Best Luxury Hotels in Spain

Located at the San Mamés end of Bilbao’s famous Gran Vía, the NH Collection Villa de Bilbao is a modern property offering spacious rooms, sleek contemporary design and on-point service. Inside enjoy a bountiful Basque breakfast at the Le Bol Blanc Restaurant, take a drink in the lobby corner bar, and head to the top-floor fitness room where you can work out to uninterrupted views over the city. Primarily catering to business travellers and conferences during the week, the hotel is a hidden gem for weekend getaways, appealing to tourists, families and groups visiting Bilbao.

A former nobleman’s home dating from the 1900s, Can Albertí 1740 Boutique Hotel has grown from a six-bedroom residence to offering 14 bedrooms across its three stories. Recognisable by its salmon pink and white front elevation with wrought iron balconies, it’s both striking and romantic. Inside, vintage styling — nodding to the building’s heritage — melds with contemporary Mediterranean furnishings. Guests can access an honesty bar, a leafy courtyard and a terrace perfect for sundowners, and the concierge is on hand to arrange spa treatments and dish out parasols and towels for beach use.

Founded in 1912, this was named after the Spanish queen consort, who was the first to enter the hotel. Since then it has hosted many A-listers. The Maria Cristina lies close to the beach and right beside the River Urumea, a Grande Dame reminiscent of the Belle Epoque era. Original features are found beside more contemporary touches in its 139 bedrooms. And when it comes to meals, there’s a daily buffet breakfast, as well as two fine dining establishments: Café Saigon and Mimo San Sebastián. With a gym, a library, free bicycle hire, daily classes (including Michelin-style cooking) and a fine on-site deli to peruse, there’s plenty to amuse its high-end guests.

Follow the labyrinth-like streets upwards until you’re high above the UNESCO-listed city of Dalt Vila. Here you’ll find a collection of three 16th-century buildings, comprising secret passageways and old watchtowers, that make up the historic Hotel La Torre del Canónigo. On its grounds are a pool and solarium and the Corsair Restaurant & Terrace, set in a 10th-century building. Guest bedrooms are simple but very fashionable in terms of decor, sporting original features such as exposed stone walls and wooden beamed ceilings.

Back in the 16th century, this mansion house on the Passeig de Colom was the home of a nobleman. Now restored as a boutique hotel, it riffs on minimalism, making the most of local wood and stone in the decor. Rooms come with welcome cakes and chocolates and Nespresso coffee machines, some with views of the port. Dine on tapas dishes in the restaurant or on the rooftop terrace (where you’ll also find its two open-air pools). Take light night drinks in the monochrome cocktail lounge and have a tinkle on its grand piano — snacks and pastries are provided here during the afternoons.

The Urso Hotel is found in the Chueca district, neighbouring the Chamberi and Tribunal areas. The Urso is a 20th-century building which incorporates modern décor and architectural designs. It’s a stylish boutique property and is close to embassy buildings, restaurants, and bars. It has over 78 rooms and offers amenities such as a spa, swimming pool, lounge bar, and fitness centre. Enjoy top-class tapas and wine at Urso’s on-site eatery Media Ración, or dine in The Conservatory, where the outdoors is brought elegantly indoors.

A barefoot luxury five-star boutique hotel, on a rocky outcrop above Platja Palmira, where an infinity pool melts into the bay and the pine-scented air carries mellow DJ sets across the terrace. Aethos Mallorca is the Mediterranean at its most laid-back and sexy.

The lavish JOIA Salomé by Iberostar (formerly Iberostar Grand Salomé) overlooks the Atlantic Ocean from its prime beachfront location. Designed with adults in mind, this seafront boutique hotel boasts deluxe suites with included personalised butler service. Throughout the spacious grounds there are seven restaurants and two bars to enjoy with live cooking and all-inclusive options. Guests are invited to lounge by the two outdoor pools and indulge in the never-ending sea views. Alternatively, there is a relaxing 1,000m2 SPA Sensations with a choice of massages and treatments available. There is also a two fitness centres with personal training options and an array of sporting and water sports activities to take part in. The JOIA Salomé by Iberostar hotel is located near a golf course.

Said to be the birthplace of the poet Ximinez de Enciso, this boutique hotel in the Barrio de Santa Cruz is a short walk from the Gothic cathedral and the Alcázar palace. The seventeenth-century building has been carefully restored and retains the typical architectural style of a central courtyard with a fountain. Guests can look forward to daily live guitar music and can enjoy an art gallery and a roof terrace with views to the cathedral and its baroque bell tower, the Giralda. Rooms vary in size, with suites and duplexes available, and there is also a luxury apartment.

Hotel Faro, a Lopesan Collection Hotel is a lavish seaside escape in Gran Canaria’s gorgeous Maspalomas area. Ideally located by the lighthouse, the hotel is an adults-only sanctuary overlooking the Atlantic Ocean with marvellous architecture and stylish décor. There is a selection of recently refurbished deluxe and superior guestrooms as well as spacious Junior Suites which have been decorated with a unique and contemporary style with some offering private balconies and terraces with panoramic sea views. Guests can lounge by the inviting outdoor pools or make the most of the sports and fitness facilities including a gym, tennis courts and discounted green fees at nearby golf courses. There is on-site entertainment day and night and a whole host of optional additional services available to guests. Guests are given complimentary access to the Blue Marlin Ibiza Sky Lounge Gran Canaria’s relaxing facilities throughout the week.

This charming family-run establishment is set right on the main pedestrian promenade and boasts a private strip of golden sand for guests to sun themselves on. Hotel Miramar is famous for its dining opportunities and the main restaurant takes full advantage of the abundance of freshly caught seafood while blending classic Mediterranean and Mallorcan flavours. The Miramar Sea Lounge is the perfect place to unwind in the evening while having a gin and tonic or a glass of locally produced wine while watching the world go by. While there are five different categories of rooms to choose from, luxury lovers will want to make sure that they book one of the spacious suites so that they can take advantage of stunning ocean views from their private balcony.

Situated right in the centre of bustling Madrid, on the infamous Gran Via, the NH Collection Madrid of Gran Via is the perfect choice for anyone wishing to explore Madrid’s thriving historical city centre. The must-see Plaza Mayor and iconic Prado Museum are all in walking distance.  Guests can easily travel further afield as the Gran Via underground station is situated right next to the hotel’s elegant façade. The NH Collection Madrid’s 94 soundproofed and modern rooms allows guests a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, with ever-friendly staff on hand to provide advice on where to visit. Guests can also dine on the delicious Mediterranean cuisine of the hotel’s acclaimed Picalagartos restaurant as they gaze over the city’s skyline. For a more casual dining experience, guests can enjoy tapas and cocktails made by the in-house mixologist on the hotel’s rooftop terrace.