These hotels in Barcelona are perfect for a sunny city break
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These hotels in Barcelona are perfect for a sunny city break
High culture, a beach and the perfect climate – Spain’s coolest city is the dream mini-break destination, especially if you check in to one of the best hotels in Barcelona.
Up there with chic Parisian hotels and the best hotels in Rome, Barcelona's most stylish hotels provide the perfect base for a city break packed with amazing food, art and shopping.
Culture lovers to Barcelona will enjoy a Picasso pilgrimage – there’s a museum dedicated to the artist, who spent his formative years here. Other highlights include the famously unfinished Gaudi masterpiece, the art nouveau La Sagrada Familia; and the architect’s equally impressive work Park Güell.
Hang out with the cool kids in El Born, Barcelona’s hippest hotspot, or while away your days in the Gothic Quarter, both of which have narrow medieval lanes that are now lined with lively places to eat and drink.
Many of the best hotels in Barcelona have a rooftop to help you keep cool in the heat – among our favourites are those at the city’s Mandarin Oriental outpost and at Grand Hotel Central.
We’re also fans of the dark and decadent Wittmore, which feels like a stylish speakeasy; and the classic El Palace, where a new restaurant has opened this summer.
Here’s our pick of the most stylish hotels in Barcelona…
© Grand Hotel Central - 2/11
1) Hotel Pultizer
Close to Plaza Catalunya, the Pulitzer is a sociable sort – the lobby is enjoyed by locals and tourists alike, and there’s a leafy patio and a rooftop terrace with regular concerts and live DJs. When you’re ready to venture out (it may be a while), you’ll be close to all of the city’s main attractions and best shopping areas.
At the Greenhouse restaurant, seasonal vegetables take centre-stage, with seafood delivered daily from the fish market and locally sourced meat accompanying them.
Courtesy of the hotel - 3/11
2) Mandarin Oriental
If you’re in search of a luxury Barcelona hotel, look no further than the city’s Mandarin Oriental, which lives up to its siblings all over the world. The cool corridors are pumped with fragrance, so the minute you are ushered in to the hotel from the sweltering streets outside, you’re already in air-conditioned scented heaven.
The interiors were designed by Patricia Urquiola, who transformed the grand former bank on the Passeig de Gràcia with her signature contemporary style.
Courtesy of the hotel - 4/11
3) Grand Hotel Central
Every Barcelona hotel worth its salt needs a rooftop pool and the one at Grand Hotel Central is possibly the greatest spot to cool off in the entire Catalan city, largely due to its incredible views (as well as the tapas and cocktails). The hotel itself has the ideal location, right on the edge of the Gothic Quarter in El Born, and within a 20-minute walk of the beach.
The interiors are true to the hotel’s name, with grand neoclassical columns, copper doors and a stately entrance hall with a sweeping staircase.
Courtesy of the hotel - 5/11
4) Casa Bonay
This boutique hotel in Barcelona is one for the hipsters: there’s a rooftop terrace for DJ sets and film nights, and lots of places to sit with your laptop. It’s a block from the leafy Passeig de Sant Joan, which has lots of bars and places for brunch, and a 10-minute walk from El Born.
Casa Bonay’s Libertine bar is the place to be from breakfast until beer o’clock, with coffee and tapas to keep you going in between. There are also various independently run outlets within the hotel, including the Asian fusion restaurant King Kong Lady and a coffee shop.
Courtesy of the hotel - 6/11
5) Serras
Serras is in the Gothic Quarter and a short walk to the beach. The decor includes high ceilings, lots of industrial accents and plenty of furniture inviting you to lounge around. Up on the roof, you’ll find a cocktail bar with fairy lights, a plunge pool, views of the marina and regular DJ sets.
The hotel also has a Michelin-starred restaurant, which celebrates Catalan produce. It’s in a grand building that dates back to 1846 and the very spot where Picasso had his first studio.
Courtesy of the hotel - 7/11
6) Majestic Hotel & Spa
A Barcelona landmark for the past 100 years, the Majestic Hotel & Spa on the Passeig de Gràcia opened in 1918. You’ll be able to admire many of the city’s sights from the comfort of the rooftop, which has a pool. At the peaceful, pine-covered spa on the 10th floor, the hydrotherapy circuit will fix any limbs defeated by too much sightseeing.
Be sure to leave enough time to tackle breakfast, which stars one of the most elaborate spreads ever.
Courtesy of the hotel - 8/11
7) Almanac
Steps from the Passeig de Grácia (and all of its shopping potential) in the Eixample district, Almanac is the downtown destination for design lovers, who will appreciate its coral-coloured sofas, slick wood-panelled walls and glass bannisters especially.
The rooms have free minibars and bathrooms made using marble from Ibiza. Up on the roof, craft cocktails, red and white striped seats, refreshing dips in the pool and an unforgettable Catalan sunset await.
Courtesy of the hotel - 9/11
8) El Palace
One of the most famous (and oldest) hotels in Barcelona, El Palace has been welcoming guests for a century now. Dalí and his wife Gala lived in the Royal Suite, and the French dancer Josephine Baker also stayed here. Freddie Mercury once played the piano in the main hall, and other esteemed former visitors include Maria Callas, Enrique Iglesias and Frank Sinatra.
This year, it has opened a new restaurant: Amar has been created with a former El Bulli chef, with Mediterranean fine-dining in the form of oysters, caviar and classic Catalan dishes.
Courtesy of the hotel - 10/11
9) Wittmore
Anyone who enjoys the thrill of the chase will love the speakeasy style of Wittmore, hidden behind a black door (if that isn’t giving too much away) at the end of an alleyway in the Gothic Quarter.
The fun-loving hotel has a leafy patio, a sun deck with a plunge pool and a landmark-filled view, and lively aperitivo hours. The interiors have a decadent, members’-club feel, with velvet armchairs, patterned wallpaper and tartan fabrics.
Courtesy of the hotel - 11/11
10) Ohla Barcelona
Ohla has everything you could possibly need from a Barcelona hotel, whether that’s flowing plates of tapas, a pool on the rooftop or artistic interiors. The historic building was once a department store and the original neoclassical façade is still intact, only now with the quirky addition of a thousand ceramic eyes as part of the playful redesign.
Along with Michelin-starred meals at Caelis, guests can admire the cathedral over cocktails and swims on the rooftop.
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