552 Best Hotels in Spain

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.

The luxury of the Eixample has worked its way down to La Rambla, as this boutique gem (formerly the shop and atelier of the well-known Art Nouveau jeweler of the same name) bears ample witness. The interior is all textured concrete, hammered metal, frosted glass, recessed lighting—modern chic, but remarkably comfortable. The meeting room on the first floor houses the Bagués-Masriera museum collection of Art Nouveau jewelry and design. Rooms have leather love seats, dark wood paneling and headboards, hardwood floors, huge flat-screen TVs, and iPod docks. The bathrooms have top-tier amenities, bud vases, and big picture-frame mirrors. The Bagués is an exclusive (and pricey) retreat in an unexpected setting.

One of Santander's best-rated hotels is this plush, traditional standby overlooking the water and the cathedral. While the exterior feels corporate and cold, rooms are spacious and newly refurbished with wood floors. Elegant built-in, bunk-style beds make ideal stays for families. Many rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and views of the water or cathedral.

Just a few steps from the Plaza de los Fueros in downtown Gernika, the Boliña is a pleasant and modern base camp for exploring the Vizcayan coast. Rooms are simple and small but comfy, and the food is a great value.

Housed in a beautifully restored historic mansion, this family-run hotel offers cozy accommodations off a stunning central patio. The period rooms come with lofty ceilings, traditional beams, and eclectic furnishings. Rooms with exterior balconies are lighter and airier than those facing the patio and look out across the town center. The location could not be more convenient with Estepona’s charming old quarter and the beach on the doorstep. Guests have access to complimentary refreshments, snacks, and Nespresso coffee.

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.

This ultramodern eco-hotel in the woods is an architectural marvel with its grass-topped roof, sinuous walls, full-length windows, and polished-cement ceiling. The five guest rooms, which look out onto the adjoining gardens, are austere and airy, and each is adorned with a unique art piece painted by the proprietor.  

Located on the beach, this hotel is in hailing distance of the old quarter in the medieval fortress; rooms are simple, and those with sea views have private terraces. Proprietor Maria-Eugènia Serrat, a native Tossan, lavishes warm personal attention on every guest. The restaurant has canopied seating on the promenade and specializes in traditional fish stews, with ingredients fresh off the boat.

Steps from restaurants, shops, and lively tapas bars is this city-center hotel with smartly decorated rooms that exude an urban sensibility—think crisp white bedding and polished wooden floors. The lobby extends into a bustling café-bar, and there is a small restaurant serving regional cuisine.

A stone’s throw from the Paseo de los Tristes, this restored 17th-century mansion has a fine tiered patio. The spacious rooms have a romantic air to them, and it's worth paying extra (around €50) for the deluxe suite, whose balcony has exceptional views of the Alhambra, or splurging on a Jacuzzi suite. Don't miss the complimentary afternoon tea.

This luxury hotel offers one of two chances (the other is the Hotel España) to stay in a Moderniste masterpiece designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, architect of the iconic Palau de la Música Catalana. Its sumptuous public spaces are a feast for the eyes, notably at Café Vienés, with its marble and stone pillars supporting gilded vaulted ceilings.

This centrally located and gracious hotel has well-priced rooms that are small but functional, with double glazing to block out any late-night street revelry—those facing the side street or the interior patio are the quietest. Family rooms are available. The owners are friendly, although they don't speak a lot of English.

Guests are treated like royalty in this castlelike 18th-century manor house. You don't have to choose between city convenience and country views: the property is located five minutes from the city center yet boasts spectacular views of the surrounding wine region. The hotel features an excellent restaurant, stained-glass windows, antique furniture, and a turreted tower whose spiral staircase empties onto a terrace overlooking the valley. Each room is individually styled, and upgraded digs add Jacuzzis and fireplaces.

At the edge of Gràcia, a few minutes' walk from the Eixample, this modest practical base hides an unusual feature: true to its name, it's the only hotel in Barcelona with its very own driving range and putting green (at the back of the building) in lieu of a garden. (Loaner clubs and buckets of balls are complementary for guests; coaching sessions are extra.) The rooms—all doubles—are simply furnished, with king-size or twin beds. They feature basic amenities, tile floors, and adequate but not overly generous storage space. The service is cheerful and efficient, and the accommodations are clean and impeccably maintained.

In a late-18th-century palace formerly owned by the Duke of Noblejas, this hotel, a few yards from Plaza de Santa Ana, still bears traces of opulence and grandeur. It has a gorgeous winder staircase, painted Ionic columns, ethereal frescoes, and stained-glass windows, but the classic feel is neither ostentatious nor overwhelming. Rooms are cozy and classic with taupe walls, white wainscoting, and sturdy hardwood furniture. There's nothing trendy about these digs, which ooze self-assured old-world elegance.

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.

In full view of the cathedral, this small hotel combines traditional charm (it has kept many of its original mid-19th-century features, including a stunning arched entryway) with modern elegance. Rooms are simply furnished but have comfortable beds and a handy computer. The rooftop terrace with plunge pool has lovely cathedral views, as does the outside dining area.

The lobby of this hip little boutique hotel in the Born, with its leather sofa and banquettes, might remind you of a Starbucks, but the rooms tell a different story: the concept for chic&basic was whimsical, edgy accommodations at affordable prices, and designer Xavier Claramunt rose to the occasion. The rooms have bare white walls; a beaded curtain separates the stall shower from the bedroom; a remote control lets you change the color of the room lights to suit your mood. There's no furniture per se, just a collection of molded plastic modular units you arrange to make tables, seats, back rests, trays—whatever you need at the moment. Standard rooms have Internet-capable TVs and small private balconies. Book through the website for two hours of free bike rental during your stay.

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.

Enjoying a quiet location at the north end of the casco antiguo, this 17^th-century mansion is one of the resort’s longest-established boutique hotels, fully refurbished in 2020. Named for the French opera singer Claude Devoize, who lived here in the early 1970s, the hotel has many original features in marble and stone, particularly in the central patio, bedecked with original artworks including a giant hanging fish sculpture. Each of the seven rooms takes an Andalusian province as its decorative theme—Granada, aka the Chic Suite, is particularly grand. The intimate rooftop terrace has lovely views of the old quarter and makes a romantic spot for an evening drink or bistro supper.

Originally opened for 1929's Ibero-American Exposition, this classic hotel retains many original features, including a marble staircase leading up to a central lobby crowned by a magnificent stained-glass dome and crystal chandelier. Each floor celebrates a different Spanish artist, with reproduction paintings set against an artful combination of period and contemporary design. Downstairs is the toreador-theme Burladero tapas bar and restaurant, which is packed midday with local business executives. The luxurious spa on the seventh floor offers a range of treatments.

This cheery budget hotel is situated in a residential area north of the city center, just off the Rambla Santa Cruz. A good-size pool and verdant gardens provide attractive views from all of the rooms, which are awash with bright colors yet rather basic otherwise.

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.

Sprawling gardens and serene pools await guests at this modern hotel, just south of Puerto del Carmen in the Puerto Calero marina. The blocky, corporate-looking exterior belies spacious and luminous communal spaces that exude tropical calm. The grounds are protected from the fierce northeast winds (rare on this side of the island) and come to life with 260 different palms and four large (unheated and often chilly!) pools.

At this classically Galician inn, there's an idyllic little garden and views of red-tile rooftops, the baroque convent of San Francisco, and the green hills beyond (ask for a garden view). The cheerful interior is awash with smooth blond wood and natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows—the better to behold the vistas, particularly from the airy breakfast room and reading area.

This elegant Moderniste building has rooms over the bustling Plaça Dr. Robert on one side and over the river on the other. Some have terraces looking down at the graceful span of Camprodon's emblematic Pont Nou, with mallards splashing alongside brightly speckled (and legally protected) native Pyrenean trout. All rooms are furnished with old-fashioned simplicity.

On the main beachfront promenade overlooking La Concha, this stately hotel has a regal, old-world feel and Belle Époque aesthetic that starts in the marble lobby, with its shimmering chandeliers, and continues throughout the hotel. The gentlemanly bar and restaurant face the bay through large windows, and the classically styled, pastel-tone guest rooms boast gasp-worthy ocean views. Seventh-floor rooms have private terraces with superb vistas.

For an eco-friendly (solar-powered) base for exploring the upper Hecho Valley or the Oza Forest, look no further than this adorable Pyrenean inn situated 7 km (4 miles) north of Hecho. There's a microbrewery on-site, and staff will happily arrange bike rentals, trout-fishing permits, and mountain guides. Rooms are simple and airy and decorated with colorful fabrics and quilts.

A comfortable old favorite near Puigcerdà's emblematic lake, this spa hotel with old-fashioned decor consists of several salmon-pink spire-topped mansions arranged around a grassy central garden. It's situated two minutes from the bell tower and town market on foot, though it feels deceptively bucolic and removed from the action. 

This homey and economical lodge is the perfect base for exploring the Picos de Europa. With dark polished wood accents, a sitting area warmed by a wood-burning fire, public lounges stocked with games, an outdoor swimming pool, and tennis courts, the lodge is well suited to all travelers. Family rooms that include extra beds are available upon request. The restaurant serves generous portions of home-cooked Cantabrian fare, and the bar makes excellent drinks.