82 Best Hotels in Barcelona, Spain

This glassy 29-story skyscraper hotel rises high above Avenida Diagonal in the less-touristy Poblenou district. It's actually two hotels in one, with four-star accommodations on the lower floors, while the five-star "The Level" (floors 14–29) offers a private check-in area and lounge with free drinks and snacks. All rooms are designed in a contemporary style, with a neutral palette, and those on the upper floors have fantastic views—of the sea to one side, or the skyline and mountains to the other.

At a bit of a remove from the major tourist attractions, east along Diagonal from Plaça de les Glòries, the Meliá hotel group's Barcelona Sky gets much of its business from professional and trade conference organizers, but wins high marks as well from recreational visitors for its luxurious appointments and lively design. Extensively refurbished in 2016–17, the guest rooms feature modern-minimalist furnishings in chocolate brown, beige, and white; plush high-thread-count bedding; and sensuous goose feather pillows. Rooms on the upscale "Level" floors have bathrooms with cascade shower heads, double vanities, and Loewe toiletries. Level guests have their own check-in and concierge service (25F), and a private terrace (24F) for breakfast, with stunning views and complementary drinks and snacks available 24 hours. The hotel has an excellent spa, with a sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi, but there's a €20 fee to use those facilities if you are not booked in a Level room. Dos Cielos, the hotel's main restaurant, is among the best in town.

On a narrow side street near Plaça Sant Jaume, this romantic boutique hotel, a medieval town house, is among the most spectacular examples of Barcelona's signature genius for the redesign and rebirth of historical properties. Hotel Mercer incorporates the last surviving watchtower of the ancient walled city; Pritzker prize–winning architect Rafael Moneo lovingly preserved the classical and Gothic elements of the building, and gave it a luxurious sense of light and space. The lobby features stone arches, exposed beams, a glassed-in patio (perfect for breakfast) with orange trees; the intimate bar in back leads to the romantic little Mercer Restaurant, in the hands of chef Xavier Lahuerta. Rooms are spacious; decor is spare. Some rooms have four-poster beds; all have spacious shower stalls, and some have big oval tubs as well. Full amenities include robes and slippers and Molton Brown toiletries. Ask for a room overlooking the central courtyard or the vertical garden wall—or the one built into the watchtower.

This stylish budget hotel fits the bill for funky-designed, no-frills accommodation in a great location. Rooms are modern and very compact (at 172 square feet), but the beds are comfy and the showers are strong. The best rooms overlook the splendid Ciutadella Park. It's an easy stroll to the Arc de Triomf and all the lively restaurants and bars of El Born.

British designer Kelly Hoppen took this 19th-century townhouse on Rambla de Catalunya and transformed it into a chic, intimate urban retreat, with room decor in velvety brown, beige, and black, with big mirrors, dramatic bed lighting, and arresting photography. Bathrooms have both cascade and standard showerheads, towel warmers, and full amenities (robes and slippers, on request, are complimentary for standard doubles). Superior doubles, with king-size beds, look out on Rambla de Catalunya; Privilege doubles (worth the splurge) have private terraces. The cozy little bar on the ground floor, with sink-in sofas and armchairs, is a perfect place to unwind at the end of the day, as is the rooftop terrace, open year-round exclusively for guests. The Murmuri also offers excellent accommodations in its spacious one- and two-bed apartments, situated in nearby Passeig de la Concepción or Passatge Mercader, complete with fully equipped kitchens, en-suite master bedrooms, and private terraces, perfect for families.

One of Barcelona's top design hotels, the Ohla has a neoclassical exterior (not counting the playful eyeballs stuck to the facade) that belies its avant-garde interior, full of witty, design-conscious touches. Rooms aren't particularly spacious, but they're tastefully done with a minimalist palate of charcoal browns and blacks, cream and pale-green textiles, hardwood floors, and tall windows. There's a fabulous rooftop terrace, with a plunge pool, sundeck, and bar. The Ohla's no-contest best feature is its gastronomy. The first-floor restaurant La Plassohla, with its butcher-block tables, serves as the breakfast venue for guests; weekday prix fixe lunches (€24) are good value. Upstairs, chef Romain Fornell runs the Michelin-starred Caelis restaurant. 

This highly rated H10 hotel chain property with smart, elegant interiors (courtesy of Barcelona-based design studio, Jaime Beriestain) occupies a prime position one block from Gaudí’s Casa Milà. For a city that isn’t usually known for its spacious hotel rooms, even the “cosy” rooms are generous on space. Huge windows allow in plenty of light, Egyptian-cotton linens dress expansive beds, and marble bathrooms are completed with walk-in rain showers and products by Barcelona brand Natural Bissé. The Despacio Spa offers an oasis of calm, while the lobby area gives way to the Somni Restaurant, which serves fresh Mediterranean cuisine, and also features a cocktail and wine bar. Like so many luxury Barcelona hotels, the jewel in the hotel’s crown is the impressive rooftop terrace, where you can enjoy wine and tapas while taking in the panoramic views of the city that stretch from the sea up to Tibidado.

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.

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 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.