Hotels in Barcelona
April 21, 2021A General Accommodation Guide
The Hotels In Barcelona section of the website, to my surprise, is developing into a major project, principally because choice of accommodation is one of the major reasons why a holiday or city break is a success or not.
The degree of comfort and hotel installations normally correlate pretty closely with price and, in this age of Internet reviews, a hotel doesn’t last very long if it overcharges for a poor service.
So, although as Barcelonas.com grows, I’m personally visiting an increasing number of hotels in Barcelona, telling you how well the air-conditioning works or what brand of cornflakes you get for breakfast is not really my priority.
Obviously, I can give personal opinions on decor, views and the architecture of the building in which the hotel is housed, but the main way I can help visitors to Barcelona choose their accommodation is by discussing location.
You’ll find that most of the hotel offer is located in the two city centre districts of Ciutat Vella, which is the Old City and includes the famous Gothic Quarter, and the Eixample, with its broad avenues and Modernista buildings.
However, both districts are large and diverse and in Ciutat Vella, for example, there are areas that are not particularly safe at night whilst in the Eixample, a hotel might advertise itself as being in Barcelona City Centre and be located in a rather dead neighbourhood.
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Where to Stay
In my opinion, the best areas for most first time visitors to Barcelona are the Barri Gòtic between The Ramblas and Via Laietana in Ciutat Vella and an area known as the Dreta de l’Eixample to the right of the famous Passeig de Gràcia in the Eixample.
Having said that there are other really cool neighbourhoods that are within walking distance of the major sights but a little off the main tourist tracks where you will get a slightly different perspective on Barcelona.
Furthermore, with such a good transport system, Barcelona is an easy city to get about so you shouldn’t write off staying in one of the outlying neighbourhoods.
Similarly, you may have a specific reason for visiting Barcelona, such as business or to attend a sporting event and I consider these factors in my Where To Stay In Barcelona article.
Barcelona Luxury Hotels
Contradicting what I said earlier about location, this article covers the six of the most luxurious hotels in Barcelona, which are located in Ciutat Vella, the Eixample, Gràcia and Tibidabo.
They are all 5 Star Hotels and have the letters GL meaning Gran Luxe or Great Luxury in their names, so they are all rather special and at the same time iconic Barcelona Hotels.
These hotels are all aimed at the top end of the market so are out of many people’s price range.
However, most also have excellent restaurants and may also have cocktail bars or rooftop terraces that offer live music and are open to the general public.
The photo shows the Salon Cugat at Hotel Palace GL – one of Barcelona’s most traditional and classic hotels – but please bear in mind that there are also more modern 5 Stars to choose from as well.
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Barri Gòtic Hotels
The Barri Gòtic is one of the most densely packed neighbourhoods for Hotels in Barcelona and offers a great choice of accommodation.
The authentic Gothic Quarter experience is to be had on the streets off the top of The Ramblas, close to Plaça del Pi or around the Cathedral.
I also really like the area around Jaume I metro station and the port neighbourhood particularly close to Plaça Duc de Medinaceli, although lovely, has more of a seafront than a Gothic atmosphere.
Most parts are fine but the area just below Plaça Reial where Carrer Escudellers meets Carrer Avinyó can be a bit dangerous at night.
However, if you are young, fearless and looking for a cheap hotel this could be your perfect spot.
The photo shows the marvellous El Jardí Hostal on Plaça del Pi – a great example of reasonably priced accommodation in a fantastic location.
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Barcelona Airport Hotels
Just like in any other major city, the area close to Barcelona Airport is not known for its stunning beauty so booking an airport hotel is really only recommended for overnight stays and business visitors.
In fact, there are only two aiport hotels proper, Air Rooms, which is shown in the picture, is located actually inside Terminal 1 and Tryp Barcelona Aeropuerto is about a kilometre away.
All the rest are within 3-5 km of Barcelona Airport.either in the nearby towns of El Prat, Viladecans and Gavà or on the Barcelona side of the airport in an industrial area known as Zona Franca.
If you are staying for more than a couple of nights, though, I would recommend booking a hotel in Barcelona itself and using the excellent public transport or if you have to be to the south of the city, you can always stay in Castelldefels and hire a care.
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Camp Nou Hotels
In much the same way as with the airport hotels, if you are coming to watch FC Barcelona play in La Liga or Champions League, you should definitely consider staying in Barcelona City Centre and travelling to the game by metro.
Located in Les Corts District, the area around Camp Nou has a lot going for it though, and I particularly like the bars around Collblanc metro station for pre and post match beers.
You’ll find plenty of budget accommodation options as well as a couple of Barcelona’s most luxurious and iconic hotels in the Rey Juan Carlos I and Hotel Princesa Sofia, which is shown in the picture.
All of the hotels covered here are located within 1 kilometre of Camp Nou so if you have too much beer in Collblanc or too much champagne in the restaurants along Diagonal, the comfort of your room will only be a short walk away.
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Barcelona City Centre Hotels
You shouldn’t always believe what you read, particularly when a hotel claims to be right in Barcelona City Centre, because the truth is the city centre comprises the area within a 500-metre radius of Plaça Catalunya.
Few of the hotels listed here are actually on the Plaça itself but in most cases, you can see the square if you have a room looking out onto the street.
All off the hotels on Carrer Bergara would make an excellent choice, because the street runs of Plaça Catalunya, which means that the location is incredibly central but but also vey tranquil.
The photo shows the lovely 4 Star Avenida Palace, which is set just a short walk from the square on Gran Via and in my opinion, is one of the classiest establishments in town.
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Barceloneta Beach Hotels
There are only three hotels in La Barceloneta, but the iconic W Hotel, shown in the picture, is amongst the most luxurious hotels in Barcelona.
The Pullman Skipper is another 5 Star but suffers in comparison to W Hotel whilst Hotel 54 is an extremely attractive 3 Star.
The truth is that most of the accomodation offer close to the beach is made up of very reasonably priced hostels and you’ll also find a good choice of apartment rentals in the old fishing district.
Whatever your final choice, the cheap restaurants and bars and the chance of combining a beach holiday with city sightseeing make La Barceloneta a really great place to stay.
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Raval Hotels
El Raval is on your right as you walk down the Ramblas and used to be Barcelona’s Red Light District.
Although the gentrification process has begun, it still retains a funky atmosphere and an edge to it..
There really are some great hotels, particularly on the streets that branch off The Ramblas, such as Hospital, Sant Pau and Nou de la Rambla.
The marvel you see in the picture is Hotel España with modernista interiors by Domènech i Montaner to boot!
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Barcelona Ramblas Hotels
There is a magnificent selection of hotels actually on The Ramblas itself, as well as on the surrounding streets.
If you really want to be in the centre of things, you should book accommodation in the central section around Plaça Reial – Rambla de Sant Josep and Rambla de les Caputxins.
It’s pleasing to see a wide array ranging from 1-Star Hostels right up to the top-notch Hotel 1898, which you can see in the photo and although only a 4 Star just oozes class.
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