Cities don’t come much more stylish than Barcelona, but you don’t need a blowout budget to feel rather swish yourself in the Catalan capital. Tapas and beers on a pavement terrace are affordable if you avoid the most touristy spots and smart-but-not-stuffy places to stay have mushroomed in recent years. Take your pick from this selection of affordable hotels in Barcelona with zingy design, bright rooms and rooftop pools — and young teams keen to share their insider knowledge and help you get the most out of your stay.
In Barcelona you often get a more rewarding experience if you base yourself in a neighbourhood a few blocks away from the main sights where you can walk, cycle or jump on the metro to get where you want to be within a quarter of an hour or so.
Budget doesn’t mean basic or boring when it comes to accommodation in Barcelona, where no-frills hotels are all about bright ideas to fit their guests’ lifestyles.
Main photo: España, Raval
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1. Room Mate Carla, Eixample
Best for stylish stays
Bold blues and greens pop against bright white walls at the Room Mate Carla, where Designer Tomás Alia has brought sixties fun to an elegant building in the Eixample. With the Sagrada Familia and countless examples of Catalan art nouveau within walking distance, this is a good base for architecture lovers. You can amble up to the cool Gràcia neighbourhood too. As at all Room Mate hotels, the focus is on the essentials such as top-quality beds and great showers in stylish rooms — and breakfast is sensibly available until noon.
Spa N
Pool N
Price £
2. Market, Sant Antoni
Best for neighbourhood vibes
The Market was a pioneer of the trend for style-with-no-frills budget hotels in Barcelona and is still delivering great value for money nearly two decades on. The Sant Antoni neighbourhood is a lot cooler now than it was then, but you still get more of an authentic experience here — and can walk to the Ramblas or Plaça Catalunya in 15 minutes or so. Original features of the 19th-century building contrast with contemporary décor in the black and white rooms, which have wooden floors and sleek bathrooms. The hotel’s restaurant and bar are mainstays in the barrio, so you get in the local swing from the word go.
Spa N
Pool N
Price £
3. España, Raval
Best for Catalan character
You soak up the history, art and architecture of the Catalan capital without even trying here. Just off the Ramblas, the España has come a long way since it opened in the late 19th-century and now mixes chic contemporary design with original art nouveau features. Mermaids drift across the murals in the breakfast room and an alabaster fireplace adorns the bar. Multi-Michelin-starred chef Martín Berasategui oversees the Fonda España restaurant, with his disciple German Espinosa at the helm. Backlit artworks act as dramatic headboards in the smart but small rooms, while up on the roof you can slouch around on the rather cool Alaire Ramblas Terrace, where there is a bar, sundeck and plunge pool.
Spa N
Pool Y
Price £
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4. Brummell, Poble Sec
Best for Taking a step back
Brummell in quietly cool Poble Sec provides a calmer, neighbourhood experience than what you’ll find in the centre. On the edge of Montjuïc, the huge hillside park where the Miró museum is situated, the boutique hotel has 20 rooms and a fresh look with concrete walls softened by pale teal and green tones. Join a running session or borrow a bike to explore the city then relax in the sauna. You can also cool off in the small pool on the roof terrace then sink into a deckchair with a book.
Spa N
Pool Y
Price £
5. Chic&Basic Boutique Born, Born
Best for design on a budget
The Chic&Basic group was one of the first to offer simple but smart accommodation in Barcelona and now has six hotels around the city. A grand 19th-century residence in Born has 31 dramatic, dazzling white rooms, most with high ceilings and balconies. The most striking feature is the shower in the room itself, which will delight some but not others — but you can always pop downstairs to the Help Yourself counter for a coffee if a bit of discretion is required. Rent a bike or an electric scooter to zip down to the waterfront and zoom along the promenade.
Spa N
Pool N
Price £
6. Villa Emilia, Eixample
Best for feeling like a local
Elegant and understated, the Villa Emilia is a few blocks away from the busiest parts of the city centre in a smart area with plenty of non-touristy bars and restaurants. Murals featuring palm trees and tropical flowers give a warm feel in the 53 comfortable rooms and the hotel has a bar, restaurant and rooftop terrace which are popular with non-guests and have regular live music sessions and barbecues. Refreshingly, this is not a place that shouts about how cool it is. If you are forever endeavouring to find a stylish, grown-up hotel where you feel at home and rates are reasonable, this will be right up your street.
Spa N
Pool N
Price £
7. Praktik Vinoteca, Eixample
Best for wine buffs
The Praktik group has five hotels in the Catalan capital, all with remarkably reasonable rates and each with its own theme — the Vinoteca will of course appeal to oenophiles. In a non-touristy bit of the Eixample with plenty of bars and restaurants nearby, the hotel is a ten-minute walk from Plaça Catalunya. Rooms are simply furnished but are livened up with wine-related artworks. The reception area is also a wine bar with stacks of bottles to get you in the mood and it is well worth doing a tasting with the hotel’s sommelier to learn about Catalan and other Spanish wines.
Spa N
Pool N
Price £
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8. Ciutat Barcelona, Ciutat Vella
Best for being in the heart of the action
This is one of those everything-you-need-and-nothing-you-don’t places and will suit you if you like a bit of cool city buzz. The great location is very handy — if you aren’t too fussed about being on a busy street — bordering the Born area and close to the Gothic quarter. The 78 rooms aren’t a bad size at all and have a bright Mediterranean vibe with sky blue, lemon and olive décor. Facilities are limited but there is a tempting sundeck with a splash pool and bar on the roof.
Spa N
Pool Y
Price £
9. Barcelona 1882, Eixample
Best for families
The four-star Barcelona 1882 is a few blocks from the Sagrada Familia — the construction of which began in that year. Snazzy floor tiles and mid-century style create a buzzy, contemporary vibe and the views from the rooftop bar and pool show off the architecture of the Catalan capital in all its glory. The family and accessible and rooms are great here which makes a refreshing change and the hotel’s car park also has space for adapted cars and recharging points. With bikes for rent and free yoga sessions and guided tours, the Barcelona 1882 is bursting with good ideas to ensure your stay is memorable.
Spa N
Pool Y
Price £
10. Catalonia Portal de l’Àngel, Gothic Quarter
Best for strategic location
Near Plaça Catalunya, this three-star hotel really punches above its weight. On a pedestrianised shopping street with a lot of sights as well as tons of cafés and restaurants within a ten-minute walking radius, it is very handy for popping in and out during the day. You get a feel of the character of the 19th-century building in the grand entrance, which leads through to a garden at the back where there is a small swimming pool. While the rooms aren’t madly exciting, they have everything you need to be comfortable. A good choice if you couldn’t care less about staying somewhere fashionable.
Spa N
Pool Y
Price £
11. Motel One Barcelona-Ciutadella, Born
Best for practicality with style
Budget doesn’t mean basic at the Motel One Barcelona-Ciutadella, where the contemporary Catalan decor features furniture by leading designer Patricia Urquiola and dramatic wallpaper by illustrator Lara Costafreda, who was inspired by the plants and trees in the nearby Ciutadella park. The 301 rooms are small but smart with great beds and showers. Guests hang out or work in the buzzy lobby bar or up on the rooftop terrace. You’ll find yourself in a very handy location here for strolling through the medieval lanes of the Born district and down to the sea.
Spa N
Pool N
Price £
12. H10 Cubik, Ciutat Vella
Best for Design without the price tag
Close to the astounding Palau de la Mùsica concert hall, one of the best examples of Catalan art nouveau architecture in the city, the H10 Cubik is yet another creation by star designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán. Expect signature features such as bold geometric prints and squashy leather sofas in the lobby and bar, with mid-century elegance in the 101 rooms. A small pool, cocktail bar and restaurant on the roof terrace help to make this a good all-rounder where surprisingly reasonable rates are often available.
Spa N
Pool Y
Price £
13. Granados 83, Eixample
Best for art lovers
There is an industrial look at the four-star Granados 83, which is part of the Derby group, whose hotels always feature Asian and Egyptian artworks from the owner’s collections. Away from the main tourist areas but still central, you walk out of the door onto streets lined with galleries and quietly fashionable bars and restaurants. The 77 rooms and suites — some duplex — have open-brick walls and leather sofas and there is a rooftop terrace with a little pool and a bar. This is a good fit if you’ve been to Barcelona a few times, prefer a more local vibe, are keen on art and culture and don’t want to spend a fortune but like a bit of design.
Spa N
Pool Y
Price £
14. Jazz, Eixample
Best for handy location
Don’t be put off by the three-star rating — the Jazz has plenty going for it. It is right by Plaça Catalunya and the Ramblas and has a rooftop terrace with a pool, bar and live music in warm weather. Rooms, in black, white and charcoal, are a reasonable size and have everything you need for a city break base. There is no proper restaurant but you don’t need one with so many options in the immediate vicinity. It’s also easy to reach from the airport by public transport.
Spa N
Pool Y
Price £
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