Top 10: the best hotels in the Barri Gòtic, Barcelona

An expert guide to the best hotels in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, including the top places to stay for rooftop pools, bars and terraces; Michelin-starred dining; sumptuous spas; views of the Port Vell; and stylish interiors, near to the cathedral, La Rambla, Pla?a Catalunya and more.

Hidden down a quiet side street in the heart of the Barri Gòtic action, housed in a building displaying various architectural styles from Roman times to the present day, sympathetically modernised by top architect Rafael Moneo. This place has all the essential facilities, including two restaurants and a pretty rooftop area with a plunge pool. It’s a short walk to the Born neighbourhood or the cathedral, and there are a plethora of transport options nearby – though not immediately, since the street is pedestrian. Most rooms are set around a quiet breakfast patio, redolent with orange blossom and jasmine, while others face a vertical garden.

? The best hotels in Barcelona

A cheerful, smart hotel with a uniformly good standard of service, comfort and dining. Little touches such as free walking tours and bicycles make for loyal guests. While the rooms don’t quite look over the Gothic cathedral, it could hardly be closer. Right in the medieval heart of the old city, it is surrounded by pedestrian streets and great shopping, with metro and FGC train stops within a five-minute walk. The facade, entrance and common areas share a pristine, Scando look, neutral almost to a fault, but – amid the pale wood and sober velvet throws in quiet greys and aubergines – the bedrooms have an agreeably quirky element in the shape of varnished tree trunks as bedside tables, Bakelite-style phones and studded armchairs. On the roof is a 15-metre shallow pool, which shares a view over Barcelona’s rooftops with a small, adjacent gym.

? The best boutique hotels in Barcelona

This Catalonian chain has a collection of well-located hotels in central Barcelona, but what makes the Portal de l'Angel stand out is its garden area, with a pool — not that easy to find in the heart of the Barri Gòtic. It's located in a handsome 19th-century townhouse with a stunning atrium and sweeping marble staircase. The street that gives the hotel its name is wide, pedestrianised and lined with shops. Busy during the day but almost silent at night, it’s hard to beat. The hotel could also not be more central – just a minute’s walk from either the Cathedral or the Pla?a Catalunya.

? The best Barcelona hotels near the beach

The Ohla offers plenty of luxuries – such as a clear-sided rooftop dipping pool – and places you right in the heart of the action. The cocktail bar has award-winning mixologists, and the restaurant is Michelin-starred. It sits on the busy Via Laietana, the de facto border between the medieval Barri Gòtic and Born areas. Rooms facing the street are well soundproofed. It could hardly be more central. The outré fa?ade dotted with eyes on stalks and all-black lobby suggest something more avant-garde than the reality, which is a smart, chic but conventional five-star hotel.

? The best five-star hotels in Barcelona

Sunny, friendly and supremely comfortable. The hotel sits right on the Passeig de Colom and overlooks the Port Vell, recently converted into a marina for luxury yachts. There's a white and chocolate theme in the bedrooms, with nods to traditional Barcelona tiling on the over-sized headboards, and crushed velvet in ochre and grey in the common areas. The house restaurant, Informal, is overseen by Marc Gascons, who has a Michelin star at his restaurant near Girona. The dishes are mostly Catalan, though the open kitchen with ring-side seating is a Japanese-influenced idea.

? Where to stay in Barcelona: hotels by district

Luxurious, decadent and wickedly good fun. The hotel sits on the graceful Pla?a del Duc de Medinaceli, with the boats of the Port Vell twinkling off to the side. It's a two-minute walk to the bottom of La Rambla (and the Drassanes metro station), and a 10-minute walk to the cathedral. The pale olive-coloured panelling will have you checking for secret passageways, and the rotary porcelain light switches have something of Downton about them. 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 farmhouse-style Cowshed spa in the basement has an elegant tiled space with indoor pool.

? The best hotels in Barcelona with rooftop pools

This vibrant boutique hotel is packed with colourful detailing and located in a prime central location. Comfortable rooms and the supremely stylish rooftop bar, restaurant and pool evoke a sense of luxury Mediterranean living. The superior four-star hotel is located on the main artery of Via Laietana, but any ruckus of street life dissolves as soon as you step inside. The hotel's contemporary and almost surreal décor inspires from the moment you step into the reception area. Here, a wall-to-ceiling art installation of spinning cogs and gears adds an element of novelty to check-in and hints at the playfulness elsewhere.

? The best hotels in Barcelona city centre

The crowning glory of the Hotel Duquesa de Cardona is 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. Sandwiched between a pedestrianised medieval street and the port, the Duquesa is well positioned for beach-lovers as well as sightseers. The Duquesa was famously the city’s last bastion of chintz, but recent refits have updated its look, while retaining its classical lines and old-world feel. The main part of the building dates from 1850, with the breakfast room situated in what were once the stables; the coach entrance is still clearly visible.

? The most romantic hotels in Barcelona

A delightful little hotel with only 22 rooms and housed in a 17th-century mansion. It's difficult to fault the Neri on location, down a quiet side street close to the cathedral and a wide range of Barri Gòtic eating and drinking options. Its terrace on an atmospheric little square and its leafy rooftop bar are extra pluses. The hotel embraces an unusually bold palette for its soft furnishings and large, splashy artworks. Glass chandeliers and crushed velvet sofas make it classy but cosy. Classic rooms are small but distinctive, with wooden floors, quartzite-walled bathrooms and colourful paintings or murals above the beds.

? The best Barcelona hotels with rooftop bars

This oasis of warmth and elegance sits at the end of a short, dark alley, which lends the experience something of a speakeasy feel. The hotel is right in the middle of the Barri Gòtic, within walking distance of many attractions, but also handy for Drassanes and Jaume I metro stations. It's notably similar to the nearby Soho House, in both style (pale olive paintwork, Bakelite telephones, antique light switches) and concept (no photos, a members' club, rooms named Tiny, Small and so on). The baronial dining room is lined with tartan panels and groaning bookshelves. A log fire blazes and Sinatra and Dean Martin play on an endless loop. In the restaurant, the menu is overseen by Catalan chef Albert Ventura of acclaimed uptown restaurant Coure.