by Sally Davies, The Telegraph, February 22, 2017
An insider's guide to the best hotels with rooftop pools in Barcelona, featuring the top places to stay for poolside restaurants and cocktail bars, stunning vistas and party vibes, in locations close to the beach, Port Vells and La Rambla.
Duquesa de Cardona Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
8Telegraph expert rating
Sandwiched between a pedestrianised medieval street and the port, the Duquesa is well positioned for beach lovers as well as sightseers, but the hotel's crowning glory is undoubtedly the rooftop terrace, with its navy blue-tiled plunge pool, cocktail bar and restaurant overlooking the yachts of the Port Vell. The rooms have the feel of a much more expensive hotel, as does the level of service, which is five-star all the way. Read expert review. From £93 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
• Where to stay in Barcelona: hotels by district
Claris GL Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
8Telegraph expert rating
The fairly unique style of the Claris is defined by an eclectic approach to design and, above all, the precious artworks, archaeological finds and ancient rugs found in each room and the common areas. Owner Jordi Clos is a well known Egyptologist, and a part of his collection forms a small museum on the first floor. The hotel has a large rooftop terrace where guests can find the open-air pool, as well as a restaurant and solarium. Read expert review. From £104 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
• The best design hotels in Barcelona
Grand Hotel Central Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
8Telegraph expert rating
Built in the style of a Twenties Chicago skyscraper, the hotel exudes Art Deco grandeur – with elegant façade, magnificent reception, bronze doors, neoclassical stairway – while at the same time evincing cool modernity in the form of contemporary artworks, slick fixtures and fittings and comfortable sofas. The rooftop infinity pool steals the show, but in addition there is a spa wellness centre, a thermal suite with hammam and sauna and a fitness centre. Read expert review. From £172 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
• The best Barcelona hotels with rooftop bars
Hotel Arts Barcelona Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
8Telegraph expert rating
A thoroughly modern-looking five-star hotel positioned right on the beach, the Arts is one of Barcelona's original luxury hotels. Its traditional attitude makes for excellent service, and its eating and drinking choices are second to none. Public areas are enlivened with original artwork and huge floral displays. 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. Read expert review. From £255 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
• The best five-star hotels in Barcelona
Ciutat de Barcelona Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
8Telegraph expert rating
A cheerfully efficient, no-nonsense hotel on Carrer Princesa, which runs along the top of the picturesque Born neighbourhood, and leads to the entrance of the verdant Ciutadella park. The hotel is mostly no-frills, but does have a decent restaurant, well-staffed reception, and most importantly a rooftop terrace with a Gaudiesque plunge pool worthy of a hotel twice the price. Read expert review. From £46 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
• The best Barcelona hotels near the beach
Soho House Barcelona Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
9Telegraph expert rating
One imagines this is how it feels to be at an all-weekend party in the staffed English 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, shaded by a candy-striped tasselled awning. The view from here, over the Port Vell and out to sea, is quite spectacular. Read expert review. From £219 per night.
• The best Barcelona hotels near La Rambla
The Serras Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
9Telegraph expert rating
Sunny, friendly and supremely comfortable, The Serras is one of a new breed of stylish and unstuffy five-stars changing the face of the Barcelona hotel scene. Its decked rooftop terrace, featuring a lively bar serving cocktails and snacks and a refreshing plunge pool, offers beautiful views across the Port Vell Marina, and is definitely worth a visit. The house restaurant, Informal, is overseen by Marc Gascons, who has a Michelin star at his restaurant near Girona. Read expert review. From £186 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
• The most romantic hotels in Barcelona
Pullman Barcelona Skipper Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
8Telegraph expert rating
Though it indisputably feels like part of a chain, the Skipper is redeemed by the terraced garden and pool at its centre, which has just enough going on (plastic flamingos amid the aromatic plants and citrus trees, a Louvre-inspired pyramid rising from the shallow pool and a small kitchen garden of herbs and vegetables) to distract from the looming glass walls on either side. There is another pool on the roof, with a bar, table football and ping pong table. Read expert review. From £133 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
• The best hotels in Barcelona's city centre
Mandarin Oriental Barcelona Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
9Telegraph expert rating
With opulence and chic at its very core, and apparent from the moment you cross the raised walkway into the lobby, this is not a hotel for the faint-hearted, but neither is it stuffy. Guests can relax in the lovely Mimosa garden area on the first floor, or up on the rooftop, with its panoramic views, where they can work up an appetite in the pool before relaxing over a light lunch. Read expert review. From £348 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
• The best boutique hotels in Barcelona
W Barcelona Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
8Telegraph expert rating
Reminiscent of Dubai’s famous Burj al-Arab hotel, the W rises up at the end of the beach like a tall, shimmering sail. It’s high-end, but works hard to be young and sexy, cultivating an Ibiza vibe in the pool/terrace area, and inviting London DJs and mixologists to its Eclipse bar on the 26th floor. The roof, with its stunning infinity pool, day beds and private ‘cabins’, almost certainly enjoys the best views of any hotel terrace in Barcelona. Read expert review. From £205 per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
• The best budget hotels in Barcelona
This article was written by Sally Davies from The Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.