Grand Hotel Central

The Grand Hotel Central is a new city-centre hotel, just yards from Barcelona Cathedral. They've branded it 'grand' on the basis that it will become a Barcelona institution - echoing the days of the grand old railway station hotels, where grand tourists from northern Europe would gravitate on their stately way south. It's certainly in a grand position, very centrally located, but it lacks the grand public spaces to really give the claim credibility. Its attraction, rather, is its crisp, minimalist modernity and its location on the edge of the Born.

Apart from the small reception there's a library and meeting room in the front, and a quiet chill out area at the back. The breakfast room is light and functional. The star attraction is the rooftop infinity pool, much photographed in magazines, with great cityscape views.

The rooms


As the hotel was a purpose-built conversion, the 147 rooms are of a uniform and decent size. Double glazed office windows give them a hermetically sealed, box-like feel, accentuated by the boxy beds and square chairs. Nor is their much in the way of fabrics, just black out blinds without curtains. Stripped wooden flooring and brown/beige walls without decoration give it a hard, minimalist feel - welcome to some, maybe cold for others. Bathrooms are a little more pampering, with separate power showers in many of the rooms and designer toiletries. Choose rooms away from the main road for a quiet night, and make sure they are double glazed, as a handful are not. (The drawback of the central location is that one side faces a busy road.)

For those in search of a hard-edged, cool designer hotel in a central location, the Central will fit the bill.

Jamie Dunford Wood

Located in the centre of the city next to Barcelona's cathedral with spectacular views of the entire Gothic district and the ancient city walls.

From the hotel, the most interesting things in the city can be comfortably accessed: Las Ramblas, the shopping zone around Plaza Cataluna, the most visited museums and the seafront.

In recent years, the most fashionable zone of Barcelona has developed right next to the hotel: El Born district, replete with surprising shops, designer bars and restaurants scattered throughout its narrow streets and well-lit plazas.

If you are looking for relaxation, you will be able to enjoy the beaches and the maritime flavour still present in Barcelona, close to the hotel.