WHERE TO STAY IN BARCELONA: BEST AREAS AND RECOMMENDED HOTELS

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Barcelona is one of our favorite places in the world. For us it is the perfect city: we spend more than 5 years living here and we know that, sooner or later, we will return. If you are about to visit it for the first time, you will surely ask what are the best areas to stay in Barcelona. So in this post we are going to give you a cable: we are going to recommend the neighborhoods where to look for accommodation and we will give you a few options of hotels to stay in Barcelona.

If you want more information, visit our TRAVEL GUIDE TO BARCELONA

The plan of Barcelona is very easy to understand, but we will make it even easier: we consider the Catalonia Square as the (tourist) center of the city, and the Great Via as the artery that divides it in two (although it is much longer, we are interested in the part between Plaza de España and Plaza de les Glories). To the north would be the Eixample, which is divided into Right and Left, and to the south the Ciutat Vella, the old town of Barcelona, divided into Borne, Gothic and Raval. In the center of Eixample is the Grace Walk, the most prestigious street in terms of accommodation. Any location that is near here, in principle will be a good option. But keep in mind the following recommendations.

It would be the first place where we would look. It is the most central area of Barcelona, from here you will have everything at hand and you will hardly need to use public transport. And also the most coveted, so don't expect to find cheap accommodations. Of course, if a good deal comes out, do not think about it! And you know, the closer to Paseo de Gracia and Plaza Cataluña, the better.

Recommended hotels in the left Eixample:

Ona Hotels Mosaic
Praktik RamblaY Praktik Vinoteca
Oliva Hostel

From Eixample right, the Sagrada Familia neighborhood is our favorite and where we live in our years in Barcelona. It is a family and quiet neighborhood, although it has a large tourist influx due to the fact that, here, is one of the main protagonists of the city: the Sagrada Familia. So in the surroundings of the spectacular church of Gaudí (Av. Gaudí, Plaza de la Sagrada and little else) there are lots of restaurants and places for tourists, but the rest of the neighborhood is a haven of peace.

But keep in mind that you will not be in the same heart, and to visit the major tourist attractions you will have to walk for a little while (about 25 or 30 minutes to Plaza Cataluña) or use public transport.

The areas of Passeig San Joan, Plaza Tetuán or Arc de Triomf are also recommended in this area.

Recommended hotels in Sagrada Familia:

Hotel Sagrada Familia
Hotel Ibis Barcelona Centro
Hostemplo Sagrada Familia
Hotel Best Aranea

Although at the logistic level Gracia is not the best neighborhood in Barcelona, it is a place full of personality and a quite authentic corner, far from the tourist circuit that is mounted on the Rambla. The neighborhood has a family atmosphere, but with an alternative touch that gives it a special charm. In addition there are several small squares with very nice terraces, restaurants and cafes very rich and varied and a very active nightlife.

There is not much hotel offer around here, but you will find enough tourist flats, so we leave a discount for your first booking with Airbnb.

Recommended hotels in Gracia:

Grace House
Hotel Well and Come
Gracia Garden Boutique Hotel

They are two of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Barcelona and, taking into account their location, also two of the most tourist. Here it is easy to find accommodation, so you will have no problem getting a little hotel or a perfect apartment for you. But beware, being such a tourist area, often the prices of bars and restaurants are higher (without being crazy, as in the Rambla).

In addition, unlike the Eixample where moving is super simple, the Borne and the Gothic are composed of labyrinthine and narrow alleys, which at night can give some impression of insecurity. Of course, you will have most of the essential places to visit in Barcelona a few steps away!

Recommended hotels in the Borne and the Gothic

Fontanella Art Rooms
Ciutat de Barcelona
Chic & Basic Born Boutique Hotel

Is it dangerous to travel to Barcelona? In recent times this is a question we have received more than once. Undoubtedly, the city of Barcelona is going through a rather movidito moment ... but we believe that with common sense and open eyes you will not have problems on your trip. Always take care of your belongings, especially in tourist places, and try not to walk alone in the early morning through lonely streets (better get a taxi).

Poble Nou is one of the emerging areas of Barcelona, well ... it has emerged! It is a fairly quiet and different neighborhood, although it is somewhat far from the center, it is very well connected by metro, bus and tram. It also has a plus: the beaches of Barcelona are a stone's throw away. If you are looking for accommodation in this area, we recommend you focus on the Rambla del Poblenou, a street that is very cool for us personally.

Recommended hotels in Poblenou:

Poblenou B&B
Voraport Act
Ilunion Barcelona

In this same neighborhood of Poblenou, but in a slightly uglier area, you can find super interesting options. In general this area is not unsafe, but historically it has been of factories, workshops and warehouses and, although little by little it is being converted, there are still streets that are not the typical image that we have in mind over Barcelona. However there are hotels with swimming pool at very good prices and it is well connected with the rest of Barcelona with transport. Look at these hotels:

NH Barcelona Diagonal Center
Hotel Best 4 Barcelona
Hotel ibis Barcelona Pza Glories 22

In the past it was a marginal neighborhood, almost belittled ... but today, thanks to its privileged location just steps from the sea, the Barceloneta has become one of the most sought-after neighborhoods for tourists. Do not be confused: the atmosphere is still quite local (and somewhat decadent), it is not a glamorous area - not at all - but it is a very good place to enjoy a tourist-beach vacation (although I tell you a secret: the best beaches of Barcelona ... are not in Barcelona :-p).

Recently it has been the neighborhood we have chosen for our sporadic trips to Barcelona, and the truth is that we loved it. Of course, hotels in Barceloneta are scarce, so it is best to look for apartments on Airbnb. If you are interested in this area, look especially near the Mercat de la Barceloneta (Plaça del Poeta Boscà).

If you travel alone and prefer to stay in a hostel, sharing a room to save money, or you like the roll of meeting other travelers, in Barcelona there are very good options. Here are our favorite hostels:

Generator Barcelona
Sant Jordi Gracia
Yeah Hostel
Barcelona & You Hostel Sagrada Familia
Rodamon Barcelona Hostel
TOC Hostel Barcelona
The Moods Cathedral

There are some areas of Barcelona where we do not recommend looking for accommodation, for different reasons. These are:

- El raval, although it is a neighborhood that we personally like very much, it is not enjoying its best moment. So considering that you don't know what its main and most problematic streets are, it's almost better not to look for accommodation here.

- Another neighborhood with some bad reputation is The Carmel. Be careful, because we have friends who have lived there and tell us they were in glory. But logistically it is not interesting, as is the entire area of Horta. It is quite far and to go anywhere in the center will take a while.

- We also do not recommend staying in full Rambla, it is the most tourist street in Barcelona and where the worst is probably concentrated.

- Not around the Park Guell since, at the logistic level, it is not at all well located.

- We would discard Sants, Les Corts Y Sarrià, although they are good districts of Barcelona, it is quite far from the center.

We leave you a map where we indicate the best areas of Barcelona to find accommodation, and the location of the hotels and hostels that we have recommended:

Hopefully this post will make you clearer where to stay in Barcelona And I can help you organize your trip to Barcelona. If you find a good hotel in another area and want to know if it is recommended, do not hesitate to send us an email / comment: we will be happy to help you. What is your favorite neighborhood in Barcelona?