Where to Stay in Barcelona: Complete Guide for First Timers
Barcelona is a beautiful city that has been one of the most visited places in Europe for decades at this point. Beaches, perpetual sun (though on my last trip it did rain about two inches in 24 hours), and a great food scene – what, exactly, is not to love?
However, if you’re willing to dive a little deeper, Barcelona and the broader region of Catalonia have an interesting history and culture that is unique within Spain.
We first visited Barcelona together (though we had each been before, separately) in the fall of 2021, and we spent a week exploring the city and getting beneath the surface level. We spent hours at the Museu d’Història de Catalunya, walked miles and miles all over the city, and discovered the beautiful drink that is Spanish vermouth (vermut).
In 2024, I (Matt here) made a return trip to Barcelona for a nice springtime trip full of gluten free food, deeper dives into Barcelona’s history and culture, and modernist architecture. I was there at the end of April and it was VERY BUSY, so it’s important to book your place to stay well in advance.
I made some wholesale changes to this guide based on that more recent experience, doing my best to streamline it and give you all the information you need to figure out where to stay.
In this guide, we’re going to use our experiences exploring Barcelona to do our best to walk you through all the information you need to figure out where to stay for your particular style, budget, and preferences.
Each neighborhood offers a different blend of vibes, prices, and pros and cons, and we’ll cover it all below so that you’re armed with all the information you need to figure out where to stay for your particular style and budget.
Our intention is that, by the end of this guide, you have everything you need to choose the right place to stay for you and your travel companions.
Sound good to you? Let’s get into it.
Important note: This is a long guide with lots of detail (it got longer and longer as we put it together), but we’ve done our best to structure it with headings, a helpful summary at the top, and a table of contents to help you navigate it without reading literally every word.
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post, like hotel links, are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we make a little bit of money if you click through and book. That being said, we would never recommend something to you that we don’t stand behind 100%.
Where to Stay in Barcelona: 5 Great Places to Stay
And now, on to the main event!
Our philosophy when it comes to deciding on a place to stay is to first choose the neighborhood, then move on to finding a great hotel, hostel, or apartment in that area.
The reality is that, depending on what you’re looking for, there are other neighborhoods not included in this guide that might meet your needs. But these are the five that we think are the best for 99% of travelers, and we’ve shown our work, doing our best to explain why we think that.
For each of the five neighborhoods, we’ve created a structure to help you figure out if it’s the right home base for you. Here’s what we’ll cover:
- An overview of the neighborhood and our experience with it. We’ve personally been to and explored (more than once) all of the areas on this list, so we’ll try to give you a little bit of our perspective on what makes each area special.
- Pros and cons of staying in this area. The things you need to know to make your decision.
- Highlights of the neighborhood. Coffee shops, restaurants, parks, etc that we enjoyed, and think you probably will too.
Now, we’re well aware that a few of you are currently ready to throw your left shoe at the screen, saying “I don’t have time to read all of that, JUST TELL ME THE BEST PLACE TO STAY!”
Well, here’s a quick summary of this guide if you’re short on time (though we’d recommend reading the section of the place you end up staying for tips and places to add to your list!).
- Our top recommendation is to find a charming hotel or guesthouse in Gràcia, which is far and away our favorite part of Barcelona. Cobblestone streets, energetic plazas, and some of the best bars and restaurants in the city? Sign us up. If you want a nice affordable hotel, stay at Hotel Barcelona 1882. If you want to stay in an apartment for a little more space, look at Be Mate Paseo de Gràcia.
- If it’s your first time in Barcelona, you can’t go wrong with staying centrally in l’Eixample. It’s right in the center of the city, conveniently located between the Old City and Gràcia, and it’s well connected to just about every place you’ll want to visit over the course of your Barcelona itinerary. This part of the city is full of great hotels – we’ve stayed at and would recommend Casa Bonay (a beautiful boutique hotel) and Praktik Essens (a nice mid-range option).
- If you want to stay in the Cituat Vella, we’d choose El Born, a hip part of Barcelona that’s near the Gothic Quarter and waterfront, and is packed full of bars, restaurants, cafes, and more. It’s a good central location, and generally feels much more authentic than, say, the Gothic Quarter. For an affordable guesthouse, look at Casa Consell. For a more upscale hotel, look at the Mercer Hotel.
While you’re in Barcelona, you’re probably going to want to see some of the main Gaudí sights, like the Sagrada Familia and Casa Batlló.
Don’t miss our favorite tour company in Europe, Walks, who has an excellent extended Gaudí tour that covers most of those main sights, and a tour of the Sagrada Familia at closing time.
I (Matt here!) did the Gaudí tour (linked above) on my trip this year because I was looking for a deeper understanding of his influence on the city, and the tour did not disappoint (despite the fact that I had done the main sights before, sometimes multiple times).
I truly love the Sagrada Familia despite the fact that I’m not a huge “see all the churches” person. That basilica is on a different level – the level of care and craft that has gone into every single detail is truly mind blowing.
If you only have time for one tour in Barcelona, I’d choose a tour of the Sagrada Familia so that you have the context and understanding of the details to truly appreciate it.
We’ve now done at least seven tours with Walks over our travels the past few years, and have always been impressed with both their itineraries and their guides. You can read about our experience on their Colosseum Tour in Rome here.
Where We’ve Stayed in Barcelona
We always like to start these guides with our own personal experiences in terms of places we’ve stayed.
We’ve now been to Barcelona multiple times together over the past few years (we’ve both been before that, but separately), with the most recent trip being a solo trip for Matt earlier this year. We’ve stayed in a couple of different places over those trips.
On that first trip to Barcelona, we stayed in two separate neighborhoods over the course of our week in the city – in Gràcia, which we loved and highly recommend – and in l’Eixample, which is about as central as it gets.
Gràcia is at the northern edge of the city center, but is well-connected to the main sights in Barcelona via the metro (there are two metro stops nearby that connect you to the Old City and La Sagrada Familia as well as the airport/train station).
This is our top pick in terms of places to stay because it has the best combination of bars, restaurants, and coffee shops, location and connections to the rest of the city, and a feeling like locals ACTUALLY live here.
We stayed at Casa Gràcia, which we have mixed feelings about. It was a great location, just a short walk to everything in Gràcia and literally one minute from both great coffee and a metro stop.
But the rooms and common areas feel like they’ve been slowly deteriorating for years, and the room we stayed in was a little… dirty. It has SO MUCH POTENTIAL, but it really doesn’t live up to expectations based on the pictures, which must have been taken immediately after a super deep clean.
Overall, we’d definitely stay in Gràcia again, but we’d find a different place to stay. And we’d probably choose Be Mate Paseo de Gràcia, an aparthotel right across the street from Casa Gràcia with modern rooms (including spacious apartments with kitchens).
L’Eixample is another great location, though it’s not nearly as charming as Gràcia or, say, the Gothic Quarter. It’s the modern section of Barcelona, built as the city expanded past the original walls, and it looks more like Paris or another modern city than other parts of Barcelona’s center.
We’ve stayed in l’Eixample on both of our collective Barcelona trips recently, and on this latest trip, I (Matt) spent my trip in l’Eixample split between two different hotels (I couldn’t choose, so I decided to try them both!), and it changed the way I thought about the neighborhood.
In prior versions of this guide, I described l’Eixample as utilitarian and somewhat boring, which is sort of true to some extent. It is convenient in terms of location and transit connections, and it isn’t the most exciting neighborhood in terms of bars and restaurants.
However, there are definitely pockets full of good places to eat and drink (some of my favorite coffee shops in Barcelona were in l’Eixample), and it is now a close second to Gràcia in my mind in terms of the best neighborhoods for first timers in Barcelona.
The first hotel I stayed at was Praktik Essens, which is right on Passeig de Gràcia at the northern edge of the neighborhood (basically on the border of Gràcia).
If you don’t already know Praktik from your initial searches, they’re a hotel group that has several hotels scattered around the city (most in l’Eixample), and their properties are all themed – wine, bakery, garden, etc.
I had wanted to stay at one of their hotels for a few years now, and I chose this one because it’s the most modern hotel of the bunch (in terms of look and feel), it’s a phenomenal location, and it gets the best reviews.
The room was spacious, stylish, and comfortable, with plenty of room for me to sit down and write without feeling like I had to sit on the bed (which I very much appreciate).
The second place I stayed on that trip was Casa Bonay, a lovely boutique hotel on the opposite side of l’Eixample closer to the Gothic Quarter and El Born.
This hotel is GORGEOUS, though it’s not the cheapest option in the city (still, by Barcelona standards it’s somewhere around mid-range).
On that first trip, we stayed at TOC Hostel Barcelona, which is a “boutique hostel” that is essentially a hotel with a few dorm rooms and a common kitchen. It’s plenty nice (and relatively affordable), but don’t expect much space in your room.
Gràcia: Our Favorite Neighborhood in Barcelona
We stayed in Gràcia for the majority of our foray into Barcelona a couple of years ago, and loved it. It will 100% be the place we stay the next time we find ourselves in the Catalonian capital, which is about as good an endorsement as we can give.
At one point, Gràcia used to be a completely separate village from Barcelona, and it’s easy to imagine that being the case as you stroll the streets early in the morning, before the hustle and bustle of Barcelona really gets going.
I’ve seen the word “bohemian” used a lot to describe Gràcia, and I’m still not quite sure exactly what the word means.
I think Gràcia is a little hipster, a little family-oriented with plenty of plazas and green spaces full of locals (and their kids and/or dogs) going about their days, and a lot charming and packed full of amazing food, drinks, and shops.
Gràcia is hip without falling into hipster cliches, managing to be both quiet and pedestrian friendly, yet also atmospheric and lively.
In short, we loved Gràcia, and think it would be a great home base for exploring Barcelona, especially if you want to stay somewhere that isn’t exclusively for tourists (though there are plenty of those around pretty much everywhere in Barcelona).
Pros and Cons of Staying in Gràcia
Here are the pros and cons of staying in Gràcia as we see them.
Pros of Staying in Gràcia:
- Great Transit Connections. There are two metro stops – Diagonal and Gràcia – that connect you to the L3 and L5 metro lines, which take you both downtown and to some of Barcelona’s main sights.
- Community Feeling. Obviously, as a tourist, you’re not really going to ever be a part of a community when you’re traveling. But it is very pleasant to sit on a plaza and watch as people go about their daily lives and feel like you’re immersed in local life, even if it’s just for a few minutes. The key is being respectful of that community – here’s how you can be a respectful tourist in Barcelona.
- Great Food and Drinks. Whether you’re looking for a morning cup of coffee or a nightcap, Gràcia has a pretty incredible array of places to eat and drink at all hours. It’s particularly energetic on warm summer evenings, when the outdoor terraces of nearly every bar and restaurant in the neighborhood are packed from 9:00 pm on.
Cons of Staying in Gràcia:
- Not Walkable to Ciutat Vella. While it’s walkable in terms of walking within the neighborhood, it does require a metro trip (or 30+ minute walk) to get to the Gothic Quarter and El Born.
- Not Many Places to Stay. There aren’t that many choices in terms of places to stay. There are a few hotels and aparthotels, but the vast majority of the area is residential (and we think that you shouldn’t stay in an Airbnb in cities).
The Best Places to Stay in Gràcia
Here are some of our picks for the best places to stay in Gràcia.
Be Mate Paseo de Gràcia: Great Location with Hotel Rooms and apartments
Right on Passeig de Gràcia (which means you’re two to three minutes from a metro station that will connect you to the rest of the city), this hotel/apartment mix has rooms split between hotel-style rooms with king beds that are surprisingly spacious, and apartments (one or two bedrooms), which means that they probably have an option that’s right for you, whatever your style and budget.
Some of the hotel-style rooms have private terraces (yes please!), some have balconies.
The apartments are spacious and stylish, with full kitchens (with ovens and coffee makers) and plenty of room to spread out and relax.
If we were to do a trip to Barcelona again, this would be where we’d stay.
Raddison Blu 1882: A Beautiful Boutique Hotel
An eco-conscious boutique hotel in the heart of Gràcia, this beautiful hotel (recently renovated, too) is on the northeastern side of the neighborhood, closer to the Sagrada Familia than Passeig de Gràcia.
But it’s still within walking distance to everything in the area. Bike rentals, a nice pool, and a rooftop bar with views of the Sagrada Familia are a few of the things you’ll have to look forward to if you stay here.
Choose from king rooms, rooms with two twins, and triples and family rooms with space for three and four people.
Feelathome Mozart Apartments: Spacious Apartments in a Great Location
A couple of blocks from Passeig de Gràcia (and the important Diagonal Metro Station, with two metro lines), this small apartment building has six apartments, all recently renovated and outfitted with air conditioning (a must-have for summer), full kitchens (with dishwashers), and washing machines.
If it’s available, grab the apartment with a terrace, where you can enjoy a sunset drink before heading out for a (late, because it’s Spain) dinner in the neighborhood.
They have options with one and two bedrooms, depending on your group size.
L’Eixample: A Close Second (Excellent Location!)
Compared to Gràcia, which feels very much like a small village within a big city with its narrow single lane streets, l’Eixample is the modern part of Barcelona. L’Eixample was built as Barcelona expanded beyond the old city to connect the suburbs (at the time) like Gràcia to the core of the city.
The name literally means “the expansion” in Catalan because that’s exactly what it was.
It was designed to be modern, and is characterized by wide, multi-lane boulevards lined with tall buildings with commerce on the ground floor and housing on top floors. Which is, well, very Parisian of them (don’t tell them I said that, though).
It’s on a tight grid, too, which can’t be said of the narrow alleyways of the Ciutat Vella (where I’ve definitely gotten lost before and had to pull out my phone to see exactly where I was).
It’s much, much more leafy than the Gothic Quarter, but not as much as Gràcia. It’s much more relaxed and laid back than the Gothic Quarter, but not as much as Gràcia. It has more of a mix of tourists and locals, but not as much as Gràcia. See a pattern here?
In other words, it’s a compromise between the more laid back feeling you’ll find in Gràcia and the convenience you’ll get by staying more central. Its superpower is being smack dab in the middle of the action. Which makes it an excellent base for exploring Barcelona.
It is worth noting that this particular neighborhood spans a wide area, basically all the way from Parc Ciutadella at its eastern end to the base of Montjuïc and Plaça d’Espanya to the west.
In general, we much prefer the area in the center of the neighborhood, just south of Gràcia and west towards Place de Catalunya.
This part of l’Eixample is full of tree-lined streets, places to eat and drink, and leans more towards Gràcia than the Gothic Quarter in terms of its feeling.
Pros and Cons of Staying in l’Eixample
Here are the pros and cons of staying in l’Eixample as we see them.
Pros of Staying in l’Eixample:
- Central and Well Connected. There’s probably no better place to stay in terms of walkability and transit connections. You could walk almost anywhere from your hotel, though most people will prefer to save time and energy by taking the metro, which has multiple lines running through the area.
- Great Food and Drink Offerings. Coffee and food, in particular, are the winners here. Nightlife is a little lacking, but you can make the short journey to El Born for that.
- Tons of Places to Stay. Whether you’re looking for a luxury hotel or a charming, affordable guesthouse, this neighborhood has a plethora of choices for you to choose from. All styles and budgets can find the perfect place to stay here.
Cons of Staying in l’Eixample:
- It Can Be Expensive. Who could have guessed that the area where you’ll find the Prada store in Barcelona would also be an expensive area to stay? Lots of high-end hotels and shops here, which means you’ll likely be paying a little more than other places in Barcelona, though it’s arguably worth it for the central location.
The Best Places to Stay in l’Eixample
There are a BUNCH of great places to stay in this part of Barcelona, here are a few that caught our eye.
Hotel Casa Bonay: A Beautiful Boutique Hotel (Where We Stayed)
Based in a leafy area of l’Eixample, Casa Bonay is a stylish establishment with a mini-orchard on the rooftop and a beach hut inspired bistro. It also has a great coffee shop in the lobby (you get a token for a complimentary cup of coffee during your stay when you check in).
The hotel is in a building from the 1800’s that has been completely redone by a local design firm, and now is one of the most stylish places to stay in the city.
Rooms are a bit below average in terms of size, but like many modern mid-range hotels popping up around the world, the idea is to sleep in your room, and use the hotel’s common areas as a place to relax, get work done, or get a quick meal in before heading out to explore.
They do have larger rooms, with seating areas and plenty of space to spread out, but you’ll be paying a premium. I chose to do this so that I could have space to get some writing done, and found my room to be the perfect size.
My room had a lovely little sun room that had a view out over the city, and I spent my mornings there enjoying a cup of coffee and writing before heading out to explore.
They have a nice rooftop deck too, and it’s exclusive to people staying at the hotel (they also have a rooftop bar, which is not). There is also a cocktail bar and a coffee shop on the ground floor.
A couple of the rooms also have private terraces, some with outdoor showers.
The hotel is also something of a hotspot for local creative types, who you’ll find hard at work in the hotel’s gorgeous common areas on the ground floor. Definitely recommended if you’re looking for a stylish place to spend your time in Barcelona.
Praktik Essens: A Mid-Range Hotel in a Great Location (Where We Stayed)
The next three hotels on this list are all from the same group – Praktik – and they’re all super fun, we think.
We really like the idea behind their hotels – each of their properties is designed around a central theme, and they give the modern traveler everything they need, nothing they don’t, all at a reasonable price.
Matt stayed at the “Essens” location, which is all about smell. From the perfumery in the lobby to the fragrant soaps in the rooms, everything is about your sense of smell.
As you walk through the sliding doors you’re greeted with a waft of floral smells that follow you throughout your stay. The soaps in the rooms (both shower products and hand soap) all smell lovely, though I’m not sure if that’s different from any of their other properties.
I, Matt, chose this particular location because of… the location.
It’s right on Passeig de Gràcia – though at the southern end of the road, which puts it in l’Eixample. I walked almost everywhere, and everywhere I didn’t walk I was able to hop on the metro a few blocks away.
Rooms were refurbished recently, and they are cozy and compact, but that’s fine if you’re planning on spending most of your waking hours outside the hotel room.
Some rooms also have a private terrace with a hot tub, though you’ll have to pay a premium for that.
Good WiFi, A/C and heat (for the surprisingly chilly – though short – Barcelona winters), and different room sizes for different budgets.
Praktik Bakery: A Mid-Range Hotel with an Onsite Bakery
The first ever bakery hotel (whatever that means). The second of the Praktik Hotels on this list is centered around one thing: bread.
There’s an in-house bakery called Baluard (which is why it’s a bakery hotel, I suppose), which is heavily featured in the hotel’s excellent breakfast buffet. We’re suckers for subway tile, so the rooms here are right up our alley.
Like their other hotels, they’re designed for modern travelers who don’t want much space, or the extra stuff that comes with an extra cost. Cozy, well thought out rooms at reasonable prices are the name of the game here.
Different room layouts and sizes based on your particular needs and budget live up to the practicality promised by the name. Everything you need, nothing you don’t (except, maybe, bread).
Pratik Vinoteca: A Charming Hotel for Wine Lovers
Situated in the heart of l’Eixample, Praktik Vinoteca is a hotel with a single-minded focus: wine!
There are over 900 bottles of the stuff on show in the reception area, and this hotel also boasts its own sommelier, and hosts wine tours and regular tasting events. The room types and layouts are similar to the other two Praktik hotels above, which makes sense.
Everything you need if you’re okay with spending your waking hours outside your hotel room, nothing you don’t, and a reasonable price to top it all off.
Yeah Barcelona Hostel: A Hip Boutique Hostel
We really like the trend of “boutique hostels”, which offer the best of both hostels (the social aspects) and boutique hotels (the stylish and private room aspects) all in a relatively affordable package.
Yeah Hostel is leading the charge in Barcelona’s hostel scene, and it’s in a fantastic location too.
You’ll have access to all the common spaces, including a shared kitchen, and you’ll have your choice of dorm rooms or private double rooms.
TOC Hostel: Part Boutique Hostel, Part Mid-Range Hotel
Another boutique hostel, we actually stayed at TOC Hostel for the second half of a recent trip to Barcelona.
It’s essentially a boutique hotel, and falls a little short on the social aspects we usually see in hostels. But it’s a sparkling clean and nice place, and it’s also in an excellent location. Private rooms and dorms to choose from.
El Born: The Best Part of the Cituat Vella
As we mentioned above in the geography section, the main part of the Ciutat Vella is made up of three distinct areas (plus Barceloneta, which looks and feels very different).
El Born is the easternmost section, and is a little corner of the old city tucked alongside Parc de la Ciutadella that is actually made up of three different sub-neighborhoods (La Ribera, Sant Pere, and Santa Caterina – otherwise known as Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera).
But everybody calls in El Born, so that’s what we’re going to go with too.
El Born is an interesting combination.
On one hand, it feels pretty similar to the Gothic Quarter in terms of the narrow streets and alleys (with surprise churches!). But for whatever reason, it has suffered less from the overtourism that plagues the Gothic Quarter, and there are still local businesses that occupy El Born.
That’s not to say there aren’t tourists in El Born – there very much are – but the lack of local businesses in the Gothic Quarter is really what makes it feel a little hollowed out (at least to us), and El Born has plenty of those.
At the center of the neighborhood, you’ll find the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, which comes out of nowhere as you emerge from the narrow streets at its base.
It’s about as central as it gets without staying on La Rambla itself. To the east, you have Parc Ciutadella. To the west is the Gothic Quarter, the historic center of Barcelona.
South is Barceloneta, and if you head north you’ll run into Gaudi’s masterpiece and one of the most intricate and fascinating religious places in the world – the Sagrada Familia.
Pros and Cons of Staying in El Born
Here are the pros and cons of staying in El Born as we see them.
Pros of Staying in El Born:
- Great Nightlife. If you’re looking for cozy cocktail bars or places to go dancing until the early hours of the morning, El Born has what you’re looking for. Go after dark to see it at its most energetic.
- Super Central. You’ll be within walking distance of just about everywhere in Barcelona, and for the places you can’t walk (Parc Güell, for example) you can hop on the metro, which is an easy walk from most points in El Born.
- Romantic and Charming. Narrow streets, bustling plazas, and towering churches. It feels like you’re in a medieval city, mostly because… you sort of are.
Cons of Staying in El Born:
- It’s Expensive. As you might imagine, staying in a place that’s both central and trendy often comes with a high price tag.
- Limited Options in Terms of Places to Stay. Which exacerbates the “expensive” point above. Not that many hotels, and you should stay away from renting an Airbnb in Barcelona.
The Best Places to Stay in El Born
Here are a few places to stay in El Born that stood out to us.
Mercer Hotel (Boutique Hotel): Nestled between El Born and the Gothic Quarter, and featuring views of the dome of the church of Santa María del Mar, the Mercer is an opulent 5-Star luxury hotel in an extremely popular location.
El Born Guest House by Casa Consell (Mid-Range Hotel): At the southeastern edge of the neighborhood, adjacent to Barceloneta and Parc de la Ciutadella, this charming guesthouse is stylish, central, and surprisingly affordable given the first two attributes I mentioned. Rooms are a little on the small side (especially the “small double rooms”), but if you’re planning on spending most of your time out exploring Barcelona, you don’t really need a big room anyway. Some rooms have cute little balconies, which look perfect for an afternoon glass of wine.
Pension Ciudadela (Guesthouse): A nice, family-run guesthouse (really, it’s a hostel without the bunk rooms) a few hundred feet away from Santa Maria del Mar, our favorite church in Barcelona after the Sagrada Familia. They have compact rooms – some with private external bathrooms, some ensuite – including family rooms with three beds (though the room is basically the same size, so it’s a tight squeeze!). Some rooms have balconies, and crucially, they all have A/C for the sweltering summer heat.
The Gothic Quarter: Narrow Alleyways and Lots of Tourists
The Gothic Quarter, home to the famous La Rambla, is the most heavily-visited area in the city. Of the words you hear spoken in the Gothic Quarter, the majority are likely to be in a language other than Spanish or Catalan.
Still, despite the fact that this entire area is built specifically to cater to tourists with shops selling knick-knacks and souvenirs that only tourists buy (and only a very specific type of tourists, usually, the ones who come on the giant cruise ships that dock nearby), there’s something very romantic about the narrow alleys and pedestrian-only streets of the Gothic Quarter.
The former Jewish Quarter (“El Call”), in particular, is one of our favorite parts of the city.
We’d highly recommend staying at least a block or two off of La Rambla if you do choose to stay here.
You’re going to pay a bit more than your room is worth anywhere in this part of the city since it’s so central and charming, but that issue is particularly bad around La Rambla, where hotels (and restaurants, for that matter) don’t even have to try to be good because of the location.
For what it’s worth, we’d much prefer the charm and ambiance of El Born, if you’re set on staying in the old city.
Pros and Cons of Staying in the Gothic Quarter
Here are the pros and cons of staying in the Gothic Quarter as we see them.
Pros of Staying in the Gothic Quarter:
- Romantic and Charming. Narrow alleys. Cobblestone streets. Plazas that emerge from seemingly out of nowhere. Once you leave La Rambla, it feels like you’re in a medieval town.
- THE Most Central Neighborhood. As you might imagine, the Gothic Quarter, which is the center of the Old Town, is the most central part of the city. Within about 15 minutes you can walk to El Raval, L’Eixample, and El Born, along with Barceloneta.
Cons of Staying in the Gothic Quarter:
- It’s Basically Exclusively Tourists. Around every corner, you’ll find a pack of tourists. Sometimes hundreds all shuffling along listening to a guide on a headset, if there’s a cruise ship in town (spoiler: there probably is). Everything in the Gothic Quarter caters to tourists, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing – it’s just a specific vibe that’s worth knowing ahead of time.
- La Rambla. Is this the most famous street in all of Spain? It’s at the top of the list for sure. We also think it’s the worst street in the country. It’s worth strolling once, from Placa de Catalunya to the Columbus statue with a stop at La Boqueria, but we wouldn’t eat, drink, or spend much time at all within a block or two of this heavily-trafficked, highly overrated boulevard.
The Best Places to Stay in the Gothic Quarter
Here are a few places to stay in the Gothic Quarter that stood out to us as good options.
The Wittmore (Boutique Hotel): Although located right in the heart of the old city, the Wittmore feels more like an intimate speakeasy or a private club. Think cozy and intimate, with a bar and dining area that are great for meeting new friends. Adults only, so perfect for couples!
Colón Hotel Barcelona (Boutique Hotel): I’m not sure the location of this boutique hotel in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter could be any better. Or, put another way, could the location BE any better (reference)? It’s right across the plaza from the Barcelona Cathedral, just a block from both the Mercado Santa Caterina and a couple of blocks from the Jewish Quarter, home of the aforementioned amazing tea shops. It’s a big hotel, with 129 rooms, and they range from “classic” to “design,” with the latter being both more stylish and more expensive. The important thing, we think, is the rooms with a Cathedral view, which is what you should probably focus on more than the design vs. classic distinction.
Ohla Barcelona (Luxury Hotel): If you’re looking for one of the best luxury hotels in the heart of Barcelona, look no further. The Ohla Hotel is opulent and luxurious, and the rooftop terrace and rooftop pool (an infinity pool, no less) is an excellent touch. The rooms are gigantic, at least compared to most other hotels in Barcelona, and they’re all stylish and comfortable. We like that the rooms have wooden floors (because carpets in hotel rooms are kind of gross, aren’t they?).
Barceloneta: A Vibrant Neighborhood with an Overrated Beach
Originally, I thought of Barceloneta as exclusively an area for the beach, which is a wide, sandy affair on the Mediterranean. We’re not huge beach people, so we kind of dismissed it and completely neglected including it in an earlier version of this guide.
However, after connecting with two locals on my latest trip during/after tours, I can firmly say that there’s A LOT more going on in Barceloneta than just the beach (spoiler: it’s mostly great food and drinks).
I actually had the privilege of walking through Barceloneta with Elvira, my guide on my walking tour with With Locals (highly recommend both the tour and Elvira as a guide!), and that’s when it clicked for me that Barceloneta is more than the beach.
We went to Mercat de la Barceloneta, which is a cornucopia of Catalan food (though I have Celiac Disease, which is a lot more complicated). To get there, we walked through the narrow streets lined by tall apartment buildings adorned with Catalan flags, and I realized that “oh yeah, people live here.”
Barceloneta as a neighborhood is a triangular manmade peninsula that juts out into the Mediterranean, bordered by the sea, El Born, and Poblenou (and Parc de la Ciutadella).
Generally speaking, the closer you get to the beach at the southern tip, the more generic it becomes. This part of the city has a high concentration of vacation rental listings, and their presence is hollowing out the neighborhood, forcing locals out as landlords chase the tourist money.
Like we’ve said before in this guide, we firmly believe that we as travelers should stay in hotels (or aparthotels), rather than individual vacation rentals, which hurt local communities by increasing housing prices and destroying the sense of community in the area with a revolving door of one to two day residents.
Which brings us to the biggest issue with Barceloneta: there’s really only one or two places to stay. Which is fine, that means it’s probably worth visiting during your trip, but staying elsewhere.
Pros and Cons of Staying in Barceloneta
Here are the pros and cons of staying in Barceloneta as we see them.
Pros of Staying in Barceloneta:
- The Beach. The main reason to stay here is probably the beach, though it’s not the best beach in the city, we’d say. If you want to soak up the beach vibes while still being within walking distance of a bunch of great places to eat and drink (and an easy ride to other parts of the city), Barceloneta is a good option.
- Good Food and Drinks. As we’ll cover in a second, this part of the city has retained some of the local residents and businesses that give it its character, and as a result there are some pretty good places to eat and drink here (more specifics in a second).
Cons of Staying in Barceloneta:
- It’s Not Particularly Well Connected. There’s a metro stop on the border with El Born (called Barceloneta), but as you get deeper into the peninsula, the connections become a little more tenuous, and you’re going to have a short walk to access the metro and buses.
- The Beach is Madness in the Summer. It’s the busiest part of Barcelona come July and August, and we’d actually just completely avoid it during that period. Head out to Poblenou a little further up the coast for better beaches that are more relaxed.
- There Aren’t Many Places to Stay. While there are a bunch of short term vacation rentals here (but we’ve covered that you should avoid these in Barcelona), there are only a couple of hotels in Barceloneta, which means your choices are few and far between. The main hotel – the beautiful W Hotel at the tip of the peninsula – is also pretty far from the metro.
Where NOT to Stay in Barcelona
Before we end this guide, we wanted to quickly take a second to cover the areas we would definitely NOT recommend staying based on our own experiences.
First of all, we wouldn’t stay anywhere within about two blocks of La Rambla (with a few exceptions). It’s loud, you’ll pay more than the room is worth, and it’s the most touristy part of the city (and you DEFINITELY shouldn’t eat in that area).
Generally, if you have a short stay in the city – less than five days – we’d recommend that you don’t stay outside of the main center (which we’d call Cituat Vella, l’Eixample, and Gràcia).
There’s a ton to do and see in Barcelona, and you’re definitely going to want to be as central and well-connected as possible.
An important note for Barcelona: short term rentals, like Airbnb for example, are heavily restricted and many existing listings are actually illegal.
Do not stay in a short term rental through Airbnb. If you need an apartment (I do, given that I have Celiac Disease and need access to a kitchen), there are managed apartment complexes that are basically hotels that you can stay at.
Here are four other neighborhoods we’d also stay away from.
Poblenou
Poblenou, which roughly translates to “new village” or “new town,” is a modern section of the city on the water to the east of the Ciutat Vella.
While it sounds nice, I was really turned off by the “vibiness” of this part of the city, which sort of makes sense when you consider the proximity to the beach.
It’s all brunch restaurants and nightclubs, at least along the water, and it feels like it could truly be in any city on the water in the world.
The part of this area closer to the water is also not easy to get to – the metro stations are a 10-15 minute walk away.
If you want to be near the beach, we’d recommend Barceloneta instead because it has a little more character, and it’s closer to the city center and transit options. It’s worth visiting, but we wouldn’t stay here.
Poble Sec
While Poblenou translates to new town, Poble Sec roughly translates to “dry town” (the reason I know “sec” is because I use it to describe wine in Spain) and is a residential neighborhood right at the base of Montjuïc.
It’s another place that, once you’re in the labyrinth of streets that start to climb the hill, feels like you’re in a village, not in one of the biggest cities in Europe.
The reason we wouldn’t stay here is simple: there are basically zero hotels in the charming part of the neighborhood, and it’s fairly far from the main attractions in Barcelona.
If you want that small town feeling, we’d stay in Gràcia instead, which is closer to almost everything.
Montjuïc / Plaça d’Espanya
The tallest point in Barcelona, Montjuïc is the hill that sits to the southwest of Barcelona’s city center.
Speaking from experience here, it is NOT easy to get to. It either involves a lot of walking (straight up or down a hill), or a combination of metro and funicular that, at peak times, can have long lines.
Plaça d’Espanya is the plaza at the base of the hill, and while it’s close to the train station (Barcelona Sants), it’s not particularly convenient for just about anything else.
You’ll be adding 10-15 minutes to every journey around the city if you stay here, and it’s actually not meaningfully cheaper than other, closer-in parts of the city.
El Raval
We have very mixed feelings on this one. You’ll know you’re in El Raval because you veer off of La Rambla and, all of a sudden, every other storefront is either a vintage clothing store, a record shop, or a tattoo artist’s studio.
I’m exaggerating, but not by much.
I’ve seen El Raval described as seedy or unsafe after dark, and while that might have been true several years ago (and is still true in small swaths of the neighborhood), I think it’s a bit exaggerated.
Having walked straight through this neighborhood several times alone on my previous trip, including early morning and late evening, I didn’t find it particularly unsettling (though that might be different for less experienced travelers, families, and solo female travelers).
However, while the risks are largely exaggerated, they also aren’t zero, and it is also true that it’s not super fun to be worried about your safety on vacation.
We’d stay elsewhere, but visit for food and drinks because there are some great spots here.
Planning a trip to Spain? We’d love to help!
Here are our other Spain travel guides to help you plan an incredible trip (even if you have to eat gluten free!).
If there’s no link below, it means we’re still working on it – long, in-depth guides take time! We’re working on it, though, we promise.
The first place to start, if you haven’t already found them, is with our detailed itineraries. We have one shorter version for 7 days in Spain, and one longer version for two weeks in Spain (with ideas for more and less time in both guides).
Our Barcelona Guides
- What to do in Barcelona (as a First Timer)
- How to Plan an Amazing 4 Day Barcelona Itinerary
- Where to Stay in Barcelona: A Complete Guide for First Timers
- 12 Things to Know Before You Visit Barcelona
- Gluten Free Barcelona: A Complete Guide to GF Restaurants + Bakeries
- Where to Find the Best Specialty Coffee in Barcelona
- How to Plan an Incredible Day Trip to Montserrat (from Barcelona)
Our Madrid Guides
- What to do in Madrid (as a First Timer)
- How to Plan an Amazing Madrid Itinerary (2 Days)
- Where to Stay in Madrid: A Complete Guide for First Timers
- 12 Things to Know Before You Visit Madrid
- Gluten Free Madrid: A Complete Guide to GF Restaurants + Bakeries
- Where to Find the Best Specialty Coffee in Madrid (for Coffee Nerds)
- How to Plan an Amazing Day Trip to Toledo (from Madrid)
The Rest of Spain
Me, my husband and sister in law are planning a trip to Spain in May. I just want to comment that your travel blog is wonderful. I have read “14 days in Spain” and plan to follow your recommended itinerary. My sister in law also has celiac disease so it seems like it was meant to be that I found it! Plus I live in Portland! One question I have is : can I print out the info? I hope so!
Thanks, Jill
Hey Jill! You hit the trifecta – Portland, Celiac, and planning a trip to Spain. Cheers to that!
Unfortunately, we don’t have a great way to print out the info, but you can hit “print” and save as a PDF (the only problem is that our guides are really long and have ads, which you can’t really remove using that technique.