27 Best Hotels in Barcelona, Spain

This former palatial family home, or palacete, provides a splendid drawing room, a location nearly dead-center for Barcelona's main attractions, views over leafy Rambla de Catalunya, and a 24-hour free buffet. Follow the red carpet up the marble stairs to what must be the quirkiest little boutique hotel in town. It looks like your grandma's house, if she was a very wealthy 19th-century Catalan who'd been to Versailles and had a passion for pink. It has floral tapestry wallpaper, crystal chandeliers, silk flowers in painted vases, putti on the ceilings, and gilding everywhere. The buffet is stocked 24/7 with fruit, salads, sandwiches, pastas, and desserts.

A short walk from La Rambla, this Eixample design hotel offers impeccable midcity accommodations with cheerful avant-garde decor and luxurious details. Rooms are set in circular corridors around a seven-story atrium; decor takes the standard neutral hotel palate and adds a splash of red for a light airy feeling. Most have balconies. Bathrooms have high-pressure showerheads, and full amenities including robes and slippers. The rooftop terrace has a long, narrow pool and good views of Montjuïc and Tibidabo; breakfast is served here from 7 to 11. The romantic Ànemos restaurant on the seventh floor is open only in summer; the comfortable lounge and cocktail bar on the lobby level is shared with the adjacent Angle restaurant, under the supervision of celebrated chef Jordi Cruz.

A marriage between the Camper footwear empire and the (now defunct) Vinçon design store produced this 21st-century hotel halfway between La Rambla and the MACBA (Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art), with a focus on sustainability (think solar panels and water recycling). There's a free 24-hour snack bar in the lobby, and an honesty bar on the rooftop terrace. Rooms require a tolerance for splashy red accents; those on the garden side of the hotel all have separate sitting rooms across the corridor, complete with hammocks and sofa beds. The cocktail bar downstairs features British club–style deep leather armchairs and two billiard tables. The Dos Palillos restaurant next door is worth a visit for its experimental takes on Asian-fusion cuisine.

The Condes de Barcelona is perfectly placed for exploring the sights (and shops) of the city's most fashionable quarter, and—for the privileged location—offers great value. Classic rooms are decorated in contemporary neutral tones, with hardwood floors; some have small balconies overlooking an interior garden. Newer Condal rooms have decor in soft grays and teal; bathrooms have double vanities, charcoal slate walls and floors, and Rituals toiletries. The spacious Alaire rooftop terrace has a plunge pool, an excellent bar-restaurant, and great views of the Eixample. Reserve rooms well in advance—demand is high, and early reservations score bargain rates.

In the upper part of the Eixample, below the Diagonal, this contemporary hotel offers impeccable service and a superb central location for exploring, with the city's prime art-gallery district just a few blocks away on Consell de Cent. Rooms are open and airy, with contemporary decor in white and beige, parquet floors, and windows with excellent soundproofing; the furniture is a bit boxy and generic, but comfortable. The hotel's best feature is the Gallery Space, a covered arcade along the length of the building, set with tables leading back to the gardens of the Palau Robert (ideal for a drink or a quick bite). Two ample rooftop terraces boast a long narrow pool (open year-round), a bar-restaurant, and DJ or live music sessions on summer weekends. The Gallery is popular with business travelers, but gets a lot of tourist trade as well.

A short walk from the attractions of the Gothic Quarter and the Born-Ribera district, the Montcada is a good choice for comfort and convenience. The lobby is an amiable design-y mismatch of deep leather armchairs and sofas, Noguchi lamps, globes, and knickknacks; room decor is in white and warm neutral tones, with hardwood floors and paneled walls: minimalist and tasteful. Amenities include coffee machines, robes, and slippers. The hotel's standout best feature is the rooftop deck, around three sides of the building, with a sauna, Jacuzzi, and great views of the Gothic Quarter, the Cathedral, and Montjuïc.

Three blocks west of Rambla Catalunya, near the upper middle of the Eixample, this renovated classic property is a treasure for the budget-minded. Guest rooms are bright and spacious, with dark polished hardwood floors, nice lighting, and a choice of twin or double beds. Bathrooms have long single vanities and good-size stall showers with rain heads. There's a rooftop terrace with a small plunge pool, a bar, and panoramic views; the suites on the floor just below have small private terraces of their own, though no particular view. The ornate marble lobby boasts a remarkable collection of drawings by the Catalan artist Ricard Opisso, a pal of Picasso's and one of the original members of the Four Cats salon. The hotel's Astor Restaurant, decorated in Parisian bistro style with Art Nouveau posters, is a very pleasant venue for lunch.

The thoughtfully curated lobby with work by local artists sets the tone at this stylish boutique hotel. Downstairs, there’s a 24/7 honesty bar, gift boutique, and a buzzy Andalusian-Catalan restaurant, Palo Cortao; head upstairs for a plunge pool, sauna, and herb garden. The top-floor penthouse brings the bragging rights: its secluded terrace even has an outdoor soaker tub.

Converted in 1998 from a historic stately home dating back to 1825, this hotel beckons with its neoclassic facade and original grand marble staircase. The rooms have plank floors, decor in beige with touches of black and gray, and dark wood furnishings. For very little over the standard rate, ask for a double with a terrace, in the back of the building, overlooking the tree-shaded garden. The strategic location of this hotel is a mixed blessing: just steps from the Cathedral, the iconic Els Quatre Gats café, and Plaça Catalunya, it sits facing one of the busiest pedestrian malls in the city.

The lobby of this no-frills hotel fails to impress, but the guest rooms are ample, with parquet floors, dramatic splashes of color, simple generic furniture, and painted-over Catalan arch ceilings. The rooftop terrace has a small pool and a bar. Buffet breakfast is served in the small restaurant, which doubles as a vinoteca, with an excellent list of wines from the Emporda, Priorat, Montsant, Rioja, and Ribiera del Duero regions.

A few minutes' walk from the heart of the city at Plaça Catalunya, this moderately priced boutique hotel has guest rooms restfully decorated in lush coffee and chocolate tones, offset with leather and wood textures. Superior rooms are really spacious, with slate floors and king-size beds. The first-floor lounge is unexpectedly large, with comfortable sectional sofas. Fine dining is around the corner at Gaudí's Casa Calvet.

Designed in the style of a New York City loft and seated on a tree-shaded street in the heart of the Eixample, this hotel blends exposed brick, steel, and glass with Greek and Italian marble and Indonesian tamarind wood to achieve downtown cool. Museum-quality pieces of Buddhist and Hindu art from the owner's private collection, mostly dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries, add a sense of Zen tranquility. Rooms have a certain masculine aesthetic, with leather sofas and headboards, exposed brick walls, chrome fixtures, hardwood plank floors, and dark bedding. Interior-facing rooms have private balconies. The luxurious duplexes have private terraces and semiprivate pools. The first-rate Mediterranean restaurant and the rooftop solarium, with views over the center of Barcelona, add the final pampering touches.

A chic postmodern addition to Barcelona's lodging options is hidden behind this traditional facade, a 15-minute walk from the top of La Rambla; public spaces have a nightclub feel, with leather chairs, pillar candles, and backlit neon-green Plexiglas panels at reception and the bar. Rooms are more subdued, decorated in deep browns, grays, and off-white, with a touch of Modernist-inspired artwork; some have private balconies. Some Superior rooms, facing the interior courtyard, can connect with next-door standard doubles to accommodate families. Spa treatments are available at the Despacio Spa Centre. The rooftop terrace has a bar (open only in summer) and a small plunge pool.

Bright colors, clean lines, and contemporary artwork give this hotel (dead center in the heart of Barcelona) a hip, fashionable feel. Rooms have hardwood plank floors, plenty of storage, and decor in muted tones of gray, black, and beige, accented with orange or citrus yellow pillows and textiles. Noise comes in from the heavily trafficked artery connecting Plaça Catalunya and Plaça de la Universitat. The bar on the rooftop terrace does tapas and cocktails.

Built squarely over the metro's central hub and within walking distance of everything in town, this breezy clubhouse-hotel could not be better situated. The lobby is intimate and relaxing, with white leather sofa suites and huge vases of fresh-cut flowers; the library at the back leads to a pleasant little tree-shaded patio where breakfast is served (weather permitting). Rooms feel both sunny and substantial, with touches of leather, hardwood floors, and interesting artwork. Bathrooms have big picture-frame mirrors, robes, and slippers. The rooftop terrace has live music or a DJ weekend nights from 6 pm to midnight.

Within an easy stroll of many of Barcelona's best restaurants and top sights, this is an affordable urban adults-only hotel in an unbeatable location. On the edge of the Sant Pere district, steps from Arc de Triomf, this is one of the best places to stay if you want to make sure you never have to venture far from home. Plus, the restaurant Fismuler—one of the best in the city—is on the ground floor of the hotel. The roof is covered in plants and there's a vertical garden in the lobby. The rooms are colorful, and guests can choose between those overlooking the interior courtyard, or those with a view to street life out front.

Next to the Apolo Theatre on Avinguda del Paral·lel, a colorful, plant-filled lobby and numerous coworking spaces are the standouts in this newly renovated four-star that targets travelers who can’t entirely ditch the 9-5 while away. The location is great for maximizing exploration time, whether on foot or by metro, with self-serve food available 24/7 to fuel adventures.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.