El Palace Hotel

El Palace Hotel

In Barcelona's Eixample district, five minutes' walk from Passeig de Gràcia and Gaudí's Casa Batlló, El Palace Barcelona still carries the bones of the building that opened in 1919 as the city's Ritz. That lineage shows in details a newer luxury build cannot fake: an Art Suite named for Joan Miró, another for Salvador Dalí, and an Art Deco suite once home to Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. The 120 rooms keep classic proportions, with air conditioning, minibar, bathrobe and slippers standard, and Wi-Fi throughout. What this hotel has that few luxury addresses in the city can claim is the Rooftop Garden itself, 1,500 square metres of open-air terrace and pergolas, roughly six times the footprint of the hotel's own Gran Vía Ballroom, with its own pool and a sightline to the Sagrada Família. Downstairs, chef Rafa Zafra runs Amar Barcelona, a 1919 dining room of blue tones, golden mouldings and crystal chandeliers, built around dry-aged cuts and Mediterranean seafood, while the Hall serves tapas, seasonal dishes and afternoon tea. The Mayan Luxury Spa adds a traditional Temazcal alongside sauna, steam room and massage, all bookable ahead of arrival. A business center covers work trips, family rooms with cots on request cover the rest, and pets travel with their owners for a nightly fee. Anyone chasing stripped-back minimalism will find the gilt and chandeliers a lot to take in. Condé Nast Traveler named it Barcelona's best hotel and Spain's best gastronomic hotel in 2025, and the property holds Biosphere certification. This is a hotel built around the Ritz's old address rather than a copy of it, still being lived in rather than merely preserved. Opened in 1919 as Barcelona's Ritz, El Palace pairs Art Suites named for Miró and Dalí with a 1,500-square-metre Rooftop Garden and pool overlooking the Sagrada Família. Chef Rafa Zafra runs the dry-aged cuts downstairs. Not for travellers chasing stripped-back minimalism.