city center hotels

The first impression most visitors get of Barcelona is the sight of the large scale Plaza Catalunya which many consider to be the city’s main square.
The hotels in the city centre are conveniently-located standing on the border of three great areas: the Ramblas, Gothic Quarter and trendy Eixample district. The main attraction in the city centre is the shopping facilities and the central location. The oddly-shaped Plaza Catalunya is not one of the city’s finest squares (ugly buildings like the 1980s-built El Corte Ingles department store do it no favours), however it does have a lot of high-standard hotels.
Even though the architecture in Plaza Catalunya is more General Franco than Art Nouveau, city planners are trying to encourage people to linger, and the square’s fountains, trees and benches do have a certain appeal, particularly if you are meeting somebody or waiting to catch a train in the huge underground rail hub that lies beneath.

Hotels near city centre
The comfortable hotels in the city centre near Plaza Catalunya suit all budgets and are popular with many visitors thanks to the central location and proximity to the underground rail station which has frequent services to the airport (15 mins journey).
Shoppers staying in city centre hotels will make a beeline for the shopping facilities as there is a great range of fashion to suit every budget. The Portal Angel street is a good place to start the bargain hunt, buzzing with a mix of Spanish and international stores. Check out the massive thermometer in the middle of the street to see exactly how warm the weather is!

Other shopping areas
Ugly on the outside, El Corte Ingles on Plaza Catalunya is a shopping Mecca on the inside with seven floors selling everything from groceries to suitcases. The pleasant café on the ninth floor boasts panoramic views over the surrounding areas.
The El Triangle shopping centre on the opposite side of the square has a small selection of high end shops, but the FNAC store is worth a visit for its selection of books in all languages, along with the city’s biggest collection of music and CDs. Cafe Zurich on the ground floor with its pavement cafes is a popular place to people watch.

Eating and drinking
Staying in a hotel in Barcelona city centre, you have easy access to the restaurants on the Ramblas, Gothic Quarter and Eixample.

Getting to the city center
Catalunya station (metro lines 1,3,6,7) is the city’s rail hub with direct connections to the airport and all attractions including the Ramblas, Gothic Quarter, Seafront and Sagrada Familia.

Top 3 reasons for staying in a city center hotel
1. Picking up a bargain in the Portal de l’Angel shopping street
2. People-watching on the Plaça Catalunya
3. Sinking your teeth into a pastry at the ninth floor El Corte Ingles cafe