Will be in Barcelona and Marbella/Malaga next August. Any suggestions for a hotel?

Any suggestions of a budget?

Looking for a 4 or 5 star hotel.

The following Luxury hotels are recommended by Maribel.

In Eixample:

Hotel Omm, a 4-star opened in ’03, by architect Juli Capella who has likened the strange limestone façade to an advent calendar. He wanted to let in the light without compromising guests’ privacy.

Hotel Claris, a 5-star behind the façade of a former mansion, is the Barcelona flagship of the Derby Hotel group. The owner of Derby, Jordi Clos, is an Egyptologist, so the Claris has a Roman and Egyptian art museum on 2nd floor mezzanine. Its top floor Terraza is the place to have drinks on a warm summer’s evening.

Casa Fuster, another 5-star, opened in June ’04 by Hotels Center, a hotel chain based in Granada.

The 5-star Majestic can be found at my very favorite location on a beautiful corner of the upscale Passeig de Gracia with the hottest restaurant in town, the intimate and expensive “Drolma”. It’s secluded with a luxurious Art Nouveau décor.

Condes de Barcelona, Passeig de Gracia 73 and 75, is another classic, elegant, Old European style 4-star hotel in two lovely Modernista buildings on the corner of the Passeig de Gracia and Mallorca, in Catalán called the “Comets de Barcelona”.

AC Diplomatic, an excellent business-class 4-star hotel, is also in a great location in the Eixample, near the Claris, but with lower rates.

Hispanos Siete Suiza is a 5-star apartment-hotel located at Sicilia 255 on the far east side.

Luxury in Port Olympic:

Ritz Carlton Arts, a 5-star apartment-hotel in the Port Olympic, probably the best in the city in terms of luxury and service, is too far removed for good, easily walkable sightseeing, but if you can afford the Arts, then you can easily afford the cost of a taxi to ferry you back and forth.

In the Barri Gotic:

The 4-star Hotel Neri, represented by Rusticae, a group of charming, unusual and very distinctive properties located throughout Spain, is a small luxury boutique hotel in a converted 17th century palace.

Hotel in which of the three cities you named??

For Malaga: Hotel Larios which is right on the pedestrian walk way. Very nice hotel. Stayed there 3 nights May 2005

Robert2533, thanks so much for the help.

Shar, thanks. We are staying in Barcelona, and either Marbella or Malaga. Which do you suggest?

I stayed at The Hotel Arts. It was good, but there was a lot of room for improvement. Most notably trying to attract the sort of clientele who doesn't walk through a lobby in just a pair of shorts (no footwear) at midnight whilst people are trying to enjoy drinks. How vulgar! It's very American in style.

Then again, I didn't care for the city itself, I found it cold, pretentious, and lacking in charm and good shopping.

The Club is very charming in Marbella, I stayed there several years ago, and I enjoyed it. It's classier than the other hotels which tend to be rather brash.

I would say The Club in Marbella.....

Didn't spend the night in Marbella and when I was there it was during the very long "Siesta" time so the shops were closed. It is much bigger than Malaga but seemed lovely with a great beach so either Malaga or Marbella would be nice. There is a cute town above Marbella - Mijas - nice way to spend a day.

When I go to Barcelona, I like to stay south of the town in Sitges its a great beach location at the Gran Melia Sitges, In Fact I would recomend all the Gran Melias beit Marbella to Sao Paulo, consistently excellent.

In Marbella, I like the Westin. Although not right on the beach, is lovely and great if you are looking for a little more privacy and quiet.

Last May ('05) we stayed @ Calendonian Hotel in Barcelona. It's a few blocks off the top of Las Ramblas. The Hotel is contemporary in decor. The staff is helpful though not always fluent in English-but they're willing to try. Cost was about $110/120/night. Included free internet. We loved our stay there. You can check them out @ www.hotel-caledonian.com.