We spent an evening at one of the least talked about Disney World lounges — and it didn’t disappoint!

It’s no secret that here at DFB we often prefer to dine at the lounges inside Disney World hotels and parks instead of their proper restaurants, and sometimes that rings even more true when there’s incredible food and stunning views involved. So when we got the chance to come out to one of the most luxurious moderate hotels in all of Disney World, we thought it was an offer too good to pass up!

You’ll find the Barcelona Lounge inside the Gran Destino Tower of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. This gorgeous lounge offers a selection of artisanal cocktails and specialty coffees along with a few lounge snacks.

The eclectic decor features highlights of the Spanish culture with bright colors, soaring detailed columns, and a comfortable seating area for small parties and solo travelers alike.

Atmosphere

It’s very easy to mistake this lounge for just open seating space based on its inviting design, but that’s also the beauty of it that draws you in. As you descend the stairs from the main entrance of Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, you’ll find the beautiful natural light shining through the massive windows that make up the back wall surrounded by cozy lounge seats.

As you look around, you’ll find the cascading metal chandelier that glistens in the middle of the tower, and can see several of the tower’s floors from different angles.

As your gaze ventures back towards the lounge, you’re greeted by the colorful stained glass background of the massive bar area which is flanked by bench seats with short tables…

…several standard tables with padded chairs…

…and a long table for larger parties (or those who don’t mind making a new friend in their neighbor) with hightop seats.

As you can see there’s plenty to feast your eyes on around you, and the decor here is some of the best we’ve seen in a Disney World hotel lounge!

Menu

Since this is a Disney World hotel lounge, the menu lineup here is fancy but not terribly extensive. There are a few specialty cocktails and lounge snacks offered here…

…along with options of American and Spanish coffees, fountain beverages, and hot tea.

The menu may be short and sweet here, but it knows how to leave a lasting impression!

Drinks

To start out our lounge experience, we opted to order the Hibiscus Mint Lemonada. This is a non-alcoholic drink option made of Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, Hibiscus-Grenadine, mint, and soda water which cost us $5.99.

All in all, it’s a fancy pink lemonade. We found it to be a bit sweeter than just a lemonade mostly because of the taste of the hibiscus in it, but the mint adds a nice freshness, too. It’s pretty to look at, leaves a refreshing taste in your mouth as you’re drinking it, and wasn’t badly priced for a lounge mocktail.

Since we were visiting a hotel lounge, we knew we needed to try one of the spirited options here as well. So, we ordered a Santa Maria Collins to round out our drinks! This drink is made of Beefeater London Pink Gin, lime, strawberry, and soda water and cost us $16.

We found this cocktail to be very gin forward, but it was equally fizzy from the soda water, almost giving the essence of a boozy strawberry soda. You’ll get the hints of strawberry toward the end of your sip and a few hints of the lime flavor, but both were pretty subtle in the mix of the drink. It’s very pretty to look at and photograph, and it wasn’t a terribly strong drink which made it a bit more versatile for flavor pallets. Admittedly, it wasn’t super high on our reporter’s favorites list, however, we could see this as an appealing option for someone else who’s more fond of fizzier drinks made with soda water.

Eats

Then it was time for a mini feast! A Taste of Barcelona was next on our list to try out! This light dish is made of marinated manchego, aceitunas, and marcona almonds and cost us $16.

Essentially, it’s a trio of small plates that are just the right size to either enjoy yourself or share with a group of friends. The marinated manchego cheese is creamy but does give some resistance when you cut into it. It’s sitting in a pool of the marinade which looks oily when it’s plated. The marinade is also mixed with rosemary sprigs, which gives the cheese a light floral taste.

The almonds are so savory and have a light crunch but have a soft give to them when you bite into each one. They’re also lightly dusted with salt, which gives it another interesting dimension to its taste.

The aceitunas, or olives in English, are vinegary and oily but have a nice pop to them when you bite down into each of them.

It’s a nice mixture of snacks that work together to create flavors that can stand alone or complement the drink selections you’ll find here.

Overall

Overall, we had a great experience here and really enjoyed the time we spent at this lounge. Everything from the attentive service and bartenders, to the atmosphere of the open area, down to the food and drinks felt very genuine to the hotel’s vibe and hospitality.

If you’re looking for a place to grab a drink and share a small plate or two, this is a spot we recommend. However, we do see how the lounge is mostly hidden from passers-by who don’t already know it exists there since it is tucked away in the bottom floor of the tower.

Nosh or Not?

Seek out this hidden gem of a lounge if…

• You really enjoy the vibe of this hotel. It’s almost as if the center of this tower is the culmination of the hotel’s atmosphere and culture they’ve created here. It works, and we found it to be incredibly relaxing.
• You like to be in the “center” of the action. While it’s true the lounge is a bit tucked away, there’s still enough going on around you while visiting that you won’t feel like you’re missing out on much happening at the hotel.
• You’re looking for the perfect spot to sit and watch the sunset from your hotel or end your day resort hopping. If you’ve spent the day around the hotel and want a great place to enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds it (away from the intense heat and insects) this is a perfect spot to take in an evening sunset, kick back, and relax for a while.

Set your sights on another lounge destination if…

• You’re looking for extensive eats and drinks. The menu here is fairly short and sweet, so if you’re looking for other options, we’d recommend the next closest lounge at the top of the tower, Dahlia Lounge.
• Spanish cuisine just isn’t for you. There’s certainly a Spanish influence found throughout most of the menu even into the specialty drinks and coffee selections. If this doesn’t sound appealing to you, you might do better at a neighboring hotel’s lounge offerings.
• You’re REALLY hungry and not sure a small plate would fill you up. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of restaurants at this hotel that offer larger portions than the lounge snacks you’ll find here. If you’re looking for a meal of more sustenance, you might do better at one of those!

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Have you ever picked up some light bites and drinks at Barcelona Lounge? Tell us all about your experience in the comments.