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Catalonia’s colorful capital combines all that is most glamorous about Mediterranean cities – a relaxed pace, months of endless sunshine, unbeatable food – with culture and design. Over the last decade or so, hoteliers in Barcelona have worked hard to create unique, well-designed spaces that reflect the nature of this quirky city, often reusing historic buildings so that original features and style are preserved. The cons are thoroughly mod, however, and you can also expect high-quality fabrics, furniture, and the more personal approach to service that smaller hotels excel at. Located in popular areas such as the Gothic Quarter, Old Town and Centro, here is our selection of the best boutique hotels in Barcelona.
At a glance, the best boutique hotels in Barcelona
The bijou Hotel Bagués is housed in the former headquarters of the Bagués-Masriera jewelry store, and a forensic attention to materials and detail is evidenced throughout. The hotel embraces an intoxicating mix of styles and materials that fuse leopard skin, Venetian glass and gold plate for an overall effect that is exotic, luxurious and curiously welcoming. Reception should teach warmth and helpfulness lessons to hotel staff everywhere. There’s a rooftop pool and gym, and a small museum on the first floor displays jewelry from the original Bagués-Masriera collection.
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A delightful small hotel with only 22 rooms housed in a 17th century palazzo. The Hotel Neri may lack a pool or gym, but its location is certainly hard to fault: on a quiet side street close to the Cathedral and a range of Barri Gòtic eating and drinking options. Its terrace on an atmospheric little square and its tree-lined rooftop bar are added perks. Beautifully in keeping with the style and original features of the historic building in which it is housed, the hotel embraces an unusually bold palette for its soft furnishings and large, eye-catching artwork. Glass chandeliers and crushed velvet sofas make it elegant yet cozy at the same time.
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The hip, chic and great-value four-star hotel has retro-glam interiors by British designer Kelly Hoppen. It is well located for shopping and seeing Gaudí’s buildings. The Murmuri has a rooftop sun terrace with loungers, but for a gym or pool you’ll need to head to the nearby Hotel Majestic. The rooms are modest in size but elegant, cozy and carpeted. El Passatge is a bright and lively restaurant serving Catalan and fusion dishes at good prices. The real star of the Murmuri, however, is the stunning ground-floor cocktail bar Marfil, popular with locals and hotel guests alike.
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The extravagant facade dotted with eyes on stalks and the all-black lobby suggest something more avant-garde than the real thing, which is an elegant yet understated five-star hotel. The Ohla offers all the modern comforts, along with many luxuries, such as a glass-walled rooftop plunge pool. The hotel puts you right in the heart of the action on busy Via Laietana, the de facto border between the medieval Barri Gòtic and Born areas. Standard rooms have large rainfall showers and luxe touches like a pillow menu and linens. Don’t miss a meal at Caelis for modern and creative takes on both French and Catalan classics.
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You’ll struggle to find a hotel much more centrally located than the Pulitzer, right next to Plaça Catalunya. Exuding a vibrant coolness, this is where the revelers stay, which isn’t to say you can’t have a perfectly peaceful time. The lobby sets the tone with its white leather sofas and zebra-print carpets. The rooftop bar is the real highlight, with its glamorous clientele and Café del Mar vibe. Wood, leather and satin dominate the chic but modestly sized bedrooms, while the bathrooms are tiled in dark marble.
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A creatively reworked 1920s property in an atmospheric area, between the Gothic and Born districts and just opposite the cathedral. The hotel exudes Art Deco grandeur, from its elegant facade to its elegant fonts. There’s a spa and ground-floor gallery highlighting the work of emerging artists, but the rooftop infinity pool steals the show. The rooms have high ceilings and Nespresso coffee machines. Go to the City Bar & Restaurant; the former offers a relaxed cocktail bar with DJs and occasional live music, while the latter serves up a range of tasty and unexpected dishes in stylish, elegant surroundings.
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España is a much-loved Barcelona institution, having started out as an inn for travelers in the 19th century. Recent additions include a sundeck and cocktail bar on the upper deck, which sometimes hosts live music or DJs. Rooms are quite small unless you want a Boutique Room with a terrace (ask for one on the fifth floor for a view of the nearby church), but such is the price to pay for sleeping in a sensitively converted historic building. It’s worth eating at Fonda España for the gorgeous modernist mosaics alone, but if you like traditional Catalan dishes, you’ll love the food too.
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The Serras is sunny, welcoming and extremely comfortable. Its rooftop bar and pool area, overlooking the harbour, is worth a visit even for non-guests. A relatively understated design by renowned designer Eva Martínez is never less than tasteful, with a white and chocolate theme in the bedrooms, nods to traditional Barcelona tiling on the oversized headboards, and ocher and gray crushed velvet in the common areas. Standard Rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, balconies, and beds with mattresses by appointment to Queen Elizabeth II, no less. The in-house restaurant, Informal, is overseen by Marc Gascons, who has a Michelin star at his restaurant near Girona.
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One of the nicer hotels in its price range, the Villa Emilia isn’t particularly central (it’s located in Eixample, just off Gran Via) but it’s conveniently close to various public transportation options. The shaded roof terrace is a delight and hosts barbecues on Thursday evenings. Downstairs, Zinc Bar has a pianist on busy nights. Afternoon tea is served (free of charge) at 5.00pm daily. The rooms are comfortable and well designed for this price, decked out in autumnal hues, with ethnic artwork above the beds. The staff go above and beyond to keep guests happy.
Frequent questions
Which boutique hotels in Barcelona have nice views?
The Grand Hotel Central offers spectacular views from the 10-metre rooftop infinity pool. The rooftop Skybar is open from April to October. Even the gym here has a great view. The rooftop bar and pool area of the Serras Hotel overlook the yachts moored in the marina, as do some rooms. The superior rooms of the Hotel Bagués overlook La Rambla or the Church of Betlem. At Hotel España, ask for a Boutique room on the fifth floor to see the nearby church from your terrace.
What is the difference between a boutique hotel and a hotel?
Intimate rather than grand, a boutique hotel has a limited number of rooms, each with a unique interior. Borrowed from the French word for a small shop, the “boutique” hotel emerged in the 1980s as an antidote to the big chain hotel. They tend to be independent and personally managed rather than members of a multinational group.
