Which luxury Barcelona hotels really provide?

Barcelona has a good selection of luxury hotels, but if you’re lucky enough that you don’t even look at the room rate when booking, which do you choose?

Hotel Arts Barcelona was once the place to go, but what is sure is that Hotel Arts isn’t for everyone. For a start, it isn’t hard to find hotels in Barcelona that are much prettier. And while the hotel is on the sea front, it isn’t exactly well located, unless you plan on spending most of your time in the next-door casino.

However, what it does have are a lot of rooms; 483 standard rooms and suites and 365 deluxe suits according to Hotel Arts website; and on top of that, 33 executive suites. Obviously, all those guests need to be fed and so they have the choice of five restaurants with a variety of cuisine and with the spa and health area you can spend all your time being pampered in real luxury.

But there are plenty of great restaurants in Barcelona and you’ll find a better vibe by eating out. Despite being next to the sea it isn’t in a great location, so it’s hard to work out why anyone would stay at Hotel Arts rather than one of the old hotels in the old town or Eixample where you get some real character and get the feeling of real opulence – the best luxury hotels in Barcelona also provide the sumptuousness of a bygone era.

Another hotel that is hard to work out is Gran Hotel La Florida, which perched up on Tibidabo hill has a great view of the city, but is so far removed from the action. The service and facilities may all exceed what you’d expect from a 5-star hotel, but unless you have rented a car you’ll need a taxi each time you travel along the long winding road into Barcelona and if you want to be remote from the city then you’re better off being REALLY remote and nowhere near Barcelona – Cadaques or Port de la Selva spring to mind, where you can rent an apartment.

If you’ve arrived in Barcelona for a night while on a cruise then I can see why you might stay at Eurostar Grand Marina, although once again it’s in a pretty ugly building near the docks – it is well located for the Ramblas though.

Speaking of the Ramblas, Le Meridien Barcelona is located about half way up the Ramblas at 111 – at least a building with a bit of history and the façade is spectacular – this is a true luxury hotel. And on the other side of Plaça Catalunya on Passeig de Gràcia you’ll find Majestic Hotel, another stunning example of Barcelona architecture and perfectly located for the Gaudi buildings La Pedrera and Casa Batllo and the nearby Claris – both offer superb service.

And further up Passeig de Gràcia you’ll find Casa Fuster, which was designed by the renowned Catalan modernista architect Lluis Domenech i Montaner and when completed in 1911 was renowned for being the most expensive house in Barcelona due to the materials employed in its construction.

Located above Av. Diagonal, Casa Fuster was bought in 2000 with the idea of converting it into a hotel, and the subsequent refurbishment and conversion completed in 2004. Today Casa Fuster seems to be a favourite with the movie set, including Woody Allen, who stayed here while filming “Vicky Christina Barcelona”, even performing an impromptu jazz concert in the lounge.

The hotel has 96 rooms offering unrivalled comfort in a modern design incorporating original architectural features. Suites have king-size beds and wrought-iron balconies, while rooms have flat-screen TVs and remote-controlled lighting.

Finally, the former Ritz is another of 5-star hotels in Barcelona you should be considering – once they’ve finished renovating it anyway. Today its known as the Hotel Palace, which you’ll find on Gran Via and whose guests have included everyone from Frank Sinatra to James Bond actors Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan.

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