Planning a trip and wondering where to stay in Barcelona? During my most recent trip to this incredible city, I stayed at two different hotels that I think any Barcelona travelers should check out: Hotel Motel One Barcelona-Ciutadella & NH Collection Barcelona Gran Calderón. Keep reading for a quick description of both!
Hotel Motel One Barcelona-Ciutadella
Don’t let the name fool you, this is no “motel.” Hotel Motel One is a design-focused boutique hotel chain that offers low-cost lodgings in city centres across the world.
Booking accommodations for this trip was the first time I’d heard about Hotel Motel One. Given the name and the meaning generally attached to lodgings described as “motels” that I’m familiar with, I was a bit apprehensive but couldn’t resist the price. And I was more than pleasantly suprised upon arrival.
This “motel” is more like a boutique hotel, with exclusive, high-quality interior designs and great amenities, including a large lobby-level lounge and a spacious rooftop terrace. The room was small but had all of the necessities, and anything else I needed was made available by the reception.
Daily breakfast was really great, with lots of options and at a low price (~12 euro, if I remember correctly). The location was also amazing–right across from Parque de la Ciutadella, just up the street from Arc de Triomf, a short walk from the beach in one direction and the Gothic Quarter in the other, and steps away from a metro to get you anywhere else you need to go.
After this experience with Hotel Motel One, I am positive that I will stay with them again in other cities. You cannot beat the value of their rooms, given their locations and well-thought out, high-quality, boutique designs.
NH Collection Gran Hotel Calderón
Reminiscing the balcony views from my suite at NH Collection Gran Hotel Calderón. Just steps away from Plaça de Catalunya and La Rambla de
Barcelona, this luxury hotel in the Example district is an ideal home base for your Barcelona visit.
Featuring modern, minimalist-chic rooms, the hotel offers a number of amenities, including a rooftop terrace and bar with panoramic city views.
It’s also walking distance from the Gothic Quarter, Passeig de Grâcia, and multiple major metro stations, making exploring the city extra easy.
The cherry on top was the large furnished balcony with incredible city views. Head to my Barcelona Instagram story highlight for a closer look!
While I had a great experience at both hotels, I would say that I think Motel One is the better overall value considering its incredible location and the room aesthetic. The rooms are small but affordable for the city, the daily breakfast is inexpensive and offers a range of fresh food options, the large communal space on the ground floor and rooftop terrace are great hang-out spots, and the location is fantastic. I can’t recommend it enough!
NH Collection is in ideal location as well, with bigger rooms, but a booking can be quite expensive–I booked with points, which made it worth it. But I heard from others that their daily breakfast is incredibly expensive for not the best food. Not to mention, I actually had to move rooms because the one I was originally booked in was in pretty bad shape. If you do stay here, I’d recommend getting a balcony room that looks onto the main road (rather than the buildings in the back).
Which of these hotels would you stay at? Let me know in the comments!
Hopefully this post has helped you figure out where to stay in Barcelona. For more Barcelona tips, check out my Best of Barcelona blog post or visit me on Instagram at @la_wandereuse.
