
With its sunshine, and memorable food, art and architecture, Barcelona makes a fantastic destination for couples. There’s lots to do and lots to remember, and a thousand opportunities to take photos dripping with beauty and colour. Our experts have cast their eyes all over the city and come up with a list of their favourite hotels for couples in Barcelona chosen on their location, amenities, design and service — not forgetting their romantic credentials too! They've come up with a wide ranging list from indulgent five star luxury hotels where pampering comes as standard to cosy little B&Bs and chic design-led properties that will wow even the fussiest of guests! Use our guide and start planning your special getaway now!
For the Album

- Mercer Hotel occupies an historic defence tower in the Gothic Quarter, and does it with seriously cool, modern style. The scale of the 28 rooms and suites, with their beamed ceilings and exposed stone walls, belies this building’s original use, but the original art and striking, but comfortable looking furniture, make it feel cosy too. The rooftop bar is stunning, and the tapas restaurant highly recommended. The whole experience is really memorable.
For Just the Two of You

- The Wittmore is a discrete haven in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, with just 22 rooms and suites, and a restaurant run by local foodie legend Albert Ventura. The interiors have the charm of a private club, with low lighting and all the accoutrements of luxury, but not too much fuss with it. The restaurant is especially beautiful, spilling out from a library into the courtyard, which is like a pool of light, and then back inside again. No children, no photos.
For a Special Occasion

- El Palace is an iconic, 1920s built hotel, in a fantastically central spot close to the Passeig de Gracia. If you like your interiors opulent (think Persian rigs, chandeliers, gilt-framed furniture, and gold damask) then El Palace will be your kind of place. Its 125 rooms and suites offer plenty of choice, with the option to connect or expand some, so you can have as much grandeur as you like. And there are several places to eat and drink, the finest run by a Michelin-starred chef. Plus an elegant spa and gym.
For the Views

- The Mandarin Oriental Barcelona is supposed to have everything, and it certainly does: stylish high design furnishings, and beautiful accents; a rooftop dipping pool with an incredible view; a spa with eight treatment rooms, a lap pool and a hammam; a fantastic Michelin-starred restaurant, and a less formal restaurant and bar. Converted from a bank building on the Passeig de Gracia, the interiors have been made over to create an impact, while still feeling super comfortable. Its 98 rooms and suites have an elegant East-meets-West style, in neutral colours with pops of ‘sienna’, ‘mustard’ and ‘blue steel’.
- The One is a timelessly stylish hotel between Vila de Gracia and Eixample, close to the Barcelona's smartest boutiques. Its 114 rooms and suites are sophisticated yet simple, with original artworks, royal blue velvet accents, a pale neutral colour scheme and wonderful private balconies and terraces. The rooftop bar and pool are Barcelona staples with incredible views, and The One also has a substantial spa with an impressive menu, as does the restaurant and cocktail bar.
For a City Break

- Yurbban Passage is an elegantly minimal, 60 room hotel in a converted 1800s textile warehouse. The building’s heritage is worth mentioning for the scale of the rooms and suites, which have huge windows too. The restaurant is Catalan, and headed by a Michelin-starred chef; there’s a fantastic rooftop pool with a fantastic view; and there’s a gym and organic spa, and hotel bike hire. It all adds up to a fantastic Barcelona pad, just made for romance!
- Hotel 1898 occupies a gorgeous, 19th century building just off La Rambla. You can see the beauty of the original design in the scale of the rooms, and the current, simple and stylish colonial decor complements it perfectly, from the lobby to the huge suites. There’s a fantastic roof terrace with a cocktail and tapas bar, and a pool and 360° views, plus there's another pool inside, in the building’s cellar cum warehouse.
For Foodies

- The Hotel Espana occupies a beautiful Modernist building, but has a seriously contemporary edge: think wood-clad walls and a minimalist chic in the 78 rooms and suites — which references both Japan and the Nordic countries — and state-of-the-art technology. The communal areas are super stylish too, but here you'll see more of the building’s original features. The restaurant is run by a Michelin-starred chef, and there’s a gorgeous pool and hot tub. Style and luxury in a great location.
- The Serras is located in the Gothic Quarter, and is an intimate property with just 28 rooms and suites and serious contemporary style. Plus, this is where Picasso began his art career, so it’s cool to the core! And there’s an incredible Catalan restaurant run by a Michelin-starred chef — or you can have poolside nibbles on the roof terrace. Some of the rooms and suites overlook the marina.
For a design-led property

- Just off the Passeig de Gracia, the Alma Barcelona is s super cool five-star hotel arranged around a secret-feeling garden courtyard, with its own bar and outdoor lounge. The 72 rooms and suites are sultry, with a contemporary-meets-Barcelona-Modernist look and feel involving design furniture, original art, cool rugs, angular shapes and huge white bathrooms. There’s a roof terrace, an excellent spa, and a fantastic modern Mediterranean restaurant.
For Historic Barcelona

- The Hotel DO Placa Reial occupies a totally charming Neo-classical building, with an elegant many-balconied facade that opens onto a a beautiful square and gardens. There are just 18 rooms and suites, all with romantic views, and some with private terrace and plunge pool. Each of the rooms is individually laid out and decorated, with features like four-poster beds, parquet, original artworks and French windows, but against an understated palette that makes more of the chic design pieces. Central, intimate and luxurious.
- We Boutique Hotel occupies a building built around 1900 in Eixample, in the historic part of town, close to the Arc de Triomf, and surrounded by some of Barcelona’s most memorable architecture. Each of its six rooms is decorated with a charming collection of antiques and contemporary pieces, and has wonderfully Modernist tiled floors and French windows opening onto a small balcony — perfect for two! There’s no restaurant, but they have a bar and breakfast room.
For Fun Barcelona

- H10 Cubik is almost as futuristic as its name sounds; a collection of 101 rooms and suites in a striking building which gives the appearance of rooms stacked like boxes. Inside there’s great design too, including a dramatic central atrium, abstract art in reception, and plenty of art and design pieces artfully arranged in case any photographers from interiors magazines drop by. The rooms are cool, with bathrooms that look as if industrial chic won the lottery, and plenty of light from floor-to-ceiling windows. There’s a cool rooftop terrace and pool, with incredible views.
- The Hotel Brummell is a 20 room boutique hotel set in a leafy spot between Sant Antoni and the port. The atmosphere is laid back and friendly: think yoga classes, personal trainers, bike hire and a sunny terrace guests like to gather on. There’s also a rooftop pool and a sauna. The rooms feature bespoke furniture and original artworks, creating a softly industrial edge, but its Sri Lankan antiques set it apart with their unusual colour and style.
For Treating Yourself

- The Monument Hotel has been converted from a grand 19th century palazzo, but during its hotel conversion some of its spaces got a very contemporary re-imagining, with great metal beams and ceilings added, along with brick veneers in the 84 rooms and suites, to go with the slightly industrial vibe of the new parquet. The hotel restaurant is a bistro-style affair, but there’s another restaurant onsite, with three Michelin stars, and run by celebrated chef Martin Berasategui. Like many of the best hotels in Barcelona there’s a pool on the roof terrace, there’s also a gym, spa and wellness centre.
- The ABaC Restaurant and Hotel is a stylishly contemporary hotel and spa with a three Michelin-starred restaurant — absolutely perfect fodder for the ‘spoiling yourself’ experience! it's located north of Barcelona’s city centre, so an escape from the hubbub too. There are just 15 rooms and suites, all squared off and generously proportioned, with floor-to-ceiling windows and unfussy decor in pale neutrals. Come for the tasting menu, stay for the relaxed intimate atmosphere.
For Great Value

- With their bright white walls, natural light and simple decor the 19 rooms of the Hostal Grau have a real artist’s studio feel about them, while the cocktail bar has a darker colour scheme and more of an after-hours vibe — perfect for setting yourself up to explore Barcelona’s nightlife. The super central location means you may not need to use the hotel’s bike scheme, but it’s just one of the ways the Hostal Grau considers environmental impact.
Best B&Bs

- The Bachome Gallery B&B is set in a magnificently restored building dating from around 1900, with an elegant entryway, and grand scale — think high ceilings and huge windows. The B&B doesn’t occupy the whole building, just a floor, with seven beautiful suites decorated with parquet floors and original artworks. There’s shared self-catering facilities, and they do offer a lovely breakfast. Bachome is in a really elegant part of town too, the ‘golden area’ of Eixample, close to the Passeig de Gracia. Perfect if you fancy privacy and your own pad.
- Bachome Terrace B&B is another small and stylish B&B, also in a central spot. Its ten rooms are light and airy, and range in size and shape from singles to large doubles. The decor and design are simple and fresh: spring colours against a neutral backdrop, large windows and pale wooden floors. There’s a sunny terrace, and they offer a buffet-style continental breakfast.
Still not sure where to book?