552 Best Hotels in Spain

This classic mountain refuge, with sundecks, flower-fringed terraces, and a private dining room, rents a variety of rooms with typical Pyrenean details—stone floors and wood paneling and trim. It's easy to forget that some of Spain's wildest highland scenery is just a few minutes up the valley. There is also a heated outdoor pool lined with chaises, an indoor hot tub, a playground, and a small fitness area.

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.

There's a smattering of villa rentals available in this tranquil corner of La Palma, but the most intriguing of the bunch—for both its magazine-cover-worthy Bauhaus-esque design and jaw-dropping views—is Villa Gran Atlántico, whose two ample suites comfortably sleep four guests each. Amenities include Sonos sound systems, a wraparound deck overlooking well-tended gardens and the ocean, an alfresco dining nook outfitted with a grill, and an outdoor infinity pool heated by solar power. Overflowing bookshelves and intriguing wall art lend this a lived-in feel that similar rentals lack.   

Built in 1899 by a wealthy indiano (a Spaniard who made his fortune in the Americas and returned), this charming Asturian mansion on the hill above Luarca offers modern apartments in the garden or Belle Époque suites in the main building. One of the latter has a pleasant glassed-in reading room. There's also a small antiques museum and an old coach house surrounded by palm trees and imported shrubs.

This stately town-house complex at the edge of the lake has some of the most sought-after rooms and food in the Cerdanya Valley. Along with lots of peace and comfort (think rooms with plush white linens and soaker tubs), the hotel restaurant, L'Estany Senzone, is worth a visit even if you're not staying upstairs.

Centering around an original banana plantation house, this modern hotel retains its colonial essence with spacious communal areas, teak furniture, and potted palms. Rooms are spacious in white and brown with gauzy canopy beds and generous bathrooms and closets. The grounds house six pools (two heated) and a spa where the circuit includes a dip in an authentic volcanic cave discovered during the hotel's construction. The villas for two overlook the sea and are designed for a romantic break.

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. 

Bright, vibrant, and bursting with color, the W Ibiza encapsulates the lively, hedonistic spirit of Ibiza. Rooms overlooking the sea or mountains have natural fabrics, design details by Ibizan artisans, and implausibly plush signature W beds. There's a spa, three bars, and three restaurants, including Chiringuito Blue, which serves excellent fish dishes on Santa Eulària's famous white powder–sand beach just outside the hotel.

This stately hotel, set in a 1917 building in a quiet area of the city, features an enormous, lushly planted interior garden surrounded by dining terraces of its three restaurants. A high-end spa with indoor pool is another of its many amenities.

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.

Set in the renovated Astoria Cinema, this film-themed hotel has a spacious lobby adorned with autographed photos of the many movie stars who have attended the famous San Sebastián Film Festival over the years. Each of the contemporary rooms is named for a different star, from Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor to Robert De Niro, and adorned with their respective photographs and memorabilia.

This small and welcoming hotel on a narrow street has comfortable rooms painted a sunny yellow with views over the village rooftops to the valley below. There's also a cozy bar and dining room with original wood beams and an open fireplace—the restaurant serves local fare including its famed Zuhayra salad with goat's cheese and roast vegetables, and the downstairs bar offers pizzas and tapas; both venues are among the best dining options in the village. During the summer months diners can sit outside on the attractive cobbled patio. There's a small pool, and guests may use the village pool free of charge.