Fodor's Expert Review Hotel Axel

In the heart of the more fashionable Esquerra (west or "left" side) of the Eixample, this recently expanded and renovated hotel caters primarily to gay travelers in an area dubbed by locals the "Gayxample." The spacious rooms are soundproof and well lighted, with comfortable contemporary furniture and decor in white-on-white punctuated by hints of black, red, and chrome; most have queen-size beds. Suites are truly spacious, but have only a glass wall separating the bedroom from the bath: privacy sacrificed for romance. The hotel's Bench restaurant is up to par, and the rooftop deck and pool (with pool, bar, cascade, and Jacuzzi, open April–October) has good views over the city.