Barcelona seamlessly blends medieval and modern attractions, providing visitors with an array of shopping, dining, and exploration options. Discover our best hotels in Barcelona.
The city features Gaudi’s towering architecture, luxurious boutiques, and a bustling beach at the tail end of the famous Las Ramblas. Visitors can enjoy art spaces, sprawling parks, including the renowned Park Güell, and a top culinary scene, ranging from Michelin-starred restaurants to cozy tapas bars, all within two hours of the British mainland.
If you’re looking for a beautiful stay in Barcelona, you’ll love these hotels. Our top picks include the stylish East London transplant, The Hoxton, located in the trendy Poblenou neighbourhood, as well as luxurious hotels like the Nobu Hotel, featuring rooftop bars and swimming pools. We also have some affordable options on our list. Book one of these hotels for your next trip to Spain’s lively city.
1. El Palace Hotel Barcelona
For over a century, this hotel has held a prime corner location on Barcelona’s Gran Via and has retained its Baroque opulence. From the marble-columned entrance to the ornate chandeliers in the ballrooms, and the elegant Louis XVI-style furniture in the vast main hall, the former Ritz exudes grandeur. The plushly decorated bedrooms are adorned with tasseled silk curtains, marble fireplaces, traditional wood furnishings, and antiques. The hotel remains lively, offering live jazz at the cozy Bluesman Bar and outdoor films at the expansive dual-level roof terrace, which features fragrant plants, flower-covered pergolas, and burbling fountains. Notably, Amar Barcelona, which opened in April 2022, helmed by former El Bulli head chef Rafa Zafra, is already causing a stir.
2. The Hoxton, Pobelnou
Barcelona is a mecca for design enthusiasts, and The Hoxton’s latest offering is sure to pique their interest. Upon entering the open-plan bar, restaurant, and reception area, guests will be captivated by the decor, menus, and friendly staff. This is The Hoxton’s first establishment in Spain, located in Poblenou, an excellent choice for travelers looking to explore a different side of Barcelona, where locals frequent rather than crowded tourist hotspots. The rooms are typically Hoxton, featuring simple, design-focused interiors with an emphasis on textures and minimalism.
3. Kimpton Vividora Barcelona
Kimpton, a stylish hotel brand, has entered Spain with its first property located in the Gothic Quarter, a neighborhood known for its bars and boutique shops. The brand is renowned for its localized design approach and has collaborated with Barcelona interiors firm, El Equipo Creativo, to create the Vividora hotel’s unique appearance. The hotel’s contemporary design features handcrafted elements and colorful ceramic tiles that pay homage to the city’s Catalan heritage.
4. ME Barcelona
ME by Meliá, a high-end Spanish hotel chain, has recently opened a property in an exceptional location just a brief walk from Plaça de Catalunya, the city’s main square, and steps away from the luxurious shopping options along Passeig de Gràcia. The hotel exudes an artistic and cosmopolitan atmosphere, evident from the curvy metal sculpture in the reception area to the lobby lounge lined with shelves of books. The chic, modern rooms feature striking portraits of models adorning the walls and design books artfully arranged on the tables.
5. Sir Victor Barcelona
Sir Victor Barcelona represents a modern evolution of Hotel Omm, which was the city’s inaugural design hotel when it opened in 2003 and became a renowned landmark. The ambiance is characterized by a pristine, refreshing atmosphere, accompanied by a delightful patchouli fragrance. The highlight of the hotel is its rooftop bar, boasting a stunning aquamarine pool and a picturesque vista of the Casa Mila’s eccentric structures, where visitors can observe the bobbing heads of passersby.
6. Nobu Hotel Barcelona
The celebrated Japanese chef has opened his third restaurant and hotel in Spain, with plans to open a fourth in Madrid in 2023. The new establishment is located in Plaça dels Països Catalans, situated outside Sants station in northern Barcelona, which is a slightly unconventional location. While it may be a bit further from the lively Las Ramblas than one might expect, the spot is strategically placed for train travel and provides an excellent base to explore the less touristy neighborhoods of Sants and Hostafrancs, as well as the cultural attractions of Montjuic hill. Besides, the Gothic Quarter is only a 10-minute taxi ride away, making it easily accessible.
7. Barcelona Edition
The Edition hotel is a luxurious new addition to the top tier of Barcelona’s hotel scene, situated on the spacious corner between the cathedral and Santa Caterina Market. The exterior’s slate-lined facade offers a glimpse of the interior’s understated glamour, combining mid-century minimalism with daring accents. The opulent decor features a gilded baroque mirror, a Dali-designed armchair, and contemporary artwork by Eric Smith and Carlos Coronas. The property’s showstoppers include the breathtaking spiral staircase crafted from pearl-white marble, adding a touch of exquisite elegance to the space.
8. Hotel Arts Barcelona
It would be neglectful to exclude the iconic Hotel Arts from a list of Barcelona’s premier hotels. The property occupies all 43 levels of the city’s joint-tallest building, a cutting-edge structure constructed during the Olympic building boom of the 1990s. Renowned as one of the most upscale hotels in Spain, Hotel Arts attracts a clientele that includes celebrities and CEOs who opt for the breathtaking views from the duplex penthouse suites. (In 2017, Ariana Grande reserved the entire 36th floor during her stay.) Nonetheless, the hotel offers accommodations for under £200 per night, providing guests with a comfortable and pleasant experience.
9. Margot House
Nestled inconspicuously across from Casa Batlló, Gaudi’s acclaimed modernist masterpiece, is a discreet doorbell that marks the entrance to a clandestine nine-bedroom retreat. The owners, the Durany family, founders of the stylish Spanish lifestyle brand Natura, amalgamated two capacious apartments on the first floor of a residential building to form Margot, an allusion to the character in Wes Anderson’s celebrated film, The Royal Tenenbaums.
10. Hotel Brummell
Nestled in the thriving Poble Sec neighbourhood, this bold new addition to Barcelona’s hotel scene exudes a sense of assurance, blending various international influences to create a distinctive character. The property features 20 guest rooms and two exceptional penthouse suites, one boasting a spectacular view of the Montjuïc parkland and the other offering a panoramic vista of the entire city. The rooms are designed by Crick King and Tommy Tang, the innovative minds behind the Federal Café chain, who describe their elegantly eclectic style as ‘tropical modernism,’ inspired by the work of Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. The hotel’s ambiance is effortlessly refined, without feeling stuffy.
