Unlike the Gothic Quarter and old city heart of Barcelona, which is where it expanded from (Eixample is Catalan for expansion), Eixample is built on a neat grid pattern of wide avenues intersected by long, straight streets, at enlarged corners and squares, designed to let as much light and ventilation through the area as possible. Its planning also demanded a certain number of markets per street, and the majority of these remain in their same spots today. So we think that picking one of the best hotels in Eixample is a very smart choice; as well as being the perfect spot for seeing both Barcelona’s old and new sights, it’s also fairly easy to get around, and there are plenty of great places to eat and drink, and local market produce to taste. If you’re visiting Barcelona to see the incredible architecture first hand, then Eixample’s best hotels are an equally great choice: Eixample is where you’ll find Gaudí’s Sagrada Família and La Pedrera, on the glamorous Passeig de Gràcia, along with numerous buildings by Barcelona’s famous Modernista architects.
For a city break
- The Balmes Residence is an easy choice for a city break hotel: the location is excellent, there’s a huge range of accommodation sizes, shapes and styles amongst their 111 rooms, there’s a gourmet restaurant in an elegant courtyard garden — which also features a swimming pool. The decor ranges from gorgeous Catalan modernist, with fantastic tiled floors, ceiling moulds, marble fireplaces, frescoes and colourful trencadissos mosaics, to contemporary simplicity. They also offer you a complimentary bottle of wine with your room.
- If you want something smaller, with a bit of space, the nine simply designed suites of Margot House might be more to your taste. This hotel feels contemporary, with a simplicity the Scandinavians would appreciate: think lots of pale wood, white paint and natural light. There’s a large open plan lounge and breakfast area filled with indoor plants — the perfect surrounds for a coffee and a pastry, and there’s a well stocked honesty bar.
For a great view
- The majority of our hotel recommendations in Eixample have a roof terrace with a view. And there are plenty of rooms with balconies or terraces too, but not all of them are as well positioned as those of the Majestic Hotel & Spa, which occupies a Neoclassical building tall enough to see over some of those other roof terraces. Inside the hotel is elegant, and sits, design-wise, at a point where modern meets contemporary minimalism: think quality furniture with unfussy details and neutral colours. As well as the tapas bar on the roof terrace, next to the pool, the hotel also has a restaurant.
- If the Majestic isn’t right for you maybe The One will be? This is a sophisticated hotel in a fantastic location close to the Passeig de Gràcia, with a superb roof terrace with a glass fence, plunge pool and bar. You can tell a lot of the emphasis has been placed on design here, with its blue velvet chairs, big art, brass detailing and stylish neutrals. There’s a restaurant and cocktail bar too, and a comprehensive spa.
For Foodies
- Barcelona is one of the world’s most popular foodie destinations at the moment, so it’s not surprising that quite a number of our recommendations for Barcelona hotels in Eixample have restaurants with Michelin stars. Cram is one of them, for its restaurant, Angle. The 67 rooms and suites are quite spacious, they have some generously proportioned family rooms too. The design is all straight lines and sharp corners, very neat and neutral. In addition to the restaurant there’s a bar, and a second one on the roof terrace beside the pool. The hotel also has a spa.
- Ohla Eixample is another of Barcelona’s hotels with a Michelin star for its haute cuisine restaurant, Xerta. With 94 rooms it’s fair to say this hotel is big, comfortable and stylish, with a fairly minimal decor that probably borrows more from Japan than Scandinavia. The choice of rooms is good, with interconnecting options as well as a variety of sizes, and there are the sort of facilities you’d expect from a top end hotel, including in-house exercise instructors and a personal shopping service. There’s also a pool on the roof terrace.
- If you’re interested in local viticulture as well as cuisine, Praktik Vinoteca might be your ideal choice. The location, 600 meters from the Passeig de Gràcia, means you’re right in the heart of everything when it comes to food, shopping and sight seeing, and the hotel itself will take care of your education into the local wines, with an expert sommelier offering regular tastings. There’s no restaurant in the hotel, but they’ll offer great recommendations and organise reservations for you, and there’s a lovely bar and sunny terrace. There are 64 rooms and the design is chic, minimal and a touch industrial, as is the current trend.
- The Monument Hotel, a converted 19th century palazzo turned 84 room hotel on the same premises as the three Michelin-starred Restaurant Lasarte, is ideal for anyone interested in food, and also for families. Amongst the rooms and suites there are numerous family-friendly options, and the elegant decor, featuring exposed brick walls and parquet floors in the rooms and grand, modern/contemporary monochrome detail in the public spaces, is the sort of thing you’ll feel confident can withstand your kids. There’s also a spa and wellness centre and a rooftop pool. And the hotel has its own bistro.
For a romantic stay
- The Hotel Claris is owned by an art collector with a penchant for Turkish killims rugs, Hindu sculpture and eastern and African art, and they have generously scattered pieces from the collection in every room. Otherwise the decor is stylishly minimal, with box-four-poster beds, wood floors and white fabrics. On the roof there’s a terrace with a pool and a bar, and downstairs there’s a bar and restaurant, with a terrace too.
- Anakena House is a great choice if you’re looking for somewhere small, affordable and romantic in Eixample. Its elegant, pinkish 20th century facade is right on Golden Square, and inside its seven rooms are decorated in a modernist Catalan style, with great tiles and a colour palette of pale neutrals.
For Families
[image id="7a31392a7e379a46f756d2f659b61291" size="600x422" atl="Stay U-nique Rambla"]
- If you prioritise privacy and self-catering then Stay U-nique Rambla Catalunya’s collection of four apartments, just a five minute stroll from Las Ramblas, will probably appeal to you. Each apartment is different — some have more bedrooms than others, and some have private balconies or terraces, but they all have simple decor, air conditioning, a full kitchen including a coffee machine, and a washing machine. The ideal home from home option for a family group.
- The Hotel Actual is a bright, contemporary family-friendly hotel in a fantastic position just behind Gaudí's La Pedrera. There are just 38 rooms, and it’s the Junior Suites you want if you’re travelling with your family: these have plenty of space for extra beds, plus four-poster beds and original painted ceilings! So they’re quite stylish too. They serve a buffet breakfast on a mezzanine level in the stylish lobby, and from 2pm you can grab a complimentary tea and coffee there too.
Some of our Favourite Hip Hotels in Eixample
- Those familiar with Room Mate Hotels will have a sense of what to expect from Room Mate Anna, but Anna is a more flamboyant room mate than most, a sophisticated girl, into design, and with a particular taste for Fornasetti detailing and House of Hackney opulence. This is an affordable hotel, but it’s still very glamorous, with a reception that feels part smart restaurant, part exclusive nightclub, and some of the rooms and suites are quite luxurious. The location, 100 meters from Casa Batlló, is ideal for exploring the city, and on the roof you’ll find the roof top terrace and plunge pool you must be starting to expect from this article!
- Hip families will love Granados 83! It’s set just back from the busiest, most tapas-y-bar-y bit of Eixample, and its modern decor borders on the stark, but it’s super stylish with it, and quiet too. Expect wood in a range of colours, with leathers to match, and white bedding, plus Buddhist art, a roof terrace with a pool and bar, and a cool restaurant downstairs.
For great value
- Just off the Passeig de Gràcia, Praktik Rambla is a stylishly modern 43 room hotel with a bold monochrome colour palette in the rooms, that lets the beautiful original features, like the tiled floors, fancy mouldings and large windows, remain prominent. Some rooms have a private balcony, but there’s also a sunny terrace and garden area, and a great lounge/library, a small gym and a restaurant.
- With just 13 rooms, Casa Kessler is one of the smaller Eixample hotels on our list: we like it because it’s excellent value, occupies a gorgeous Art Nouveau building that’s really representative of this part of Barcelona, and it offers a real range of accommodation options, from a bunk bed in a dormitory room to a private apartment. There’s a shared kitchen, a lounge/library and a terrace.
Eixample’s Best B&Bs
- Bed and Break’s four smart rooms with their queen-sized beds and private balconies are ideal if you’re looking for something small, stylish and intimate. There’s a shared kitchen with great, traditional blue and white tiling, and a comfortable shared lounge.
- The Conica Deluxe B&B is a stylish, three room guesthouse offering the kind of stay that’s a cross between a four star hotel and being a family guest. The building’s facade is classic Barcelona, but inside there have been lots of updates, and the rooms are chic and contemporary. One of them has a balcony.
- Built in the 20th century for the painter Josep Maria Sert and now the BacHome Gallery B&B, this elegant building is very central and has great views and proportions. As a B&B the mansion has seven rooms of varied shapes and sizes, ranging from double rooms to family-sized suites. Breakfast is served in a salon with large windows overlooking the streets below, and there’s a shared kitchen if you want to self-cater.
Still not sure which to book?
