3 Coolest Hotels in Barcelona | Historic Passageways, Secret Hideaways and Gourmet Delights

The Yurbban Passage Hotel & Spa is not just another typical hotel in the city. It is the result of a firm commitment to recover one of the most historic passageways in Barcelona—the adjoining Passatge de les Manufactures. Today, this walkway provides a nifty connection between the Sant Pere Més and Trafalgar streets—an area since reborn as Barcelona’s answer to New York’s artsy Soho district.

The building that houses this hotel dates back to 1878, pays homage to iconic Catalan architecture and is located alongside an emblematic medieval area peppered with small companies, workshops and artisan boutiques. The hotel’s own meticulous renovation respects its structure and various fundamental elements, such as the majestic principal staircase and the façade’s stone rosettes.

Between its historic walls, the hotel features a total of 60 rooms of varying categories, where every detail is taken care of to accommodate travelers needs according to their personal tastes. Without a doubt, the rooms with terraces overlooking the Ciutat Vella (Old Town)—designed to enjoy a bird’s eye view over this storied part of Barcelona—are my favorites.

If all this weren’t enough, this hotel also offers a Signature Spa which includes a climatized pool, a sauna and steam room zone, as well as an extensive menu of treatments that utilize vegan products. The spa is located in the building’s former cellar and takes full advantage of its spectacular vaulted ceiling.

At the hotel’s restaurant D’Aprop, you’ll find exclusive dishes, such as tataki beef from Girona paired with regional Monastrell grapes, tomatoes and onions in a Cabernet sauce or Delta oysters accompanied with a mild pickled Chardonnay grape, seaweed caviar and edible Salicornia plant side dish.

The fact that this Barcelona stay is one of the Catalan hotel industry’s best kept secrets is not a mere catch phrase; Primero Primera, a small and stylish oasis in the heart of the upscale Sarria district, is quite simply a perfect accommodation in the city.

This boutique beauty boasts 30 rooms that ooze that unmistakable chic Barcelona style, a ritzy residential location and a close proximity to shopping zones and general points of interest. Could you ask for anything more? Indeed you can! In their convivial restaurant you’ll also find one of the best breakfasts in town – an exceptional way to start the day in this onetime bourgeois home-turned-hotel that arguably hasn’t lost an iota of its original elegant and traditional essence.

That this hotel was named after the floor and door number where the owners once lived says a lot about the personality of this accommodation; a luxury boutique hotel with public spaces that offer a distinctive and classic touch prevalent in conservative 1950’s Catalan homes.

Here, the ambiance is casual and encourages total relaxation. In fact, at the end of the day, one of the hotel’s main objectives is that their guests feel right at home. According to their excellent and well-deserved reputation, it seems that they have succeeded.

Primero Primera’s gastronomic offerings are served at El Comedor, a comfortable and refined space in which to taste a menu featuring succulent, international market cuisine based on fresh, seasonal products. Afterwards, at the exquisite Honesty Bar, pour yourself a drink—prepared to your liking—as you unwind in front of the fireplace.

There are many cool hotels in Barcelona, but few can boast their status as an icon. Located on the tony Paseo de Gracia avenue—the city’s famed shopping street—the Majestic Hotel & Spa has presided on one of its most quintessential corners for no fewer than 100 years. Therefore, in addition to being iconic, this opulent building is a centennial hotel.

Though there are many things to like about this hotel, above all I’m in love with its impeccable service and its coquettish terrace, La Dolce Vita, featuring an impressive view over central Barcelona and the most evocative buildings of the Catalan skyline, including Gaudi’s mesmerizing Sagrada Familia basilica.

Although 275 rooms can hardly be considered a few, all it takes is a one night stay in any one of them to realize you won’t hear a sound beyond your doors; indeed, despite its considerable size, there is an overwhelming feeling of privacy and privilege. Considering the hotel’s situation on a busy avenue, this is an authentic luxury!

Few are aware that the Majestic Hotel & Spa was Barcelona’s first five-star hotel, a fact that inevitably helped to position it as a point of reference among the Catalan bourgeoise and the vast number of stars and personalities that have passed through its doors over its lengthy history, including Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso. Today, celebrities continue to choose this hotel in order to enjoy a unique one-night escape, or perhaps a romantic evening turned gastronomic experience.

This latter option is in the hands of famed Catalan chef Nandu Jubany, who runs all the restaurants in the hotel which, naturally, also serve many of his signature dishes. One of these specialties is roasted beef cannelloni with boletus mushrooms, a true delight for the palate. Guests can now enjoy even more of chef Jubany’s creations at the recently inaugurated restaurant, SOLC, where the menu is based on local products cooked in a manner respectful of gastronomic techniques mandated by tradition—something the Majestic knows a little something about.