Top 10: the best luxury hotels in Barcelona

An expert guide to the best luxury hotels in Barcelona, including the best for rooftop pools, funky bars, Michelin-starred restaurants, luxurious rooms with beach views and top-notch spas, near La Rambla, the beach and the Sagrada Família.

A palimpsest of Barcelona historical architecture: the Mercer is housed in a mostly medieval building built on to a section of the city's Roman wall, and includes a defence tower from that era. Its bare walls and ancient lintels are visible in many of the rooms. Service is hushed and polished. Most rooms are set around a quiet breakfast patio filled with orange blossom and jasmine, while others face a vertical garden. A smart, high-end Mediterranean restaurant is situated against the Roman wall (take a peek at the medieval frescoes in the private dining room in the defence tower).

• The best Barcelona hotels with rooftop bars

A thoroughly modern-looking five-star hotel positioned right on the beach. A good-sized swimming pool sits alongside Frank Gehry's huge, shimmering 'Fish' sculpture, next to a generous garden with small children's pool, and there is a well-equipped gym and spa. Some bedrooms look out to sea, some over the city, but the best have a view of both. With five restaurants, ranging from an all-day, child-friendly bistro to the two Michelin-starred Enoteca, you'll be spoilt for choice with food.

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One for avid shoppers, aficionados of Antoni Gaudí and lovers of all things stylish. The rooms are smart and bright, and the staff excellent, but where the hotel really shines is in the communal areas: guests can relax in the lovely Mimosa garden area on the first floor, or up on the rooftop with pool and panoramic views. Little expense is spared on the extras in the rooms, from good-quality aromatherapy toiletries to leather-bound notebooks and a box of chocolates on arrival.

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This hotel housed in the former headquarters of the city’s cotton guild has honoured its origins, with modern artworks and bold colours complementing the grace of the building. The result really is beautiful. The standard rooms are decently sized, immaculate and all-white, save the odd cotton-themed botanic print. Beds are huge, as are the rain showers. You can take breakfast out on the terrace if the weather is good. The cocktail bar sits within the dining room, but if you’re not eating, the loveliest place to drink is the library, still stacked high with original books.

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The Majestic has long been a place in which locals take pride (and will come to dine or drink). It's grand in the old sense, but with every modern facility you might require. It has worked hard of late to shake off its fusty image, with a brighter dining experience and DJs mixing on the rooftop sun deck. There’s also an excellent spa with a dazzling range of treatments. A spectacular breakfast with champagne is served in the graceful first-floor dining room and adjacent terrace. Try the pig's trotters filled with foie gras and wild mushrooms in the restaurant.

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One imagines this is how it feels to be at an all-weekend party in the staffed country seat of a particularly fabulous pal – luxurious, decadent and just wickedly good fun. On the rooftop terrace the air is redolent with the scent of herbs and Mediterranean shrubs, and a shallow pool is flanked all along one side by one huge shared daybed. The Cowshed spa has another pool, and there’s also a cinema. All rooms have large walk-in rain showers (a few have rolltop baths). Cecconi's, the grand yet immensely comfortable restaurant, turns out superb Italian dishes for surprisingly reasonable prices.

• The best hotels in Barcelona

This five-star urban resort perched atop the verdant Mount Tibidabo blends classic with contemporary style and offers dramatic views over Barcelona. A large pool and terrace provide unparalleled privacy and tranquility, while luxury wellness and dining options inspire moments of romance and relaxation. All bedrooms have marble bathrooms and underfloor heating. Some deluxe rooms have dizzying views over Barcelona and the Pyrenees. The outdoor bar is the place to be for poolside drinks and views of Barcelona.

• The best hotels in Barcelona with rooftop pools

Grand Hotel Central is a creatively refashioned Twenties property in an atmospheric area. The hotel has character and charm, art and artistry — and to top it all, a fabulous rooftop infinity pool. In addition there is a spa wellness centre, a thermal suite with hammam and sauna and a fitness centre. The ground-floor gallery highlights the work of up-and-coming artists and a library space provides a welcome refuge. High ceilings, soft, natural colourings, wooden floorings and modern fabrics characterise the rooms and suites.

• The most romantic hotels in Barcelona

A delightful little hotel with only 22 rooms and housed in a 17th-century mansion. What it lacks in facilities (no pool, no gym) it makes up for in style and location – just next to the cathedral. The restaurant has terrace tables on the pretty little Plaça Sant Felip Neri. On the roof is a plant-filled terrace where you can order from the bar. It's especially romantic at night, when candles flicker on the tables. The standard rooms are small but distinctive, with wooden floors, quartzite-walled bathrooms and colourful paintings or murals above the beds.

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The Monument – a former 19th-century palazzo – has been transformed into a glitzy five-star. During the summer its lack of a pool will be off-putting to some, but there are many compensatory factors, not least a contender for Barcelona's best restaurant. Paolo Casagrande became the first chef in Barcelona to win three Michelin stars for his elaborate but never less than delicious haute cuisine. Most rooms have elegant egg-shaped bathtubs in addition to large and generous rain showers. Also expect balconies, Egyptian cotton bedlinen and Jo Malone toiletries.