Recently, it feels like everyone I know is heading to Barcelona. Of course, as a major global metropolis, it’s hardly an under-the-radar destination—but my suspicions were confirmed by the fact that tourism was up 24% in 2023 over the previous year. It makes sense. With its fascinating history, plentiful museums, world-class shopping, incredible food—plus a growing natural wine scene—it’s easy to forget that Barcelona is also right by the beach. It’s the perfect place to go when you can’t decide what kind of trip you fancy. The same goes for its architecture, which ranges from the Gothic to Art Nouveau to sleek modernism, here, you can have a bit of everything.
When it comes to picking where to stay, you’ll have to be a bit more decisive. So here, find our pick of the best hotels in Barcelona—from intimate boutiques, to contemporary luxury, to classic Catalan glamour.
Courtesy of El Palace Hotel Barcelona
El Palace is the pinnacle of old Barcelona glamour. The 103-year-old hotel, formerly the Ritz, is in the very center of the city in the historic Eixample district, making it a stone’s throw away from every major shopping and tourist destination. With its antique furnishings, hand-painted wallpaper, and sumptuous velvet seating, the hotel’s lobby is the absolute height of decadence—and that only gives way to rooms and suites all named after icons who have called the hotel home, like Josephine Baker, Salvador Dalí, and Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones, who even designed the suite that bears his name.
The roof has an informal restaurant, pool, and an al fresco cinema playing classic films at night for a perfect way to end your evening, while downstairs you’ll find Amar, a restaurant from the former head chef at El Bulli, Rafael Zafra, serving fish dishes inspired by his love for the sea. To further channel the hotel’s old-world charm, guests can visit the Bluesman Cocktail Bar and enjoy a jazz performance and a cigar. But if the swinging jazz scene isn’t for you, ElL Palace is also a perfect place to relax: the rooms feature opulent marbled Roman baths, and if that’s not enough, the Mayan luxury spa has a temazcal sauna which they say is a “pre-Hispanic spa, using volcanic rocks and medicinal herbs to cleanse and restore your mind body and soul.” —Zoe Dubno
Amenities: Restaurants, cocktail bar, fitness center, rooftop pool and cinema, spa