Elisa Loncan

Elisa Loncan, director of 2EMC communications agency, one of Barcelona’s top PR and event planning firms

Where do you live and why?

I live in Carrer Muntaner (L’Eixample), in the centre of Barcelona. I love living in the centre because it’s so comfortable. It’s much easier to move around, to get in touch with people, to attend meetings and events. You’re just more connected to what’s going on.

Any advice for a visiting businessperson?

If you’re here on business, I really recommend a centrally located hotel. Now there are some magnificent places on and around Passeig de Gràcia, and if you’re right there in the centre you’ll save yourself a lot of time. Barcelona’s public transportation system and taxis work really well, and you’ll have everything right on hand. Once I heard Mr. Hilton, of the hotel chain, say that the top three things any hotel can offer are “location, location, location.” I say that in Barcelona you should look for a hotel whose location is “central, central, central.”

Where would you take a client to really impress them?

There are lots of ways to impress a client, depending on who they are, what they like, and what they’re looking for. People visiting Barcelona love to actually see Barcelona, so you could take them to the Torre de Alta Mar restaurant, a tower by the port that offers the best panoramic views. Or go to the restaurant at the Hotel Florida; they have a very good restaurant, marvelous views, and a great jazz club where you can have a drink in a marvelous New York-style atmosphere. Another nice place to go for drinks is the lounge-bar at Omm, currently the most stylish place in Barcelona. What’s your favourite thing about Barcelona? There are two areas I absolutely love – Passeig de Gràcia and the Born. Passeig de Gràcia is a place where you find the best of everything (jewellery shops, fashion boutiques, everything), and just off the street you have all kinds of little bistros and interesting restaurants. The Born area, with the Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar and the old city around it is absolutely a jewel – it has no equal. I love going to the little bars in that area for a drink or a Sunday morning appetizer.