María Espeus

The walls of H1898 are adorned with spectacular images of the Philippines, captured by Swedish photographer Maria Espeus, a Barcelona resident who spent a month and a half in the Philippines to capture the true spirit of its people, customs, landscapes, and all the small details that suggest the Colonial roots that have remained unchanged in many aspects of daily life.

Maria Espeus’s visits to the Philippine islands of Luzon and Cebu made it possible for the hotel to offer spectacular and vibrant representations of this foreign land, including the famous Rice Terraces of Banaue, which can be viewed in the hotel Spa, or the Paoay Church, which can be admired in the hallway of the fourth floor. The photographs nourish the visual memory of the artist and are placed strategically to bring out the hotel’s unique spaces. The artist’s vision presents small details like the texture of dried fish, the threaded knots on straw bags, the immensity of the clouds floating above the mountains.

Some of the most noteworthy pieces are dedicated to the art of cigar making, captured in “The Flower of Isabela,” moments that show the artisanal tradition that has survived for generations in the Philippines, and whose fruits may still be found in markets and traditional homes.

A unique set of images that further distinguish the hotel, highlighting the ultimate fusion of form, function, and artistic merit.