Hotels in Barcelona

Barcelona pairs a proper city with a usable beach, which is rarer than it sounds. Gaudí's buildings — the Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló, Park Güell — justify the hype, the Gothic Quarter's lanes reward aimless wandering, and dinner starts late and goes long. The honest bits: La Rambla is pickpocket territory best walked once and left, Barceloneta beach is packed and scruffy in high summer, and locals have complicated feelings about tourism, so a little discretion goes a long way.

The Eixample is the sensible base — gridded, handsome, Metro everywhere, close to the Gaudí sites. Gràcia feels like a village with better bars; the Gothic Quarter is atmospheric but noisy at 3am. If beach time is the point, Poblenou is quieter than Barceloneta.