13 Best places to stay in Barcelona

The undisputed grand dame of Barcelona’s hotel scene, El Palace channels classic European charm on a lavish scale. Built in 1919, it has preserved its original opulence, with liveried doormen, sumptuous marble and gilt interiors, and attentive service.

Rooms are traditionally furnished in pale colours, and some feature Roman-style baths with mosaics.

There’s no pool and the gym is small, but there is a superb spa, and a range of dining choices: feast on Romain Fornell’s exquisite contemporary Mediterranean cuisine under crystal chandeliers in the restaurant Caelis. Alternatively, tuck into an elegant Sunday brunch served in the conservatory-style Winter Garden.

The centrepiece of the Mayan-themed spa is the domed Temazcal sauna, heated with volcanic stones and perfumed with aromatic herbs.

It is conveniently situated within walking distance of many of the city’s best attractions, including Gaudí’s finest domestic buildings on the Passeig de Gràcia and the stone warren of the Gothic Quarter.

This small, romantic boutique hotel – part of the Relais & Chateaux collection – occupies an enchanting 18th-century mansion on a quiet square near the Cathedral in the heart of Barcelona’s atmospheric Gothic Quarter.

Its original stone arches, wooden beams and carved doors are intact, providing a striking contrast with the bold contemporary artworks that brighten up the space.

The roof terrace bar with a small pool and pots of jasmine, bougainvillaea and hydrangeas provides a secret retreat from the city bustle below – but the highlight is the excellent restaurant, serving outstanding contemporary Catalan cuisine, with the option of dining outside in Placa Sant Felip Neri, one of Barcelona’s prettiest squares.

Because the hotel is in a pedestrian area, be aware taxis will drop you around 200 metres away.

On the edge of the fashionable El Born district, moments from the Picasso Museum and the Gothic Quarter, this perfectly-located – and chic – hotel is all about its stylish rooftop with an infinity pool, loungers and bar.

Inside, the hotel retains its original 1920s wooden floors and wrought-iron details, now incorporated into a sleek, minimalist interior.

Rooms are decorated with pared-back elegance in pale grey and white, some with fabulous views over the old city.

This historic neighbourhood, with its narrow alleys and secret squares, contains some of the city’s best boutiques, bars and restaurants. It’s also convenient for exploring the adjacent Gothic Quarter and walking down to the beaches.

The hotel also has good-value ‘Romance’ or ‘Family’ packages, throwing in extras such as breakfast, dinner or entry to a local sight.

This fabulous, personality-stacked design hotel sits between Barcelona’s lively Eixample and Gràcia neighbourhoods.

Its striking façade, with balconies formed by peeled-back slits in the building fabric, is matched by pared-back concrete and bold mid-century influenced interiors.

Minimalist rooms have large bathrooms, and (some) leafy, peaceful balconies, facing residential buildings nearby.

The main steak restaurant is all leather banquettes and sizzling platters – turning into an upmarket buffet-breakfast spot each morning, with light options and fresh juices – and there’s a relaxed mezzanine library-lounge.

The slim rooftop pool, with a buzzy cocktail bar, cushioned beds and views of the rippling roof-terrace of Gaudi’s famous La Pedrera building, is an oasis amid the city hubbub, while inside there’s an industrial-feel, minimalist spa with a pool and steam room.

Just off the Passeig de Gràcia in the Eixample, near Barcelona’s most fashionable shopping district, this big, urbane hotel makes a perfect city base – with incredibly affordable room rates.

Expect cool, contemporary styling throughout, from the dazzling lobby with its floor-to-ceiling windows and huge tropical plants, to art-filled bedrooms done up in creamy white and deep plum.

There are many things to love at the Seventy: the swanky cocktail bar with live music, the rooftop pool, the state-of-the-art spa and gym, the excellent Mediterranean restaurant – and a patio amid the olive trees, where you can forget you’re in the heart of the city.

The car park under the hotel is also a huge plus if you’re touring.

The luxurious Hotel Arts occupies a steel-and-glass tower in the Vila Olímpica; the handy beachfront location and magnificent sea views are combined with facilities including a huge panoramic spa on the 43rd floor, a 500-piece collection of contemporary Spanish art, and some of the best service in the city.

Restaurants include the two Michelin-starred Enoteca Paco Pérez, with contemporary Catalan cuisine and 700 wines to choose from, and the  city’s most fashionable terrace, with a new infinity pool and DJs in summer. The glamorous rooftop pool and sunbathing terrace overlook Frank Gehry’s steel-lattice ‘Fish’ sculpture.

It’s a good 20- to 30-minutes’ walk or metro hop to the city centre, but the surroundings are seaside-chic: a yacht-filled marina surrounded by restaurants and a golden city beach.

Barceloneta, a five-minute walk away along the seafront, is still a quaint, old-fashioned district of traditional tapas bars and seafood restaurants.

Hotels with beautiful sea views are rare in Barcelona, but The Serras, occupying the building where the 15-year-old Pablo Picasso had his first studio in 1896, has those and much more.

This 5-star beauty has a Michelin-starred restaurant, library and mellow roof terrace with a generous plunge pool and sun-drenched loungers – DJ sets on weekends tempt in a hip crowd.

It’s set in the charming, tourist-favourite Gothic Quarter – but within easy walking distance of the historic centre, the yacht-filled Port Vell and the seafood restaurants of Barceloneta.

Right on the Ramblas, ideally situated for sightseeing and shopping, this chic and intimate ‘museum hotel’ occupies an elegant 19th-century mansion, near the Boqueria market.

Formerly the HQ of a prestigious 200-year-old jewellery company, Bagues-Masriera, it’s a favourite with first-timers, with an opulent interior that subtly evokes the building’s palatial heritage with a 21st-century take on Art Nouveau.

There’s a rooftop terrace with plunge pool and cocktail tapas/ bar, and fabulous views over Las Ramblas, as well as an inner bar with a small menu of dishes, exclusively for guests. The attentive, personalised service puts it head and shoulders above the boutique competition.

Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill’s iconic billowing sail-shaped hotel is enticingly positioned on the tip of Barcelona’s waterfront.

The sumptuous bedrooms get progressively larger and more spectacular the higher they go, with huge floor-to-ceiling views of the Mediterranean and/or the city. Underlining the epic views, rooms are provided with a mini telescope for searching the horizon.

A modern, blinding-white Bliss Spa, gorgeous beachfront infinity pool (where you can book a massage in an outdoor cabana), and one of the city’s hottest clubs on the 26th floor, lure the international jet set looking to relax, dine and party.

Set beside Barceloneta Beach, it’s slightly removed from the city-centre sights – a 20- to 30-minute walk.

This swanky five-star has a rarefied position on luxury shopping avenue Passeig de Gràcia, near Gaudí’s Pedrera and Casa Battlo and the city’s chicest boutiques. Contemporary styled rooms with oak floors and floor-to-ceiling windows are filled with light.

Designer Patricia Urquiola’s interiors are spectacular, from the white-and-gold atrium to the white-on-white bedrooms. The two-bedroom Penthouse Suite occupies the entire eighth floor with wrap-around terraces.

The Michelin two-starred restaurant Moments has a fantastically creative Catalan menu,  there’s an all-day brasserie or you could go for drinks and nibbles in the tranquil Mimosa Garden. The rooftop terrace, complete with plunge pool is perfect for a sunset cocktail, or dinner at Terrata,  serving inventive Peruvian.

To top it all off there’s a fabulous spa, with a lap pool and fitness centre, and the best concierge service in town.

Tucked away in a peaceful corner of Barcelona’s bustling Gothic Quarter, this luxurious, character-packed boutique hotel is perfect for romantics and lovers of old stones.

Designed by award-winning architect Rafael Moneo, the hotel combines cool contemporary looks with period features – Roman walls, medieval arches and old beams – and arguably the most comfortable beds in town.

Glossy orange trees grow in the courtyard, and there’s a delightful guests-only rooftop terrace, cocktail bar and plunge pool, a tapas bar, and an intimate, romantic restaurant.

For a hotel with only 28 rooms, the 24-hour service is remarkable, and includes a dedicated guest relations desk where staff will help you get the most out of your visit.

It’s convenient for the sights, restaurants and bars of old Barcelona, and less than a 15-minute walk to most of the others.

Design-conscious travellers on a budget delight in this centrally located hotel, which packs more sophistication than its rates might suggest.

‘Emma’ is a fictional personality – a graphic designer born and bred in the surrounding Eixample district – who epitomises the laid-back cool and slightly futuristic tastes of this jazzy bolthole.

There’s mood lighting, candy-coloured walls and attractive white modular furniture throughout; the biggest rooms, with terraces,  are up in the penthouse.

The breakfast buffet, complete with gluten-free and vegan choices, lasts until noon, so no need to get up early.

The hotel is located three minutes from the Passeig de Gracia, site of Gaudi’s Casa Battlo and the city’s most upmarket boutiques.

This exquisite hotel is just off the central Passeig de Gracia, near Gaudí’s famous La Pedrera building. Set in an elegantly converted townhouse with a secret courtyard, it oozes understated chic.

The spare, sophisticated design in muted earthy tones is a world away from cold minimalism, and the attention to small details (ridiculously comfortable beds with fine linens and Bulgari toiletries, for example) makes this hotel a real haven in the heart of the city.

Charming, personalised service from enthusiastic staff means you feel looked after; and there’s a chic little spa, offering massages and beauty treatments along with an indoor pool.

Located in the chic Eixample district, you’re close to excellent shops and restaurants, as well as the city’s finest Modernista monuments.