Best Urban Hotels in Spain

Walking distance from the railway station, a couple of nice beaches and beside the port, Casa Alberola Alicante is found within a pretty neo-classical building with wrought-iron balconies. Inside, the decor is modern – in keeping with the Hilton style – but with hints of art deco style. Catering to adults only, rooms here come with crisp white bedding, padded velvet headboards and parquet floors – some have freestanding bathtubs and sea views too. Its restaurant, Blacky, serves Mediterranean-meets-Chilean cuisine and there’s a buzzing bar for a post-dinner drink.

AC Hotel Cartagena, located in the historic port city of Cartagena in the Murcia region, offers contemporary accommodation in a convenient city-centre setting. With 107 guest rooms and suites. The design is minimalistic, with neutral tones, clean lines, and large windows allowing natural light to flow through.

Guests can enjoy Mediterranean cuisine and light bites at the hotel’s restaurant and bar, which serves both local specialities and international dishes. A wellness area with a sauna provides a space for relaxation, while a well-equipped fitness centre is available for those who wish to maintain their exercise routine during their stay. The property also offers an outdoor pool, ideal for cooling off in the Spanish sun.

Positioned near Cartagena’s historic attractions, like the Roman Theatre and city walls, the hotel caters to both leisure and business travellers.

Once a church, convent and private residence, this 400-year-old building (known locally as the Convento de las Oblatas) remains unchanged from the outside. When sold in 1996, it became the first five-star hotel in the city. What used to be an orchard has been re-invented as a lovely garden. The church area is now the venue’s gourmet restaurant, Villena, run by chef Rubén Arnanz and serving locally influenced dishes, created using award-winning techniques. Additionally, Áurea Convento Capuchinos offers a spa with a jetted pool, a sauna, a Turkish bath and relaxation areas added to create a wellness retreat within its grounds.

Following a meticulous two-year restoration, Madrid’s iconic landmark returns with a refined identity as The Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Madrid. Situated in Barrio de las Letras within the UNESCO-listed Paisaje de la Luz, the hotel is surrounded by cultural treasures like the Prado and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museums. The historic 1912 façade has been restored, along with its signature stained-glass dome and iconic glass palm tree chandelier. Interiors by Lázaro Rosa-Violán fuse classic grandeur with modern sophistication, drawing inspiration from past guests such as Picasso, Dalí, and Hemingway. The 470 redesigned rooms and suites feature hand-painted wallpapers, mid-century chandeliers, and a residential elegance. The hotel’s culinary offering includes La Cúpula, a stylish all-day dining venue, and 27 Club, a reimagined cocktail bar paying homage to the Generation of ’27 poets. Now part of The Luxury Collection, The Palace invites travellers to experience Madrid’s heritage through a lens of contemporary luxury.

Next to the historic centre and an easy stroll to the beach, this hotel brings together classic and contemporary design. Every room at the NH Collection comes with a hydro-massage bath and a minibar, with spacious family suites available. Dinner at the hotel can be taken at La Terraza, accompanied by stunning views and live music, or at the Novo Restaurant, both offering vegetarian and child-friendly dishes. Guests staying here have access to multiple pools, a gym and sports courts and you can bring your pooch along for the stay too, with NH’s accommodating pet policy.

Elke Spa Hotel is found in Sant Feliu de Guixols, just over 10 minutes walk from the Cala del Vigatà Beach. It has 66 forms of accommodation each with minibars and huge flat-screen TVs. The rooftop wellness area offers a hammam, a sauna and a hot tub, as well as a large range of treatments. Guests can swim and sun themselves outside on the sleek terrace and dine in one of the two sophisticated restaurants. An indoor soft play area, mini club, games and babysitting services makes it ideal for those travelling with very young children.

Embodying the elegance of Seville past and present, the impeccable, Casa Palacio Don Ramón 5* GL, Seville takes a city hotel stay in Southern Spain to new heights of ultra-luxury. A hotel has emerged that celebrates Seville’s refined approach to life, the Hotel Casa Palacio Don Ramón 5* GL, a property that should be at the top of your list if you’re looking for a sophisticated experience. Casa Palacio Don Ramón focuses on the finer things in life, the comforts of a noble house, where you can indulge with a cocktail or two, dine well, relax in elegant surroundings, and retire to a fabulous room. There’s also a delightful roof terrace with bar and pool for those sultry Seville days when really you just want to sip a chilled manzanilla and snooze in the sun. Here the accommodation is truly luxurious. Attention to detail is everywhere. Bespoke wallcoverings, handmade carpets, custom furniture, and lighting as well as curated art and book collections make for a sophisticated experience. Then wake up to one of the most elegant breakfasts in the city, with table service. Each item is brought to the table, so you don’t have to lift a finger, just relish a leisurely start your day in the capital.

Perhaps one of Malaga’s most revered boutique hotels; the Palacio Solecio was once the former residence of distinguished public figures. The 18th Century Andalusian Palace has been carefully renovated and is very much in keeping with its original architectural and artistic style. Centrally located in the unique Calle Granada, in the old Jewish quarter, the Palacio Solecio boasts a selection of elegant and inviting rooms ranging from bright and airy doubles through to The Tower – a secluded and intimate room with access to a private rooftop terrace.  Gastronomy at the Palacio Solecio is a sophisticated experience at the Balausta restaurant where Michelin-starred chef José Carlos García’s showcases the finest Andalusian dishes through his passion for local produce, tradition and innovative techniques. Breakfasts, aperitifs, lunches and dinners can all be enjoyed in the restaurant’s exquisite interior arcaded courtyard under the light of the glass-domed roof. Relax with an exceptional cocktail, sip on a glass of champagne in the atmospheric cocktail bar.

The grand five star establishment sits across from Playa de los Peligros beach, looking out imperiously over the Bay of Biscay from its hilltop location. Stay here for classic grandeur – majestic French-style hallways, marble bathrooms, wrought-iron balconies, floor to ceiling windows, heavy drapes, Queen Anne furnishings and parquet floors are all found within. The hotel has 123 bedrooms, gardens featuring no less than 80 varieties of rose, a large terrace and the 12 table El Puntal Restaurant, dressed in white linen and silver. Eurostars Hotel Real is also home to one of Europe’s most advanced thalassotherapy centres, the Talasoterapia wellbeing centre, with sauna, Turkish bath and jacuzzi.

Child and pet-friendly, this cosmopolitan AC Hotel provides the option of family rooms among its selection of 106 accommodations. There’s an onsite restaurant, the AC Lounge, where you can enjoy a meal with your travel companions, and refuel each day with a hearty breakfast. On the terrace, you’ll be surrounded by the aroma of close-by olive and lemon trees, as you sip on a cocktail and unwind from the day’s sightseeing. The hotel also has a fitness centre, parking and event space, for guests travelling on business.

Located in the very heart of Barcelona on Passeig de Gràcia, the Mandarin Oriental is just seconds away from the city’s luxury boutiques and only a 2-minute walk from the Gaudi-designed Casa Batlló. Fusing modern interiors and timeless style from Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola, the 120 rooms are bright and airy. Book a suite for a freestanding whirlpool tub, terrace and even kitchen. Gourmet Michelin-star dining is available in three restaurants – one of which is al fresco. The addition of a  relaxing spa, first-floor terrace, indoor pool for year-round dips and a rooftop pool with views out over the city makes the hotel one not to be missed.

Situated right beside San Lorenzo beach and close to the old town, Hotel NH offers the opportunity for sun, sea, sand and sightseeing. It has 64 bedrooms, of which many enjoy sea views (some also have a hot tub and balcony). Summer days are best spent at the rooftop terrace and pool, plus there’s a wellness area with a spa, Turkish bath, fish spa, treatment rooms and a gym on hand for the less clement weather. A daily morning buffet is presented in the breakfast room, with lunch and dinner served Cantabrian style in Amares. The hotel is pet-friendly and accessible.