There’s no disputing that Barcelona is one of the best cities on the planet — a has-it-all minibreak haven, with high culture, balmy beaches, a lively (and largely alfresco) food scene, nocturnal nightlife and the kind of effortless joy only somewhere that’s almost always sunny can claim.
Once you’ve picked your preferred Catalan casa for your weekend break in Barcelona, you can craft the ideal itinerary, which should include plenty of near-hallucinogenic Gaudí architecture as a strong starting point. Here are our pick of 11 of the best hotels in Barcelona.
FOR FAMILIES
Casagrand Luxury Suites
If you’re planning on bringing the brood to Barcelona, you’ll need more space than a city-centre hotel room might often allow — step forward, Casagrand Luxury Suites, a set of family-friendly, self-catering apartments that will have you feeling like locals in no time. You’ll even have your own laundry room. The grand building was designed by the renowned Gaudí contemporary Enric Sagnier.
Main thoroughfare Passeig de Gràcia is around the corner and you’ll be in the heart of the city’s biggest (and arguably best) barrio, Eixample.
Best room for families The biggest apartment (dubbed Summum) can sleep up to nine people across five bedrooms, some of which have a balcony overlooking the buildings of Via Augusta. The slightly more compact Penthouse sleeps four, with the added bonus of having its own roof terrace.
Design details The spacious suites are graced by corniced ceilings, low-hanging light fixtures, wooden headboards and the odd column.
Something to eat Each apartment of course has a kitchen, but no one’s expecting you to whip up your own patatas bravas. Instead, head out to the Eixample barrio’s best restaurants, which include but are not limited to Suru, Malparit and Âme.
See the sights The star of the Eixample show is of the world’s most famous unfinished building, La Sagrada Família, Gaudí’s magnum opus out of an impressive (if offbeat) body of work, which also includes Casa Batlló and La Pedrera.
FOR SPA-SEEKERS
Soho House Barcelona
You can’t go wrong with a Soho House and the Barcelona outpost is no exception. Yes, there’s a signature rooftop pool with striped sunloungers and a view. From up here, you’ll be able to spy the spires (and construction work) of La Sagrada Família, as well as the Marina Port Vell.
A Cowshed Spa is also present and correct, this one inspired by a traditional Spanish pharmacy for extra therapeutic value. There’s also a gym with a spin studio on hand for burning off churros calories, a screening room and an events programme keeping the city’s cool kids entertained.
Most indulgent room For more cossetting away from the Cowshed Spa, book the Large room, an 80-square-metre crashpad with a bath tub in the bedroom and three balconies with views.
Design details As with many of the Soho Houses — such as the palazzo commissioned by a Genoese merchant, before becoming the US embassy and now the home of Soho House Istanbul — the shell of the Barcelona outpost is historic, with its former glory dutifully restored. There are original 18th-century features: vaulted ceilings, panelled walls and chandeliers; but also modern additions, including an impressive art collection.
Something to eat The House Kitchen menu has been aptly enhanced with some tapas and Mediterranean touches. Pleasingly for Soho House stans, there’s also a Cecconi’s restaurant, with a carb-laden Sunday Feast to look forward to every week.
See the sights You’ll be in the heart of the Gothic Quarter and its atmospheric mediaeval streets. Also nearby is the city’s famed Picasso Museum.
FOR FIRST-TIME VISITORS
Yurbban Ramblas
If it’s your first time in the city, you’ll want to be in the thick of it, which means one address and one address only: La Rambla, Barcelona’s famous main drag, frequented by mimes, tourists and everyone in between. Yurbban Ramblas, as the name suggests, has a prime address, at number 129.
The hotel is set in a 19th-century townhouse, with Juliet balconies overlooking the bustle below and a courtyard to cool off in, away from the crowds. Its Canaletes Cerveseria restaurant was once a kiosk dispensing cervezas to the thirsty crowds — the porróns (long-necked pitchers, allowing the beer to be poured straight into its recipient’s mouth) are still in play today.
Best room for Barcelona beginners If you’re planning to spend more time out of your room than in it, the compact Yurbban Ramblas category will do the trick — but for more suitcase and shopping-bag space, go for a Yurbban Ramblas Superior.
Design details The townhouse was transformed with the help of local design studios, this included photographic prints made by Catalan creatives — all of these gallery shots are available to buy if they’ve taken your fancy.
Something to eat Helpfully for anyone hoping to adjust to the local rhythm, the restaurant at the hotel serves food all day, so you don’t have to worry about sleeping in after a late night or favouring a siesta over lunch. There’s an extensive all-Spanish selection: tapas, paellas and lots of Iberian charcuterie.
See the sights As well as the famous boulevard (from which you can seek refuge — and some jamón — by ducking into Mercat de la Boqueria), Plaça de Catalunya and Barcelona’s mediaeval Gothic Quarter are also on your doorstep.
FOR A BOUTIQUE FEEL
Wittmore Hotel
The sun may be shining almost constantly outside, but it’s dark and moody all the way at Wittmore Hotel. It’s the dream Gothic Quarter stay for fans of dimly lit, stylishly saturnine interiors and anyone who prefers red velvet on chairs and curtains, rather than cake.
The hotel is adults-only, which helps the discreet, members’ club mood along — as does the easy-to-miss entrance and general speakeasy meets 19th-century salon air. Naturally, the Witty restaurant is a gathering place for bohemians lingering over lunch.
Most stylish room All of the rooms overlook the vertical garden in the courtyard, but if you have British sensibilities, you’ll love the spacious Wittmore Suite on the top floor, which has a refined rural Anglophile air, with floral wallpaper, checked carpets and dark panelling.
Design details The decor is part country house, part mid-century modern, with a hearty amount of tartan carpeting thrown in, alongside coral lamps, dark wooden cabinets and patterned wallpaper.
Something to eat The menu is divided into moods at Contraban, where you can order dishes from sections such as ‘Surprise’, ‘Creative Excitement’ and ‘Nostalgia’. For daylight, head out into the courtyard or up onto the sixth-floor terrace.
See the sights The hotel is in the Gothic Quarter, which means you’ll be well placed for some beach time at Barceloneta (a 20-minute walk away). Earn a siesta on a sunlounger by exploring the barrio’s mediaeval architecture, narrow streets and historic squares first.
FOR AN ON-HIGH POOL
Grand Hotel Central
Lots of hotels in Barcelona are blessed with a rooftop pool (handy for the almost year-round heat), but few can compete with the one at Grand Hotel Central for pinch-me panoramas.
From this blessed vantage point, you’ll be able to admire the Barcelonian lookalike of London’s Gherkin skyscraper, the spires of Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar and La Sagrada Família. There are Balinese beds to shotgun and tables on the decking for lunch; after dark, the rooftop smartens up, ready to receive both locals and guests.
The hotel name doesn’t lie — the setting is indeed central, just steps from La Rambla, in the midst of the Gothic Quarter.
A room with a view Light streams in through the various skyline-framing windows of the Deluxe Corner View rooms.
Design details The rooms have a vague air of a Golden Age mode of transport, an Orient Express carriage perhaps, or a deco liner, with their shiny parquet floors, wooden panelling, bijou lamps and pastel fabrics.
Something to eat The rooftop terrace has a restaurant, and there’s also Can Bo downstairs, serving up tapas and wine from its extensive cellar — guests can join for Wine & Bite daily from 12 noon to 8pm to taste the wine of the week, accompanied by a tasty tapa from the chef.
See the sights You won’t have to venture very far to take in the entire city skyline — just head up to the roof terrace, where you can soak it all in over a swim. When you descend, the Gothic Quarter is ready when you are. A five-minute walk away on Carrer de Montcada, the MOCO Museum is a must for lovers of modern art, with some dazzling digital installations, a supersize sculpture by American artist Kaws in the courtyard and more.
FOR ROMANCE
Borneta
If you’re headed to Barcelona on a honeymoon or romantic break, book a stay at Borneta in buzzy El Born (hence the name). As befits its barrio backdrop, it’s creative to the core, with works by emerging artists and a library laden with titles selected from local bookshop Casa Fahrenheit.
Up on the roof, there’s a pool lined with pairs of peachy-hued sunloungers — and the beach is in reach, too. Stop by Mercat de Santa Caterina, which dates back to 1846, for picnic prep first. You could also take your hamper over the street to Ciutadella Park.
Best room for couples There are rooms with terraces that feel like your own private pad in the city, perfect for slow mornings. For a blow-out room with a view, book the Borneta Suite, from which you can admire the turrets of the Castell dels Tres Dragons.
Design details You won’t find a garish hue anywhere you look in Borneta — instead, it’s pale greens and dusky-pink tones all the way, with lots of plants helping it all feel even more bright and breezy.
Something to eat The chef at Volta has travelled the Mediterranean coast extensively, reporting back for duty with his favourite flavours from Spain, France and Italy, all the way to North Africa.
See the sights The hotel is in El Born, so nearby sights of note include the Picasso Museum and the European Museum of Modern Art. Post-culture fix, head to Ciutadella Park for a siesta in the sun.
FOR THE RESTAURANT
Ohla Eixample
In a city overflowing with delicious tapas, Ohla Eixample does its best to keep you within its confines — and, with fine-dining restaurant Xerta on-site, it’s hard to protest. Eixample is Barcelona’s biggest barrio, and one with lots of brilliant bars and restaurants (more of which can be discovered with our ultimate Eixample guide), so you will have to drag yourself away at some point.
The hotel’s sister stay, over on Via Laietana, Ohla Barcelona Hotel, has similar gourmet credentials, with the accomplished chef Romain Fornell manning the kitchens of Michelin-starred Caelis.
Best room for gourmands Keep the decadence going by booking an ‘Atic’ room or Suite, both of which have a nightcap-friendly terrace that doubles as a bright and breezy spot for an alfresco breakfast the morning after.
Design details Rooms are pared-back, with a simple wooden desk, clean lines and a grey-favouring palette fitting for a contemporary urban retreat.
Something to eat Chef Fran López at Xerta trained with French master Alain Ducasse for three years. His main inspiration isn’t France however, but the Ebro Delta, a Unesco-recognised Biosphere Reserve in north-eastern Spain, from where most of his ingredients (rice, eel, fish and shellfish, game and meat) are sourced. The hotel is also home to Japanese restaurant Kintsugi.
See the sights This is the neighbourhood in which to gorge on the Modernisme masterpieces of Antoni Gaudí, from the most famous incomplete church in the world to Casa Batlló and La Pedrera. If you’re here to shop, hit up Passeig de Gràcia for the big-name brands and Carrer d’Enric Granados for lesser-known labels that will nonetheless have you reaching for the credit card.
FOR A CITY-CENTRE LOCATION
Hotel Pulitzer Barcelona
For any city break location is key, and Hotel Pulitzer Barcelona provides guests with a prime address. It’s a five-minute walk away from Plaça de Catalunya, where there’s a Metro station for further ease in navigating the city. Also nearby are both El Born and the Gothic Quarter, undisputed champions for Barcelona’s coolest-corner contest.
The hotel may be firmly rooted in the Catalan capital, but the interiors are globe-spanning, from a front desk with gilded panels reclaimed from a Sicilian church to Asian accents throughout the communal spaces.
Best room for sightseers It may be a borrowed postcode, but you can gaze out across all you temporarily survey from a city-facing Signature Balcony room or — even better — the Pulitzer Suite with Terrace, which overlooks the Plaça.
Design details It’s all clean lines and airiness inside, with an overarching contemporary aesthetic: wooden floors, leather sofas, mid-century chairs, potted plants and pine four-posters.
Something to eat The hotel’s Greenhouse Restaurant (which extends into a courtyard) has all the tropical foliage its name suggests — and the market-sourced produce served on your plate is dutifully plant-based, too. That’s not to say carnivores aren’t catered to, though — the veggie-pleasing dishes are supplemented by jamón, beef and even sweetbreads for those that want them.
See the sights Barcelona’s main square Plaça de Catalunya is close by, but really everywhere in the centre is easily reached, including Mercat de la Boquería (another must for the meat-eaters). Lovers of modern art, don’t miss a stop at Fundació Joan Miró; and more high culture awaits at the century-old, suitably red and gilt-edged Teatre Tivoli.
FOR A ROOFTOP WITH A VIEW
Casa Bonay
Casa Bonay hotel lives up to its name, with a homey approach to hospitality. It’s set in what was once the residence of some wealthy industrialists in the 19th century, now renovated into a happening hub for local creatives. In the home’s old garage, you’ll find a buzzy lounge bar; and it’s just as hipster-friendly up on the roof, which has a miniature orchard and a barbecue, bringing that beachy feel in.
Naturally, there are single-origin pours at the speciality coffee shop, small plates being dished up at the tapas bar and creative concoctions being mixed at the Libertine cocktail bar. The welcome mat promises ‘Mi casa es su casa’ and no lies are detected.
Best room for on-point panoramas Replicate the experience of the rooftop by booking a Courtyard Large Terrace room, which has a spacious deck with a siesta-friendly hammock and views of the city.
Design details The decor benefits from the heritage high ceilings, all the more perfect for hanging a series of pendant lights from, to complement the flood of natural light.
Something to eat The beach may be in reach in Barcelona but you don’t even have to venture that far — instead, head up to the breezy beach bar, or chiringuito, on the roof. The food is inspired by Japanese robata cooking, but with a Mediterranean bent, and plenty of plant-based alternatives.
See the sights If main drags are your thing, you’re in luck: Casa Bonay is just off the Passeig de Gràcia. If you want to explore a neighbourhood that’s as hip as your hotel, head to El Poblenou for the street food and art.
FOR NEARBY NIGHTLIFE
Antiga Casa Buenavista
In between El Raval and Eixample neighbourhoods, Antiga Casa Buenavista is where to stay if you’re planning on staying up all night. Barcelona’s best nightlife is on your doorstep, and once-slightly-sleazy El Raval has long since cleaned up its act. The hotel has perfect pieds-à-terre to borrow, with laptop-ready lounge spaces downstairs, a pool on the roof and a sociable bistro serving lots of things with a close-to-zero-kilometre provenance.
The name hints at the view (or buena vista) that awaits here — many of the rooms overlook Plaça Goya, along with the city’s finest terracotta rooftops and almost always bright blue sky.
Best room for revellers If you’re not planning on spending much time in your room, a simple, 20-square-metre Raval will do; or blow out the cobwebs with a Superior Buenavista with Terrace, where the outdoor space has a hot tub and views of Plaça Goya. No Berocca necessary.
Design details Wooden ceiling fans, cypresses dotting the terraces and the deck around the guest-only rooftop pool, and a complete lack of primary colours in the guestrooms create a calming Catalan casa that’s hangover-friendly. The communal spaces are a little more exuberant, with Catalan floor tiles, mint panels and statement artworks.
Something to eat The hotel’s Casa de Comidas restaurant is here for you, whether you stumbled in from Razzmatazz nightclub at dawn and need a carb-heavy breakfast and 12 coffees, are in need of a crisp cerveza in a Catalan jug on the rooftop at sundown, or want a full tasting menu at 10pm.
See the sights It’s worth adjusting to a nocturnal way of life in El Raval, Barcelona’s most nightlife-mad neighbourhood, but the daytime has its own sort of revelry too, from edifying tours of the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art and the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, to hangover-clearing cafés con leche on Rambla del Raval.
FOR A HISTORIC SETTING
Hotel Regina
Barcelona has no shortage of amazing architecture and you can get the inside story of one iconic building with a stay at Hotel Regina. It was constructed on the foundations of another regal structure on Carrer de Bergara, opening as a hotel in 1917. It doubled as a hospital during the civil war.
Today, the rooms are simple and serene, and a courtyard provides another spot for more peaceful contemplation, café con leche or glass of small-batch wine in hand. It’s the perfect Barcelona hotel for modern-day bon vivants.
Best room for time travel The courtyard-facing Century Suite was once the building’s ballroom, with preserved original features such as high ceilings, decorative iron columns and a parquet floor intact.
Design details The other rooms are pared-back, with contemporary interiors that nonetheless complement the building’s neoclassical façade: glossy wooden floors and headboards, white (and occasionally khaki or red) walls, and a desk for when inspiration strikes.
Something to eat The hotel drops the ‘Re’ for its lobby bar, which just goes by Gina. She’s a gracious host, inviting guests into her elegant street-facing salon for coffee and conversation as you watch the world go by, all the way from your morning espresso to evening martini. At night, she moonlights as a candlelit cocktail bar, with weekly Italian aperitivo hours every Thursday for fried pizza and stuffed focaccia. There’s also laidback bistro Bar La Esquina for classic tapas.
See the sights Whichever direction you set off in, there’s a noteworthy neighbourhood to explore: the hotel is on the cusp of Eixample, El Raval and the Gothic Quarter, with La Rambla just steps away, too.
Plan the perfect weekend in Barcelona, or get to know the Eixample barrio a little better