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The Most Stylish Barcelona Beach Hotels For A Shoreside City Break
Right on the shore or within a quick walk, these are the best beach hotels in Barcelona
The Spanish city has it all – sun, sea, sand, and lots of culture, but best of all Barcelona has beach hotels, which means half of your holiday can be high-brow and the rest can be horizontal on a sun lounger.
Picasso pilgrims will love the museum dedicated to the artist, who spent his formative years here. Then there’s the most famous unfinished church in the world, the art nouveau La Sagrada Familia – and Gaudí fans should also stop by Park Güell to be dazzled by the architect’s creative use of colourful mosaics.
Buzzy El Born is Barcelona’s hippest quarter, where ancient medieval alleys are now lined with boutiques and bars.
The W outpost right on the Barceloneta (the city’s beach district) boardwalk wins the prize for most perfectly placed Barcelona beach hotel – the sail-shaped structure right on the sand is the only hotel with direct access to the shore.
Hotel Arts showcases the sea from its spa (as if you needed another excuse to check in for a treatment), and Melia Barcelona Sky is as lofty as its name suggests, with a rooftop pool vying for your attention over the beach.
Some are a little stroll away from the sand, but that just means you can stop off for tapas or sangria – or dip into a museum or gallery – along the way. Read on for the ELLE UK edit of the best Barcelona beach hotels…
W Barcelona
You can’t miss the sail-shaped W Barcelona, right on the beach and always bringing the parties. The beach may provide strong competition, but the rooftop bar on the 26th floor is also a pretty great spot to hang out at – as is the cabana-lined pool. Luckily for diehard sand enthusiasts though, the hotel is the only place in the city to offer direct access to the beachfront.
Unsurprisingly with a setting this close to the Barceloneta boardwalk, many of the rooms have Mediterranean views. And if you want to go all out, some of the suites have circular beds from where to lie back and enjoy the sea through floor-to-ceiling windows.
Hotel Arts Barcelona
Next to the beach and beside the Olympic port, Hotel Arts gives you the best of both sides of the city, with views of the skyline and sea in either direction. It’s the proud owner of the only spa in town with sea views – and if anything can improve a massage, it’s a nap in a Mediterranean-facing lounger afterwards.
The 44-floor tower, which is as sparkly as the sea below thanks to a clever use of glass and steel, is also home to a restaurant with two Michelin stars (and various other dining options), two outdoor pools and some gorgeous gardens.
Melia Barcelona Sky
This Melia outpost is in El Poblenou, the part of Barcelona built all that way back for the Olympics in 1992. Predictably for a sleek skyscraper, Melia Barcelona Sky's interiors are just as glossy, with gleaming white floors, shiny red furniture, colourful rugs and contemporary artworks. The views get better with every floor you ascend, with La Sagrada Familia visible from some of the rooms.
It’s close to Platja de la Mar Bella, but the rooftop pool might just captivate you first. Along with more casual dining on the ground-floor, Skyline 24 (on the 24th storey) is where to head to enjoy the terrace – and panoramic views of the city.
Occidental Atenea Mar
Within sprinting distance (150 metres) of the city’s Nova Mar Bella beach, this adults-only hotel has some sun-worshipping space of its own, including a terrace, a sea-facing pool and a solarium with Balinese beds and hammocks. Be sure to book a room with a sea view (the rest look out across the city) at Occidental Atenea Mar, and in the unlikely event that it’s cold outside, you can warm up with a trip to the sauna or gym.
It’s close to the marina, a short stroll from a shopping centre and less than a mile from two more beaches: Bogatell and Nova Icària.
Grand Hotel Central
Home to a serious rooftop pool (who needs the beach really?), Grand Hotel Central is indeed both grand and central, on the edge of the Gothic Quarter on Via Laietana in El Born, and within a 20-minute walk of the shore. The interiors have neoclassical columns and copper doors, with pared-back, contemporary rooms and an elaborate entrance hall with wrought-iron lighting and a sweeping staircase.
The bistro serves classic Mediterranean cuisine in plates that are perfect for sharing, but understandably the Skybar is where it’s at, mostly for its majestic Barcelona views, but for tapas and cocktails, too. There's a spa on the eighth floor for anyone whose city-pounding step count has them in need of recuperation – it has a hammam, sauna and an array of treatments.
Mercer Hotel Barcelona
Also in the Gothic Quarter, but just 20 minutes’ walk from sunny shores, Mercer Hotel Barcelona has an excellent location: along with its proximity to the beach, it’s close to the cathedral, the Picasso museum, La Boqueria market and one of the most famous streets in the world (AKA La Rambla). It’s also near the coolest district (El Born) and medieval streets to roam in search of hipster-approved hangouts.
The hotel is formed from a group of historic buildings, set around the ancient Roman walls – and the makeover preserved all of the best bits, including 18th-century wooden ceilings, 14th-century arches and 12th-century frescoes.
The Wittmore
If you love boutique hotels, you'll love this petite pad tucked away on a quiet Barcelona street. Behind a black door at the end of a Gothic Quarter alley, the Wittmore is one for the bon vivants in search of speakeasy vibes, endless aperitivo hours and a sense of humour (the restaurant’s even called Witty).
There’s fun to be had on every floor, from the leafy patio all the way up to the sun deck, which has an incredible dome-filled view, a plunge pool and sunshine-yellow cushions. The members’-club-worthy interiors are altogether darker, with tartan fabrics, velvet armchairs, patterned wallpaper and wooden cabinets giving it more of a country-house feel.
Barceloneta Suites
These characterful apartments are in the former fishermen’s quarter of Barceloneta, but not far from La Rambla. They’re set in historic quarterhouses, but ones that have been modernised with televisions, WiFi and air-conditioning. Most of the apartments at Barceloneta Suites have a balcony, and you have access to the rooftop terrace, which has far-reaching views of both sea and city.
For the most space, go for a split-level suite with the bed on the mezzanine. The neighbourhood has lots of equally charming seafood restaurants, or you can attempt to make your own tapas in your apartment’s kitchen.
Serras Barcelona
This hotel might be a short walk from the beach in the Gothic Quarter, but it’s worth it to stay somewhere so stylish, with its high ceilings, industrial accents and inviting lounge-style furniture. Eating and drinking options at Serras span a cocktail bar on the roof – with a plunge pool, fairy lights, DJs and a view of the water – to the really rather smart Informal restaurant, which showcases the best of local Catalan produce, and the library-style Le Nine cocktail bar.
The 1846 building was designed by the same architect behind the Plaça Reial square – and the history doesn’t stop there: Pablo Picasso’s first studio was here. Some of the rooms at this five-star retreat have a view out across Marina Port Vell.
Ohla Barcelona
A mile from the city’s beaches, Ohla ticks all of the Barcelona boxes: rooftop pool, tapas restaurant and artful interiors – all of which combine to make it one of the best hotels in the city. Once the site of a palace and more latterly a department store, the historic building is now most notably the home of a thousand ceramic eyes on its neoclassical façade, which was all that remained when the hotel was built.
Under all of those watchful gazes, you can enjoy Michelin-starred meals at Caelis, views of the cathedral served with a cocktail on the rooftop (where there’s a pool) and tapas overlooking the street below. For the gourmands in your party, tasting menus at Caelis feature dishes such as squid-ink bread, lobster and foie gras macaroni, and possibly the world's fanciest 'sandwich', filled with beetroot, anchovies and crème fraîche.
Kimpton Vividora
This Barcelona hotel may be a mile from the beach (15 minutes on foot), but it’s worth it for its beaut of a rooftop, from which you’ll be able to admire many of the city sights. It’s in the buzzy Gothic Quarter, which has some of the best bars and restaurants in town, and is a must for any self-respecting Barcelona itinerary.
The sandy shores may be calling, but the Kimpton Vividora rooftop – and its pool, sunloungers and cocktails – will be doing its best to distract you. There are hand-painted tiles to admire and a Mediterranean menu to enjoy at Fauna, which was designed to feel like a dining room in an especially fabulous friend's home. Dishes here include various types of croquettes, pork meatballs with scallops and Iberian pancetta, and a rich, indulgent canneloni, with a cheese selection and plates of jamón to pick at while you deliberate. Or guests can watch the world go by over caffeine and cava at the street-facing Got Coffee & Cocktails.
Hesperia Barcelona del Mar
If you're in search of a Barcelona beach hotel on the more budget-friendly side, look no further than this simple stay. It's located just east of the city centre and between the Gloriès square and the beach, in El Poblenou, which is now one of Barcelona’s hippest ’hoods, in part owing to its redevelopment in time for the '92 Olympics. It almost feels like its own coastal town, but all the delights of central Barcelona are still within easy reach.
The district’s Hesperia Barcelona del Mar has 84 rooms, each of which has views of the sea; some have a sea-facing balcony, too. As well as the beach, guests can enjoy Barcelona’s most creative quarter – and its many tapas bars, cool cafés and converted factories.
The Hoxton, Poblenou
You can't go wrong with a Hoxton hotel. The rapidly expanding group has brought its signature London style to the sunny shores of Barcelona – the Poblenou setting is a few blocks back from the beach. As with its sister properties elsewhere on the globe (from Portland to Paris), the hotel is a real hub, with social spaces that include a rooftop pool and taqueria, a lively lobby, a pizza terrace and shop, and an events area in the basement.
The views on the roof feature the city’s most famous sight, La Sagrada Familia, and you’ll be able to enjoy them with flowing margaritas and tacos.
If you're hoping to hang around for a while (and let's face it, who wouldn't, given Barcelona's sunny climate), book one of the hotel's Homey rooms, each of which has a lounge, dining space and kitchenette, ready and waiting for you to cook up your haul from Mercado de la Boqueria.
Yurbban Trafalgar
Yurbban Trafalgar is between Plaça de Catalunya and Parc de la Ciutadella, a mile or so from the sand. There are a few sunloungers up on the decking around the pool to secure if you don’t fancy the stroll – the views up here are quite something. Breakfast like a local with a plate of pan con tomate or freshly made tortilla, perfect sustenance ahead of a day exploring Barcelona's key sights (or just locating a sunlounger at the beach).
For more glimpses of the Barcelona skyline, simply book a room with a terrace. The hotel also has rooms that can accommodate three guests, making them a perfect option for groups of friends travelling together. Sister hotel Yurbban Passage is where to head if you're in need of a spa.
The Social Hub
The Social Hub is a co-working space in the Barcelona neighbourhood of El Poblenou, a hipster-approved hangout with converted factories now housing trendy tech companies, a flea market and the hard-to-miss Torre Glòries skyscraper (keen high-rise spotters may detect a resemblance to London’s Gherkin).
Digital nomads will want to move in to this creative, community-focused space: each room has a king-size bed and desk; and the Playroom is for those who favour work over play, since it has a bar and can host karaoke nights and pyjama parties. There’s a rooftop bar and pool with an impressive view of the city. You’ll be able to transition swiftly from desk to beach – the closest stretches of sand are Llevant and Bogatell.
Hotel Paxton
This is another one for the sun-seeking digital nomads hoping to make Barcelona their second home (and not just because it has a co-working space on-site). Also in El Poblenou, Hotel Paxton has an aptly named restaurant and terrace: Yolo is where to head for good times that you won’t want to miss out on. A rooftop pool and, preferably, bar or restaurant is a must for hotels in Barcelona, and Paxton obliges with its sociable outdoor hub upstairs.
If you really want to make the most of the city’s sunny climate, book one of the rooms with a private patio and garden, and soak up those Mediterranean rays – even in January, the coolest it gets during the day is around 12 degrees Celsius. Design details in the rooms include glossy wooden floors, partition screens and an all-important desk.
Caroline Lewis has been a travel journalist for more than a decade, reviewing luxury hotels and covering destinations all over the world, but with a soft spot for Greek islands and absolutely anywhere in Italy.
Among her most memorable trips are a month spent subsisting almost solely on guacamole in Mexico, sleeping in a room made of ice in Swedish Lapland and a rather lengthy but thankfully bear-free drive across America's wild west.
She was previously deputy chief sub-editor on the print team at Harper’s Bazaar and is a long-time contributor and editor at Mr & Mrs Smith. She writes about travel for Hearst Digital titles such as Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, Red, Esquire and more. She read English and Philosophy at Durham, before doing a master's degree in magazine journalism in her hometown of Bournemouth.
When she's not testing out the buzziest new hotels, she's at home in London, probably baking.
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