Barcelona is mesmerizing, mystical, and modern all at once. The enchanting city on the Balearic Sea boasts of legendary architecture and a limitless culture. Aside from a history spanning more than 20 centuries, the city is also known for a world-class dining and drinking scene. Also, its Iberian sun-kissed beaches with the deep blue of the Mediterranean beyond are most inviting. Another thing that Barcelona is known for is its 24-hour party culture. With the darkness holding boundless possibilities, the city sees people standing even at 3 a.m.! So, if you want to delve into the culture headfirst, there’s a good chance you’ll stay in your hotel for just a few hours. So, why not try out staying at budget or cheap hotels in Barcelona?
But, in no way are Barcelona’s budget hotels lacking in comfort or style. In recent years, the city has made enormous strides with hotels designed for discerning budget travelers. Today, these pared-down facilities are also undergoing a design revolution. Many of them feature a host of funky facilities for a price that isn’t heavy on your wallet either. Think a hearty breakfast, a spacious room, and maybe even a pool! So, if you look hard enough, the capital of Catalonia has some fabulous budget picks that won’t feel like one. To that end, here are the 11 best cheap hotels in Barcelona.
Where to Stay in Barcelona?
Spain is every traveler’s dream, and Barcelona is atop all lists. The Catalonian capital lies about four-odd hours northeast of Valencia along the Iberian coast. It’s quite spread out, albeit with a walkable city center. What helps is that many of the city’s best sights and attractions are centrally located. But, there are still some that lie a short metro ride away. So, before you choose budget hotels in Barcelona, it’s important to choose the neighborhood to stay carefully.
To begin with, we have the city’s geographical and historical center of Barri Gòtic. It’s the oldest part of the city and is a labyrinth of medieval plazas and streets. Northwest of the old city is tree-lined, upscale Eixample. Its most famous landmark is Gaudi’s masterpiece Sagrada Familia, one of the 10 Most Extraordinary Churches Of The World. Eixample is also referred to as Gayxample and is Barcelona’s rainbow-flag-flying gay neighborhood. So, it’s no surprise that Barcelona is also one of the 11 Most Gay-Friendly Cities In The World. La Rambla, the city’s most famous pedestrian boulevard, divides the old city and the edgy, slowly gentrifying El Raval and the stylish Poble Sec. Squeezed in between El Raval, Poble Sec, and Eixample is the foodie and nightlife haven of Sant Antoni.
On the other side of the old city is El Born, which is a maze of museums and medieval thoroughfares. Finally, the largely residential Gracia is home to many green spaces and parks, including Gaudi’s Park Güell.
Hotel Jazz
11
The three-star Hotel Jazz is one of the chicest cheap hotels in Barcelona. Apart from being right in the thick of things, it boasts a smattering of amenities and punches well above its weight. You couldn’t find a better base for exploring the city as the budget hotel sits close to both the main transport hub Plaça Catalunya and Barcelona’s sights.
The hotel stays true to its name with Mondrian-esque jazz wall prints and pensive chiaroscuro, Art-Deco inscribing. The highlight is the rooftop patio with pastel-hued linen cushions oozing a relaxed Mediterranean vibe. The pool, with the cocktail bar and sunbeds right next to it, boasts superb views over the city to Montjuïc castle. Apart from another first-floor bar, the place serves an excellent breakfast of cold and hot dishes, pastries, and salads. Moreover, it arranges a gamut of weekly activities, like “Tea Time,” live music, and even mojito masterclasses.
Monochrome hues rule the roost in the rooms. Aside from sizes, all rooms have the same light-brown furnishings and minimalist bathrooms. The plush, soft beds, pillow menus, and massive flatscreen TVs are wonderful perks for this price.
Catalonia Portal de l’Angel
10
It’s not easy to find a cheap hotel in Barcelona’s Barri Gòtic with a pool, but the Catalonia Portal de l’Angel manages to do it. What’s more, it’s even light on the wallet.
The imposing hotel lies in a grand 19th-century townhouse with a handsome marble staircase wrapped around an equally striking atrium. It naturally leads out to a picturesque garden courtyard area with a lovely pool and sun loungers. Right next to it lies a pretty glassed-in breakfast room. Here, the day begins with a round of three à la carte dishes and a buffet spread with everything from filled rolls to churros. If you’re on the kind of holiday where you drink before noon, the DIY Bloody Mary tray is just for you. Besides this, there’s even a gourmet bar and restaurant. Rounding everything up is a fabulous staff that cannot do enough to help you out with everything from travel tips to bookings.
When it comes to the rooms, most are decent-sized with cozy décors like leather headboards and crushed-velvet bedspreads. The large bathrooms will send you into a tizzy with dizzying design touches and bathtubs. If you pay a bit more, then you can get a room with street views, balconies, or a terrace. But, even those rooms that look inward boast lost of natural light and vibrant murals. If that wasn’t enough, all rooms have kettles and mobile phones with unlimited data for you to use.
H10 Casa Mimosa
9
Imagine living in a hotel that lies on the same block as Gaudi’s masterpiece Casa Milà. Welcome to the H10 Casa Mimosa, one of the edgiest cheap hotels in Barcelona. Located in the heart of Eixample, the hotel is a 20-minute stroll from historic Old Town, Las Ramblas, and Plaça de Catalunya. Overall, it makes for the ideal base to explore the Top 11 Things To Do In Barcelona.
H10 Casa Mimosa lies in one of the classic modernist buildings that the neighborhood is famous for. The lobby is swathed in an inviting and warm ambiance with soft eggshell-terracotta hues and mood lighting. As soon as you step in, you’re welcomed with a complimentary glass of juice, water, or cava. Modern creature comforts fit in beautifully with the original features like decorative lamps, marble staircases, and cove-like ceilings. Take some time to unwind on the top-floor relaxation terrace with a plunge pool, sun loungers, and splendid vistas. The beating heart of the hotel, however, is the gorgeous El Til-ler Garden with Persian silk trees a.k.a. mimosas and a century-old palm tree. It also has lounging areas and is the perfect place to begin your day with an amazing breakfast. A floor-to-ceiling glass wall overlooks this leafy, sun-kissed patio. Overall, the unhurried ambiance is heady and rather irresistible.
Even entry-level rooms here have plush beds, natural light, vintage black-and-white photos of the hotel, and mod-cons. The complimentary sangria and water is a nice touch.
chic&basic Ramblas
8
The snazzy, youthful Chic & Basic Ramblas channels the spirit of the city’s gauche period of the 60s and 70s. it might be fairly utilitarian in facilities, but its affable and sociable touch is irresistibly infectious. Even though it lies two blocks from the eponymous street, it lies a mere five-minute walk from Old City and El Raval both.
The philosophy of the Chic & Basic chain is the same – delightful design at a wallet-friendly price. The Ramblas outpost is boho at best. The lobby features a stack of old leather suitcases, Scandi-style beech lounge furniture, and vintage bric-a-brac. Moreover, it has an eye-candy of a showstopper, a pale-green Seat 600 which is Instagrammable to boot. The common sitting room just off the reception has everything from computers and magazines and books to a pool table. Just off the lobby also sits the modern and bright southern-Spain-style tapas bar, which even has live flamenco on weekend nights! Apart from a cheery staff, the place also offers a hearty breakfast of ham, cheese, fruit, scrambled eggs, and bacon.
The best part of the rooms is that they also have kitchenettes, so whipping up quick, untimely meals is a breeze. Bold color schemes and private bathrooms are mainstays everywhere, while superior rooms have more space and balconies too.
Hotel Praktik Essens
7
Hotel Praktik Essens makes for a stylish, yet serene budget bolthole in the very heart of Eixample, Barcelona. It’s right in the thick of things, and yet far removed from all the chaos and cacophony. Minimalist rooms and lovely communal spaces make it the perfect place to put your feet up after a day of exploring Barcelona.
The small, yet beautiful lobby has exposed white-brick walls, polished concrete floors, and plants all over. Three perfume themes are detailed on the wall, complete with samples. In fact, you’re asked to choose one of the three fragrances as you check-in, and then given a bag of toiletries accordingly! Plus, you can purchase them, along with soaps, diffusers, and candles. The lounge filled with perfume bottles, books, and midcentury-modern furniture is a great place to sip on a cuppa. The hotel’s highlight is the cozy plant-filled terrace with jasmine-covered walls and comfy seating. Even though it has no restaurant, the place right out front offers three great set options.
Rooms are minimalist with open-plan bathrooms, mod-cons, and lovely decor. Although higher-level rooms have terraces and balconies, the entry-level ones are more than adequate.
Hotel Market
6
The Hotel Market is something of a trailblazer when it comes to cheap hotels in Barcelona that are of the boutique kind. While facilities are on the lower end, the place boasts a hip, young, and trendy look for hotels in this price range. The hotel sits in an eponymous 19th-century market building that’s undergone a complete overhaul, complete with bars, cafes, and more.
The hotel is fabulously a budget one in Barcelona for prices that one can usually expect at hostels. It retains lots of funky stylings of the original structure, right from moldings to creaky floorboards. The stylish ground-floor restaurant and bar, on the other hand, is “designer” at its best and serves creative dishes. Even though it doesn’t offer anything more than newspapers and a guest computer, there’s a daily (paid) buffet breakfast that’s great.
Rooms at the Market feature particularly striking navy-tiled bathrooms with eco-friendly toiletries and bathtubs in the superior ones! The room itself has soft, king-sized beds, portraits, and red lacquered cabinets. The larger rooms even have sitting rooms and balconies.
Retrome Barcelona
5
Retrome Barcelona is one of the most striking and amazing cheap budget hotels in Barcelona. That’s because it combines a homey yet luxurious Airbnb aesthetic with cheerful vintage 50s-70s theme. A portmanteau of ‘retro home,’ this 15-room boutique hotel sits in two townhouses in the affluent Eixample. Aside from being a 20-minute walk to La Sagrada Familia, it’s also close to La Ramblas and Plaça de Catalunya.
The hotel stays true to its name and character, complete with the 1950s-70s curios and furnishings. This includes everything from bubble lights and red-velvet cinema seats to rare LPs and gramophones and even a peppermint-green Vespa! One of the townhouses also retains the original architectural details like crystal tiles and a large, divan-dotted shared lounge-kitchen. The other townhouse is more buzzing with a check-in café-bar and a lovely garden terrace. Breakfast is a continental spread, while lunch is mostly tapas. However, the highlight here is the staff that dish out valuable insider tips to exploring Barcelona.
The compact but bright rooms here are divided into Doubles and Studios. Slick bathrooms, plush beds, and a slew of mod-cons make staying here delightful. If you’re looking for something exclusive, the rooms 5-7 in the northerly house have small patios that overlook Eixample’s gorgeous courtyard gardens.
Villa Emilia
4
Hotel Villa Emilia is one of the loveliest budget, cheap hotels in Barcelona for its price range. The hotel sits just off Gran Via to the left of Eixample. Perhaps it’s best features are a leafy and secluded rooftop terrace and a smattering of vintage artwork and furniture. The staff is particularly helpful, providing everything from Panama hats on sunny days to travel tips for exploring the city. The rooftop terrace bar is the best part of the place which hosts fun-filled barbeque nights on Thursdays. On the other hand, the Zinc Bar off the lobby is perfect for digging into a meal of tapas and Mediterranean specialties. Moreover, it even features a piano player on busy evenings. Plus, the afternoon tea that’s served is perfection.
Rooms are done up in beautiful autumnal shades and are spacious to boot, complete with ethnic artwork above the beds. The corner ones even have bathtubs. If you’re looking to stay in an exclusive, homey place away from the bustle, then this hotel is perfect.
Casa Bonay
3
Casa Bonay is perhaps the most expensive “cheap” hotel you can find in Barcelona. The place is more than a hotel. Rather, it’s a gorgeously designed congregating space for hip travelers and savvy locals. It has a fabulous location too, right on Plaça de Tetuan and just down the road from historic Arc de Triomf. Moreover, both Eixample and the Old City are a short stroll away.
The hotel belies its Mediterannean location and rather exudes a jaunty NYC cool glamour. That said, it pays a subtle homage to its Catalonian origins. This is evident in the Gaudi-esque hexagonal oak stools that transform into honeycomb tables when bunched up. There’s also the barcelonin pavement tiles and the rush matting typical of the Catalonian region of Emporda. It also has fun, modern touches like the fruity wallpaper at the reception.
While the hotel doesn’t have much by way of facilities, it does have a tie-up with the beach club of Pati de Vela de Barcelona. So, you can borrow paddleboards and patin sail rafts for free and enjoy a day at the beach. All these make Casa Bonay one of the 11 Best Beach Hotels in Barcelona. The rooftop shower is the perfect way to cool down before heading to the miniature bookshop on-site. Aside from free bikes, the hotel even offers yoga classes. Finally, the ground-floor bar is where a hearty, value-for-money breakfast is on the offer. Since it lies in a 19th-century structure, all rooms are different and are divided into seven categories. Nevertheless, they all have cutesy bedside carafes as well as well-stocked minibars.
Pensió 2000
2
The Pensió 2000 sits right opposite one of the most impressive sights of Old City’s, the concert hall of Modernista Palau de la Música. It’s a cozy “pensión” or hotel of merely seven rooms lying in a historic 18th-century building. The hotel’s location is central but peaceful at the same time and is the perfect peaceful living experience in the city. Besides doubling up as the owners’ home, it’s the best boho budget hotel you can find in Barcelona.
A sitting room that doubles as the reception is done up in all sunshiney colors and is welcoming to the hilt. The owners are most helpful when it comes to information and travel tidbits. What’s more, the cutesy sitting room has everything from guidebooks to leaflets to maps. Additionally, it also has board games, books, and a large TV. It might be modest, but it’s utterly homey. Every morning, you’re served a modest breakfast of a croissant, fruit or toast, and coffee either in the rooms or on the patio. Furthermore, there’s a trolley with tea/coffee and an honesty bar with soft drinks that you can help yourself throughout the day.
While the rooms aren’t grand, they’re all ensuite and have seating nooks for breakfast. Plus, they have gorgeous old-world features like hydraulic floor tiles and wrought-iron balconies.
Ciutat de Barcelona
1
The Ciutat de Barcelona in the heart of Old City ticks all boxes for being one of the best cheap hotels in Barcelona. For one, it has a friendly and unpretentious ambiance. Secondly, it has all facilities you’d expect from a hotel. And if that wasn’t enough, it even has a rooftop pool and bar! In fact, it’s one of the best hotels with a rooftop pool in Barcelona.
The no-frills yet cheerful hotel keeps the ambiance bright with the use of bold splashes use of color here and there. Every floor features fridges with complimentary mineral water, which is a blessing in hot Catalonian summers. The showstopper on the fabulous rooftop terrace is the Gaudi-esque plunge pool. Right next to it is a bar which is something of a gem with tapas and splendid views. Besides a computer, the hotel also does a basic but hearty continental breakfast of eggs and bacon.
The extensive use of pale-blond wood in all rooms makes them look spacious. One wall painted in blue, green, or red lends a splash of color. If you want to splurge, choose rooms with separate sitting rooms or those with bathtubs. Pro tip: Rooms at the back are quieter.
Recommended Restaurants / Bars / Food Tours in Barcelona:
- Barcelona Private Tour For Foodies: Barcelona’s food is as famous and sought-after as its sights. Dig into the best of Catalonian cuisine on this food tour.
- Can Paixano: This Spanish + Tapas place is one of the most famous and loved places in the city.
Recommended Activities In Barcelona:
- Barcelona Skyline and Beaches Boat Tour: There’s nothing like seeing Barcelona from the sea. Explore its skyline by boarding one of the best boat tours in the city.
- The Best of Barcelona in One Day: Discover the city’s best sights and attractions in a single day. Explore the Gothic Quarter, Sagrada Familia, Montjuïc Castle, Park Güell, and more.
