital. What makes our vacation rentals ideal are their prime location, right in the city centre yet not a chaotic area, as well as our guest experience services. We have a multicultural and well experienced team at the service of our guests, giving tailored recommendations and making sure everyone enjoys Barcelona at their own terms. For guests that are coming to Barcelona for a longer period of time we have created the Co- impact Co- living Brand, with 2 different locations offering shared dormitories and private bedrooms.
Our Co -living are in the neighbourhood of Eixample, surrounded by beautiful and emblematic modernist architecture. Actually, our shared dormitories Co- living has original modernist style ceilings and tile floors, which are architectural patrimony of the city. For our Co- living guests we also have a dedicated guest experience team, who not only makes sure everyone has the information and resources they need, but is also connecting our guests amongst themselves and with the local community through weekly events. All of our units are fully serviced and furnished and our Co -livings have dedicated work spaces so that all of our guests can work comfortably from home. We also make sure to collaborate with local entrepreneurs and small businesses to bring our guests special benefits and discounts while consuming from local businesses.
2: Tell us more about the sustainability aspect of Sweet BCN Apartments and how
impactful it is on the world.
We take sustainability seriously and have been implementing different things throughout
time. There is always room to improve and more things to do but its important to start
somewhere.
What is sustainability for us?
To develop our economic activity in harmony with nature and the ecosystem. Taking into account the needs of present and future generations.
Our main objective is to enrich the experience of the guests who trust us. As a responsible
company, we must take into account that our activity benefits local communities and
encourages the protection of the cultural and natural heritage of our destinations.
As part of our commitment to sustainability, our company has adhered to the Compromís
Barcelona Biosphere program, which has the following control points:
- Training on sustainability issues
- Professional advisors
- Specialised sustainability workshops
- Recommendation on points of improvement
We have received the certification after complying with the Biosphere Requirements
Manual of 102 requirements, including important points such as:
- Have good practices aimed at staff for the efficient use of resources and the minimisation
of environmental impacts
- Have good practices aimed at customers for the efficient use of resources and the
minimisation of environmental impacts
- Calculate the necessary indicators to be able to evaluate the main sustainability
objectives
- Calculate our carbon footprint
- Promote the use of public or low-emission transport at the destination, offering our
customers up-to-date and truthful information on itineraries and alternative means of
transport available.
- Guarantee maximum water savings in our facilities
- Comply with waste storage requirements
- Make a correct segregation and distribution of the waste that we produce
- Incorporate actions to prevent the waste generated by our activity
- Guarantee energy savings and the use of maximum energy efficiency equipment in
lighting and air conditioning
3: As you live in Barcelona, what is life like in one of Spain's beautiful cities?
Besides its natural beauty with beaches and mountains, its deep rooted cultural traditions,
its tasty local mediterranean cuisine, its vibrant event packed calendar and its amazing
weather, Barcelona is a city full of creative and innovative people from all over the world.
Barcelona is lively and never gets boring. Its a city that invites you to meet new people
through its many cultural, professional and leisure events. Being such a cosmopolitan city,
people are very open minded and you will always find your tribe.
4: As City Manager, what challenges have you faced and how have you overcome
them?
Besides logistical challenges based on the operational aspects of our company, my main
challenges are linked to making sure every guest has an amazing experience. Since there
is no such thing as “one size fits all”, there is no one solution solves all the potential
issues, each case is treated on its own basis.
To overcome them my main “tool” is having the right attitude. I see challenges as
opportunities to learn and grow. If we tackle them with that perspective, knowing that there
is always a way to work around them, the solution will show itself.
I find also very important to analyse why these challenges arise and to document how we
have solved them, sharing this information with the rest of the team. This is the way to
prevent them from happening again while training everyone on problem solving skills.
5: What is your advice for women who want to move and live in Barcelona as
expats/digital nomads?
My main advice would be to apply to all the events that we prepare weekly for our guests
to meet people that have been living in Barcelona for a longer time and have already been
through this process. In addition, I would also recommend enrolling in different activities in the city, taking into account your hobbies and interests. For example, dance classes, yoga, painting and
learning new languages among others. Try to find in social media a community from your country of origin to share experiences and to feel not too disconnected from home. However, it is important to be involved with locals so your experience will be more rich and enjoyable.
6: For potential Her Expat Life guests, what do you advise them to see and do in
Barcelona? (top things to do and see or off the beaten track advice)?
I will give you my top 3 things to do in Barcelona:
1. For amazing views I suggest going to the Bunkers del Carmel. If you are an early bird,
sunrise from there is breathtaking. And the best of all is that you can easily arrive by public
transportation.
2. To move around freely I suggest renting a bike. We partner with a local bike shop
that offers our guests very affordable rent prices on recycled / second hand bikes. Biking in
Barcelona is easy for anyone that knows how to move around with a bike. Of course at
first it takes a bit of time to get used to the way the city moves. But if gives you total
freedom, its good exercise and its the most environmentally friendly way to move around.
3. Have a drink of Cava, Catalan Champagne, in the bar called “La Champañería” near the
Port Vell. This is a very local and traditional bar and Cava is our favourite drink to celebrate
great moments, like the beginning of a new chapter in Barcelona.
7: As Co living rises in popularity can you tell us about the Co living aspect of your
business and what you offer in terms of Co living?
Co- impact, Co- living is the newest aspect of our business, we do not consider ourselves full
experts on it yet we know, due to our guests' feedback, that we are pretty good at it.
We believe one of the reasons for our success is because we operate our Co- living brand
with our experience and know-how of our touristic businesses. Touristic businesses have
higher guest turnover and are more challenging on a day to day and logistics basis.
The main difference we have found when operating a Co- living space is the community aspect
which is where we are currently putting our most efforts and resources on.
In our Co- living spaces we offer:
- Private bedrooms or shared dormitories, with high quality mattresses for a pleasant rest,
and equipped with AC / Heating.
- Enough clothing storage space for guests that will be staying with us for longer periods.
Our shared dorms offer 2 lockable storage spaces per guest. As well as reading light,
power outlets and a curtain in each bed for privacy.
- We clean the Co- living on a daily basis, following high standards from our experience in
hotels, hostels and vacation rentals. We also change the bed linen of our guests once a
week, free of charge.
- Free high speed wifi connection in every single corner of the Co- living.
- Comfortably designed work spaces.
- Fully equipped kitchen. The kitchen and eating times are the beating heart of the Co- living,
where people meet and mingle.
- Living room and dining room spaces designed for comfort and inspiration.
- Access to a content creation room where our guests can book and use special
photography lighting and props to record podcasts or videos. This space is also used as a
workspace when no one is using it.
- Weekly cultural and networking events to connect with other Co- livers and with the local
community.
- Discounts and benefits from partners such as bike rental shops, local artisan product
shops, gyms, cultural associations, etc.
8: What are the key components that make up a successful 'Community' for Co
living?
As I mentioned before the community is a key aspect of our Co-living, or any Co- living
business for that matter. For us, a successful community is one that gathers like minded people and where people respect each other. For this to happen it is very important that people get to know each other besides just seeing each other in the house. Its important that they know each others name, where they are from, what they like, etc. This is how you build familiarity and how connections
happen. This is our job as Co- living operators.
9: What do you do in your spare time?
I love spending time with my family, friends and my cat Sheldon. I have a passion for
motorbikes, I have been riding them since I was 14 years old. I often travel with it and my
longest trip was to Rome. I am a foodie and love to try new restaurants, especially Michelin starred restaurants for special occasions. I live next to the mountains and the perk of it is that I can do small hikes everyday. It is great to catch up with friends while exercising.
10: What are the top reasons someone should move to Barcelona to live?
If what I said before when describing Barcelona didn't convince you already I would say 3
main things. Barcelona is a city with creativity, there are lots of people creating amazing projects here. Barcelona embraces diversity, welcomes people from all walks of life and does not
discriminate. Diversity brings a special cultural richness to the already rich local culture.
Barcelona is constantly evolving, as a city we are always looking to be innovative and
position ourselves in the forefront of whats comings. You will live this through all the
amazing professional events that are organised here.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coimpact.coliving/
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