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Barcelona’s hotel trade may be centuries removed from Miguel de Cervantes's 17th-century description of it as a fountain of courtesy and a shelter for strangers, but in the 400 years or so since Don Quixote was written, the city continues to pamper and impress visitors.
Barcelona's pre-Olympics hotel surge in the early 1990s was matched only by its post-Olympics hotel surge in the early 2000s. The city is the premier tourist destination in Spain, and the major cruise port in the Mediterranean. Architects like Ricardo Bofill and Rafael Moneo have changed the skyline with skyscraper hotels of eye-popping luxury; the real heroes of this story, however, are the architect-designer teams that take one after another of the city’s historic properties and restore them with an astonishing tour de force of taste. Hotel restaurants, too—from the Arts' Enoteca to the Mandarin’s Moments—are among the superstar attractions in the city's gastronomic scene.
Hotels in the Barri Gòtic and along La Rambla now compete with the newer lodgings in the Eixample, or west along Diagonal; waterfront monoliths like the W Barcelona, removed from the bustle of midtown, set the standard for upscale hospitality. Many Eixample hotels occupy restored late 19th- or early 20th-century town houses. The Claris, the Majestic Hotel & Spa, the Monument, the Hotel Neri, and the Colón mix style and luxury with a sense of place.
Small hotels in the Ciutat Vella, such as the Sant Agustí, Hotel Market, or Hotel Chic & Basic Born are considerably less expensive and—in the accommodations you'll find listed here—at no substantial sacrifice of comfort and convenience. Wherever you choose to stay, you'll never be far from anything you'll want to see and do in this hospitable city.
Well situated for exploring the Born-Ribera district, Barceloneta, and the port—and in a neighborhood blessed with wine and tapas bars—this mid-priced hotel has basic rooms with espresso-color wood floors and comfortable (if generic) furnishings. The building lacks grandeur, but it lies across the street from the elegant old Estació de França train station. The Park's best feature is Ten's, its upscale tapas restaurant, under the supervision of wunderkind chef Jordi Cruz.
Named for the young owners who renovated and opened this hotel, the Pol & Grace is strategically located for exploring Gràcia. It's a short walk to Gaudí's Casa Vicens, and well connected by FGC train to the head of the Rambla. The ample rooms are relentlessly furnished in white, relieved by framed photos and artwork and whimsical feature walls; doubles offer a choice of twin- or king-size beds; bathrooms have roomy shower stalls and basic amenities. A huge chalkboard in the lobby, with information about local foodie guides, attractions, and events in Barcelona, is updated regularly; count on the "Innovation Area" for interesting art displays.
Just a few minutes' walk from Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece, La Sagrada Família, this eco-conscious hotel may be named for the year in which work on that project began but the feel is distinctly contemporary. Public spaces include a vibrant lobby bar with geometric floor tiles, floor-to-ceiling windows, and bright splashes of color, while the rooftop terrace has a pool and plenty of lush greenery. Thoughtfully designed rooms have hardwood floors and luxurious bath amenities. Hotel 1882 stands out for its responsible tourism initiatives, which include programs that offer support to less privileged members of the local community.
While the hotel's slogan, "Do You Want To Sleep With Me?" is a bit gimmicky, the Emma itself is a comfortable, centrally positioned billet at an affordable price. Rooms have a certain space-age design, with white-on-white furniture contrasting with punchy doses of purple or red. The lobby, what there is of it, and the public spaces, are futuristic and functional, with patterned, etched glass and undulating lines. The Emma's pivotal location allows easy walking to almost everything in midtown Barcelona.
In a leafy square just off La Rambla, the Sant Agustí bills itself as the oldest billet in Barcelona—it was built in the 1720s for the library of the adjacent convent and reborn as a hotel in 1840. The lobby is a pleasant space, with sculpted ceilings, art deco chandeliers, brick and stone arches of the original building, and big picture windows looking out on the Plaça Sant Agustí. There are four floors of guest rooms; the rooms on 4F are lofts, with skylights and steeply angled exposed roof beams, painted black. Renovated in 2016, rooms in general are small but pleasantly appointed, with very basic amenities, dramatic wood headboards and hardwood floors, exposed beams, and original stone walls; some rooms have an additional sofa bed. Ask for a "Design Room," with a small private terrace.
If you're looking for an ultra-exclusive boutique hotel that offers superb comfort, discretion, and excellent facilities, then this is it. Picasso had his first studio here (on the sixth floor) when the building was all walk-up flats; today, designer Eva Martinez has found ingenious, tasteful ways to make the best of the space: a small lobby with a comfortable sofa suite leads back to the breakfast area, while a mezzanine hosts the 24-hour lounge bar and a small gym. Room decor is in basic neutral tones with recessed lighting; amenities include robes and slippers, a minibar stocked with gourmet goodies, Diptyque toiletries, and yoga mats in the armoires. The romantic rooftop terrace has a plunge pool, bar, views of the marina, and DJ sessions on weekends and Informal, the hotel's excellent restaurant presided over by Michelin-starred chef Marc Gascons.
For a stay that strikes that all-important balance of design, comfort, location and affordability, look no further than Seventy Barcelona. Set within spitting distance of the major Gaudís and on the same block as one of the city's best tapas bars, Bar Mut, it has everything a first-time (or return) visitor to the city could ask for. Rooms are functional, but the common spaces are where the Seventy really shines, from its Instagram-worthy lobby with floor-to-ceiling bookcases, to the sprawling rooftop terrace, the leafy patio restaurant, and excellent vegan spa.
Popular with cruise ship passengers who extend their vacations to savor the city, the Havana is about equidistant from the Moderniste sights of the Eixample and the Gothic Quarter. In a Moderniste building that dates to 1872, it has room decors in soothing tones of brown and beige, with dark polished hardwood floors and black-lacquer desks. The rooms, on a circular floor plan around a lobby-to-skylight central atrium, are comfortably ample; upscale accommodations on the sixth floor have private terraces. Double doors and double-glazed windows provide better-than-average soundproofing, but the rumble of the subway is palpable on the lower floors. Upscale rooms on the sixth floor have private terraces. In season, the rooftop deck, with its small plunge pool and tapas bar–café, is the place to gather.
Across from Gaudí's Casa Batlló and just down Passeig de Gràcia from his Casa Milà (La Pedrera), this boutique hotel is surrounded by Barcelona's top shopping addresses and leading restaurants. The Moderniste facade and interiors dating from 1897 provide a bold contrast with the Philippe Starck, Mooi, B&B, and Vitra interior details. Rooms display a purity of line and sleek minimalism as the reigning aesthetic principles, with a monochromatic palette of white and gray; the sofas can be made up as extra beds. Higher-priced junior suites on the first and fifth floors have private terraces; the fifth-floor rooms are a lot quieter. A good buffet breakfast is served in the lounge, one flight up from the lobby.
Just above Raval, the Casa Luz stands out for its larger than average rooms, most with with balconies that open up to let in lots of natural light. Meals at Restaurante Casa Luz aren’t included, but the panoramic views more than make up for it. Time your rooftop visit for sunset or book a table for dinner and enjoy inventive tapas and acoustic live music.
Just at the entrance to the neoclassical Plaça Reial, this hotel offers contemporary-designed rooms with high ceilings with exposed beams and wide-plank wooden floors.
In the heart of Gràcia alongside the lively Plaça del Sol, this property is part of the Sonder chain, a hybrid hotel-rental agency that keeps rates low by eschewing a full-time staff for contactless check-in and digital-only concierge service. Rooms are small and quite spartan, without amenities like minibars, but they do have big windows, comfy beds, and air-conditioning.
This charming little boutique B&B in the heart of the city has been expanded into a complex of nine spacious guest rooms and three suites, with two full residential apartments next door. It's also just a five-minute walk from Plaça Catalunya. Rooms have a residential, loft-apartment feel, tastefully decorated in muted browns with exposed brick feature walls, flower arrangements and books, tall French doors, and hardwood floors; some have leather arm chairs and Oriental throw rugs. Bathrooms have double-length vanities and large shower stalls. The ample lounge spaces and communal breakfast provide an opportunity to meet fellow guests.
In an upscale residential neighborhood above Passeig de la Bonanova, this boutique accommodation can ease some of the budgetary strains of coming to a prime tourist destination. The Vilana does a fair share of its business with the families of patients in the nearby Dexeus and Teknon hospitals, and with participants in medical conferences; it's off the beaten track, and happily so. The generously sized sunlit rooms have parquet floors and simple, contemporary furnishings; some have audacious splashes of color, like a feature wall behind the bed of dried lavender blossoms under glass. There's a pleasant lounge downstairs, with deep leather sofa suites and a faux fireplace. The Vilana is a 10-minute walk from the Sarrià train that connects you with the city center in 15 minutes. All in all, the hotel offers exceptionally comfortable digs at bargain rates.
The stylish, comfortable Villa Emilia is a bit removed from the tourist attractions of the Eixample and the Old City, but a mere five minutes' walk to the Fira de Barcelona exposition grounds, Las Arenas shopping center, and the airport shuttle bus stop in Plaça Espanya. Parc de Joan Miró and the museums of Montjuïc are nearby as well.
The city's only true beachfront hotel, this towering sail-shape monolith by architect Ricardo Bofill is more of a self-contained urban resort, with multiple restaurants and bars, indoor and outdoor pools, lounge decks, plus a sprawling spa and gym—and just about every space has sea views. Beds in the sleek, open-plan rooms face floor-to-ceiling picture windows with spectacular vistas of the beach, the Mediterranean, or the port.
The Wittmore is an adults-only romantic hideaway par excellence, tucked away in a tiny cul-de-sac in one of the Barri Gòtic's prettiest mazes of streets. The decor, in guest rooms and public spaces, has a sultry gentleman's club feel with roaring fire places, thick pile carpets, red drapes, throw pillows with medieval tapestry motifs, and a library-lounge worthy of a London members' club. The rooms, from "Small" to "X Large," all look out on a charming small interior patio with a vertical garden, reputedly the tallest in Barcelona. All the rooms have king-size beds, which even in the "Wittmore Suite" take up most of the room, but what space there is, is welcoming and warm. There's a small plunge pool and a bar on the rooftop terrace, a working fireplace in the cocktail bar, where there's also occasional live jazz, and a lovely brunch in the restaurant—open to the public—every Sunday. It's worth wandering through the maze to find.
