Where to stay in Barcelona

The hotel boom in Barcelona has been going on unabated for almost twenty years now. New, state-of-the-art hotels have been opened in a wide price range in centrally located period buildings. Hotels near the sea have also increased and new top-class establishments have sprung up in strategic points of the city.

The city thus offers hundreds of hotels of all categories and various other types of accommodation, including numerous hostels suitable for young people, who come to Barcelona from all over the world. An interesting alternative are also the pensiones and hostales, small family-run establishments, often converted from large flats.

It is necessary to keep an eye on quality, as some establishments are dilapidated, while others have a barely decent standard.

Barrio Gotico and La Rambla

The Barrio Gotico is a maze of narrow streets lined with small shops, antique dealers, traditional bars; the pointed spire of the Cathedral, a magnificent church dedicated to Saint Eulalia, towers over the sky in this characteristic neighbourhood.

Numerous hotels and guesthouses can be found in this area, some of them, however, very low standard. Carrer de Ferran is home to some very popular hotels, but many are noisy and overcrowded, due to the many pubs in this area. You need to choose carefully to find pleasant establishments in this area.

El Raval

Once a run-down neighbourhood with a bad reputation, it is now the trendy district, full of artists’ galleries, trendy clubs and ethnic restaurants. It is home to the MACBA, a contemporary art museum that started the redevelopment of the area. It is the most alternative area of the old city and there are all sorts of accommodation options around here, from designer hotels to budget hotels and hostels.

Eixample

This is perhaps the area where the largest number of hotels, of all categories, are concentrated. Some of Barcelona’s best-known hotels can be found on these avenues, as well as a long list of mid-range accommodation.

Gràcia

This is a district little frequented by tourists, who are usually just passing through to visit Park Guell, but it is very popular with Barcelonans for its shopping and restaurants. Finding accommodation here means avoiding the less-travelled areas and getting to know a more authentic side of the city. All the places to visit are, however, easily accessible by metro.

La Ribera

A mixture of old-world atmospheres, with characteristic buildings, churches, streets, and modern rhythms, with a concentration of clubs that makes it one of the most popular areas for young people in the city. On the edge of the lively area of El Born are a number of interesting hotels. Along Via Laietana, some very innovative high-class hotels have sprung up.

Port Vell and La Barceloneta

This is the area of noisy hostels for young people, but there are also some of the city’s best-known five-star hotels.

Port Olìmpic, El Poblenou and El Fòrum

The hotels in this area cater mainly to business travellers or, at any rate, to those who want to secure luxury accommodation and total comfort, sparing no expense.