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The Cover
It’s been about two years since The Cover opened its doors at the five-star Sir Victor Hotel in Barcelona. This private club is set in a prime location and stands on three main pillars: wellness, business, and community. The hotel group The Sircle Collection, which owns Sir Victor, is now preparing to open new branches of the club in cities like Vienna, London, Amsterdam, and Milan. The key to their success? Understanding that leisure and work don’t have to be separate—they can coexist under one roof.
Imagine you’re a freelancer, fortunate enough to work remotely, or just passing through the city for a few months and need a place to work. Coworking spaces are an option, of course, but at The Cover, for a membership fee and a monthly subscription, you’ll get access to an exclusive work area with private rooms and meeting spaces. Plus, you’ll have access to the gym, a fabulous spa managed by Signature with an indoor pool, sauna, and steam bath, a rooftop with an outdoor pool, numerous fitness classes, and a diverse program of activities from concerts and DJ sessions to talks, conferences, exhibitions, gastronomic tastings, and parties. It’s an all-in-one experience in a beautiful, welcoming space. You can go from working on your laptop to a pilates class, relax in the spa afterward, and enjoy a glass of wine on the terrace or check out the club’s daily activity.
For those unfamiliar with the hotel, Sir Victor is an oasis of peace amidst the city’s hustle and bustle. Located on Rosselló Street, in the Eixample, almost at the corner with Passeig de Gràcia, the hotel, as its website says, “reflects and amplifies the vibrant and creative spirit” of Barcelona. It might seem curious that The Sircle Collection, based in Amsterdam, decided to launch The Cover in Barcelona first. We spoke with Mariel Walter, Global Director of Culture & Membership at The Sircle, about this and more: “We decided to open our first club in Barcelona because we saw a lot of potential within the city. Barcelona is a vibrant cultural melting pot. Also, the hotel offers a lot of space and beautiful facilities for our members. Personally, I’m very happy to have moved to Barcelona and enjoyed the Spanish lifestyle for the past two years.”
Approximately two years have passed since The Sircle Collection launched its private social club, The Cover, at Sir Victor in Barcelona. How has the experience been?
The first year was mainly a learning year, from building an entirely new website with all the booking functionalities for members to adjusting our cultural programming and understanding more about member behavior within the facilities. I think we are achieving a rich and lively club life, and it’s very rewarding to see new connections flourishing among members.
You’re soon opening four more locations: Amsterdam, Vienna, London, and Milan. What can you tell us about this? I see applications are already open for Amsterdam and Vienna—is the opening imminent?
We are at different stages of each project; Vienna will open this summer, followed by London and Amsterdam towards the end of the year, and Milan will open early next year.
Will the same membership grant access to all locations, or will there be an additional fee?
We don’t plan to introduce an additional fee for now, and our Spanish members will have access to all new clubs.
What are the main values promoted by The Cover?
Our goal is to bring together people from different backgrounds, fostering open and honest exchanges that enrich us all. We welcome all kinds of people, as diversity brings a more vibrant and fulfilling experience for everyone.
You talk about three areas of action: wellness, business, and community. Creating synergies between leisure and work is not new, nor are social clubs. However, in recent years, this type of offering seems to have consolidated, and various options have emerged. Why do you think this is? What do you think people look for when they decide to join The Cover?
I think today’s lifestyle is constantly changing and much more flexible than in the past. New needs are arising, and we are trying to meet them. Most of us have a more holistic approach to wellness: it’s not just about the body but also the mind. We seek to connect with others and learn about the world around us with an open and curious approach, and we also offer spaces that are practical for a more flexible work life.
I wonder if being so absorbed in screens and social networks, interacting digitally for much of our time, is one of the reasons for the good reception of this type of offering, precisely because they promote the idea of meeting and interacting with others on a physical level.
I think we all need time for real connection. Human beings are a social species, designed to connect. Experiencing a sense of belonging is one of the most important needs we have.
COVID-19 brought new ways of working and a certain flexibility that in many cases remains. One of the most interesting things about The Cover is the coworking area. What type of people use it?
They are usually entrepreneurs and freelancers, but also company employees who now have more flexibility and don’t need to be physically present in the office.
Membership not only grants access to facilities, including a fantastic gym, spa, and rooftop pool, but also to numerous activities ranging from talks to workshops or concerts…
That’s right, we offer a very rich cultural program covering different topics. From mindfulness, music, art, literature, or leadership to wine tastings and parties. We also involve our members in offering their knowledge to the community, which works very well.