Barcelona hotels

The first things I look for when booking a luxury hotel are superb service, along with comfort, privacy, and beautiful design. If your perfect stay also includes an address in a charming medieval neighborhood within stumbling distance of all the city has to offer, and a restaurant serving local delicacies, then the Barcelona EDITION is the hotel for you.
Set in the ultra-hip El Born district with sweeping views of the old town and the undulating technicolor roof of next-door Santa Caterina market, this location is hard to beat. Better still, it serves my favorite espresso martini – order it on the rooftop bar at sunset and watch the sky turn pink.

This classic grand dame is more than just a pretty face. Originally opened as the Ritz of Barcelona, El Palace has maintained its sumptuously classic feel while continuing to deliver some of the best service in town.
The modern-day hotel has everything from a jasmine-lined rooftop – complete with a bar, restaurant, pool, and seasonal open-air cinema – to a seafood-forward fine dining spot and one of the city’s sultriest cocktail bars. A rather excellent afternoon tea is also served in the great hall.
If budget is not an issue, book one of the six Art Suites, each of which has been inspired by one of the hotel’s most illustrious guests, from artists like Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró to Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood. I love the Joséphine Baker Suite, with its elegant, feminine décor reminiscent of a French château.

If discreet boutique hotels in historic settings are your thing, look no further than The Serras. Set on the edge of the Gothic Quarter in a residential building from 1846, this was once the address of a struggling 15-year-old artist who rented his first studio in the attic. The artist in question was none other than Pablo Picasso.
These days, there are fewer impoverished painters at The Serras, which has been meticulously transformed into one of the best boutique hotels in Barcelona. It features a modern Catalan restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Marc Gascons – I dare say his patatas bravas are the best in town – and one of the city’s dreamiest rooftops with views of the old port.
Meanwhile, Picasso’s legacy lives on – you will find his portrait outside the elevators on the top floor, just down the corridor from where he painted some of his earliest works.

When you want to make the most of your time in Barcelona, chances are you’re looking to stay somewhere that looks like a million dollars without spending an arm and a leg. Few hotels can compete with Seventy Barcelona for striking that all-important balance between price and quality.
Consistently ranked as one of the top-rated hotels in Barcelona, the lobby is a design lover’s dream, with its floor-to-ceiling bookcases, plush sofas, leather armchairs, and a hip-looking bar that leads through to a leafy patio restaurant. Upstairs, the spacious rooms offer an unfussy, minimalist design.
But nothing beats the location, set less than two blocks from Passeig de Gràcia, home to two of Gaudí’s most famous buildings and more swanky boutiques than you can shake a designer purse at. You’ll even find one of my favorite tapas bars, Bar Mut, on the same block (order the lobster in brandy – it’s a winner!).

Here’s a fun fact that will make you question your existence: Barcelona, with its endless sunshine and more than two miles of sandy beaches, has only three luxury beachfront hotels. Sofitel Barcelona Skipper is the latest one to open and, while it may not be as flashy as some of its neighbors, it makes up for it with its brand spanking newness.
Fully renovated and reopened under the Sofitel brand in 2022, the shiny common areas ooze understated elegance, while the rooms are both tech-fitted and comfy. Spacious and not too pricey, I’d recommend booking the Premium Ocean View rooms, with their private balconies and views of the Med. The hotel also has two large swimming pools, a rooftop bar, a tapas restaurant, and a well-appointed gym.

If sampling delicious food is a priority when traveling, then look no further than Monument Hotel. With four Michelin stars under its roof, it is not only one of the best luxury hotels in Barcelona but arguably the city’s most gourmet stay. Apart from three-star Michelin Lasarte and one-star Michelin Oria, Monument also has a stunning rooftop where you can enjoy breakfast and weekend brunches al fresco.
But that’s not all. Set in an exquisitely renovated pre-modernist 19th-century mansion in Barcelona’s iconic Passeig de Gràcia, Monument is about as elegant as it gets. Every detail in the rooms is designed to maximize comfort: from the plush beds with goose-down comforters to the lush bathroom amenities from Diptyque, not to mention the mini-bar stocked with complimentary snacks. I loved my recent stay in one of the Paseo De Gracia suites, with its balcony overlooking the legendary boulevard outside.

Satisfy your medieval yearnings at Hotel Neri, the first boutique hotel to open in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter. Arriving in the trendy lobby, you would never guess that it has already been open for two decades, but then twenty years is almost nothing for a building that began its life as a medieval castle.
Since then, it has been through countless iterations, most recently transforming into what is arguably Barcelona’s most romantic boutique hideaway. This beautifully restored hotel is one to book for a honeymoon or secret getaway, with its setting in one of Barcelona’s most historic squares and its quiet corners designed for intimate moments.
The Roba Estesa rooftop is one of my favorite hidden gems in the city: a plant-filled oasis reserved exclusively for hotel guests. With a bit of luck, you might just get to spend the perfect night alone up there under the stars.

Since Mandarin Oriental Barcelona opened in 2009, it has consistently ranked among the best luxury hotels in Barcelona – and in Spain. As soon as you cross the threshold into the cool lobby, with its muted beige and blue color scheme, the hustle and bustle of the world outside seems to dissolve.
Mandarin Oriental is like an oasis of calm, all the way from the basement spa through the ground-floor Blanc restaurant, the lobby, and the superb two-star Michelin Moments restaurant – helmed by Carme Ruscalleda (formerly the world’s most-starred female chef) – to the tasteful guest rooms.
At the very top of the building, there’s a rooftop with jaw-dropping views and seasonal restaurant by Peruvian super-chef Gastón Acurio. All guests are invariably happy here, and I suspect it may have something to do with the staff, who are on hand to discreetly handle any situation that arises – no matter how delicate.

Every neighborhood wishes it had its own Hotel Brummell: that tiny boutique retreat that you stop into for a specialty café con leche on the weekend, taking a seat on the secret plant-filled patio to sip it while reading the Sunday papers.
For the lucky few who manage to snag one of only 20 rooms in this off-the-beaten-track hideaway in one of my favorite neighborhoods, Poble Sec, there’s plenty to write home about. Choose from free yoga classes, walking tours, bike rentals, a store selling local designs, or the dry sauna for cooler winter days.
The Poolside Standard and Mountain Deluxe rooms offer excellent value, but if your budget stretches a little further, don’t hesitate to book one of the two Penthouses that come with an outdoor bathtub and lush private terrace.

Ask a local for the best boutique hotels in Barcelona and Casa Bonay will invariably get a mention. Why? Because it has succeeded in doing what so many other hotels set out to do (but seldom succeed) – namely, to establish itself as a meeting point not only for discerning travelers but also for trendy local people.
The building itself is a sight for sore eyes: dating from 1856, it has been thoughtfully restored to emphasize the original details typical of the late-19th century Catalan Moderniste – or Art Nouveau – design movement, from the arched doorways to the colorful geometric floor tiles.
Libertine cocktail bar and Bodega Bonay tapas restaurant are two of the hottest hangouts in town, so be sure to book your table early to avoid disappointment. I always order Bodega Bonay’s tatin-style pastry, made with either tomato or eggplant – a decadent savory treat!