Best Luxury Hotels in Ciutat Vella

The W Barcelona’s spinnaker-shaped tower sits where Barcelona gives way to the sea at the end of Barceloneta beach and, along with the Sagrada Familia, it’s one of the city’s most recognisable silhouettes. 473 rooms and suites all offer uninterrupted views across Barcelona’s skyline or the open sea, while the facilities are a resort in themselves: ranging from the WET Deck with multiple pools and terraces, Salt Beach Club, to its vast AWAY Spa complex. Dining runs from Noxe, the 26th-floor Japanese restaurant and sky bar, to the Peruvian COYA and the grill cooking at Fire. For beachfront presence and that unmistakable shape on the skyline, little else in the city competes.

Few Barcelona hotels are works of art in themselves, but Hotel España Ocean Drive is exactly that. Opened as the Fonda España in 1859 and transformed at the turn of the century by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, a father of Catalan modernisme, it sits a minute from La Rambla in the heart of the Raval. Now, within the Ibiza-born OD Hotels portfolio, interiors have been carefully renovated by designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán, and inspired by Art Nouveau, showcasing modernista details of the property. The best of the 82 rooms open onto private terraces with skyline views. The soul of the place is comfort, art, and music, with a library of the figures who shaped Barcelona and a vinyl corner of vintage records, fitting with the Liceu theatre as a neighbour. Breakfast is taken beneath Ramon Casas’ murals in the Sirens Lounge, and dinner is at Fonda España, where Martín Berasategui, the most Michelin-decorated chef in Spain, guides honest Catalan cooking. Evenings are savoured at the Dorita cocktail bar and at the rooftop OD Sky Bar, open to the whole city, not only to guests. True to what OD calls its ‘neighbourmood’, this is a hotel where locals and visitors share the best of Barcelona.

Part of the Ritz Carlton group, the Hotel Arts Barcelona is one of the city’s original luxury hotels, mixing tradition luxury service with minimalist aesthetics. The iconic building was designed by architects Bruce Graham and Miguel Ruano, originally for the Olympic Games. Providing outstanding views out to sea and across the city, its location on the seafront is ideal for those seeking to fuse a city and beach break (you will need to take a taxi into the city centre). A great swimming pool, 483 rooms spread over 44 impressive stories, 5 restaurants (from bistro to two Michelin-starred Enoteca) and impeccable service place this hotel at the premium end of the contemporary luxury scale.

With its own unique cabaret supper club, signature restaurant Bar Veraz, rooftop bar and bespoke cocktail bar the Punch Room, you don’t need to step out fo the front doors to experience a fantastic night out. Found on the edge of the El Born district, this 100 room boutique hotel with gym and saltwater pool is just steps away from the Santa Caterina market. Bedrooms are adorned in walnut panelling – echoing the traditional city shutters – and feature imported Anichini linens and Spanish leather headboards following a complete metamorphosis by Carlos Ferrater Studio.

The Mercer Barcelona is an oasis of calm in the heart of the Gothic quarter of Barcelona. It’s housed in a building with architectural styles ranging from Roman times to the present day and finished with contemporary sympathetic features. Two restaurants and a rooftop plunge pool make this a perfect hotel for a weekend shopping and sightseeing break. Service is unpretentious and polished and rooms are set around a quiet breakfast patio.

Offering understated luxury, the Ohla Hotel is located on the busy Via Laietana, the border between Barri Gòtic and Born areas. The style here is hip, smart and chic, inviting to both holidaymakers and young professionals visiting for business. Games consoles, massages and round-the-clock room service are all part of the appeal at this 74-room boutique hotel. The awe-inspiring glass-sided rooftop pool is the perfect place to unwind before enjoying a refined dinner at the Michelin-starred Caelis restaurant or sampling a sensory journey of different culinary traditions in the form of tapas and small plates to share at La Plassohla – both led by Chef Romain Fornell.

The Serras is what luxury boutique hotels are made of. It is a jewel that is carefully tucked away in Barcelona with stunning views of Port Vell. The rooftop has a cocktail pool and a sitting area that affords guests gorgeous sights. There are sunbeds around the swimming pool where you can lie and soak in the sun. At night, you can sip cocktails at the bar as you watch the hotel’s Michelin-Star chef prepare different delicacies. On weekends, the bar has live DJ sessions to change things up. At The Serras Barcelona, you get to appreciate the lively neighbourhood of the El Born district and the Gothic Quarter.

The Kimpton Vividora Barcelona combines contemporary design with plenty of local personality in Barcelona’s historic Gothic Quarter. This 5-star boutique hotel features stylish rooms, Spa de Vivi wellness treatments, a rooftop pool and bar with city views, Mediterranean Catalan dining at Fauna restaurant, and local vibes at GOT Coffee & Cocktails lobby bar that serves morning coffee and evening drinks, as well as hosting a social hour for guests with complimentary wines. Located steps from the Metropolitan Cathedral and City Hall, the pet-friendly Kimpton Vivadora Barcelona immerses guests within modern vibrancy of Barcelona.