If only all hostels were this good. An immaculately maintained, elegant place, the Windsor combines a fine location with a friendly, family-run atmosphere. Try for a room facing the street as this is hardly La Rambla's noisiest corner. Cheaper rooms without a bathroom are also...

This is a convivial little spot in a quiet and atmospheric part of the Barri Gòtic. Bright, sunny and simple rooms are well maintained - some have wooden beams in the ceiling - and the staff are obliging and chirpy.

You're right in the heart of the action at this popular and impressive hostel. Sleep could be a problem if you have a room at the front - bring earplugs because Carrer de Ferran is one of Barri Gòtic's busiest streets, but the location is otherwise perfect with the best of...

Sociable and central, this popular place hums all day with music and the comings and goings of a young crowd. The simple rooms range from basic dorms to comfortably compact en suite doubles. Those with an aversion to birds should steer clear because a very large and uncaged...

Spread out over several renovated flats, some of the larger rooms have charming enclosed terraces looking onto the admittedly noisy street. Mosaic and parquet floors and some nice decorative touches make Hostal Central an attractive option.

Don't be put off by the abysmal and downright grim staircase leading to this 2nd-floor hostel because this is one of Barcelona's coolest addresses. This is concept backpacking, comfortable, eclectic and founded on the principle that just because you're not paying high prices...

The hotel has functional rooms and some renovated options, with additional features including parquet floors, hairdryers and original art depicting Barcelona. Some rooms are bigger than others, and those facing the street are light-filled (the light tones and colourful artwork...

This is the newer and slightly more upmarket version from the people who brought you the Hostal Gat Raval. The concept is the same - lime greens, sleek lines and illuminated photos of Barcelona's alternative side - but the rooms are larger and come with a few extras.

This excellent eight-room guesthouse in the centre of town is a welcome addition to the Barcelona accommodation scene. The tiled rooms are large, spotlessly clean and come with their own kitchens and bathrooms.

If you're looking forward to getting stuck into George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia, then where better to do so than the place where the author recovered from a bullet wound? Space is scarce in most of the rooms but some have semicircular balconies with wonderful views over...

This hotel is a curious mix of over-the-top homage to Gaudí (look for the trencadís - tile details using broken pieces of glass and ceramic), straightforward rooms and a small but well-equipped gym (more aerobic than weights in focus). Overall, it's good Ramblas value with...

From the people who brought you the Hotel Continental comes a restored mansion with extravagant flourishes. Rooms are exuberantly coloured and well-sized and the all-day snacks and drinks buffet is a definite highlight.

This HI hostel is right in the thick of things, just off La Rambla. Beds are in single-sex dorms of four to 10 people. If you've stayed in HI hostels elsewhere you know the deal - charmless but well-tended dorms where you'll make plenty of new friends from around the world.

You've bought the shoes, now stay in the hotel. This is a hip place with splendid rooms and a commitment to comfort and extensive facilities, among the highlights of which are the free and bountiful all-day food options and a roof terrace with unrivalled views over the...

Every room, even the least expensive on offer, is full of restrained charm, with dark wood furniture and blood-red carpets. This is one of Barcelona's most exclusive addresses. As the rest of Barcelona races headlong into the 21st century, the Avenida Palace holds fast to the...

Run by the same owners as two other fine hotels - the Astoria and the Claris - this is a quality option a little closer to the old centre and with a much more intimate feel. Decor varies greatly from one room to another, but they're all classy and comfortable.

Cool blues and aquamarines combine with dark parquet floors to lend this inner-city hotel a quiet charm. While admittedly on the small side, all rooms are impeccably presented and look onto the street or back lanes. Every room contains furnishings that would look at home in an...

The designer upgrade of the 19th-century Palacio Verdura has resulted in one of the city's most stylish hotels. It houses an art collection that could grace any gallery of modern art, while rooms are large and luxurious. Where else can you find a hotel that boasts five...

Its privileged position opposite the cathedral lends this hotel a special grace. A range of rooms, from modest singles to a spacious suite, offers quiet elegance that varies from modern colours and hardwood floors to classic carpeted rooms. The rooms on the top floor are...

These dazzling digs occupy two spectacular 19th-century Modernista buildings. The pentagonal foyer is magnificent, the beds are king-size and the baths are big enough for a work out. If you stand on your tippy-toes you can see La Pedrera from the rooftop terrace.

This hotel is spread over two handsome early modernista buildings and has a handy location on a quiet street sandwiched between the old and new quarters. The foyer and stairways are original, while the rest of the interior has been completely renovated.

This hotel is famous for its two marvellous dining rooms designed by the modernista architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. One has big sea-life murals by Ramon Casas; the other has floral tiling and a wood-beamed roof. The rooms are far less exciting but not bad for the price.

This place oozes old-fashioned elegance and much of its 19th-century interior remains intact. Guest rooms have been comfortably tweaked, but the public areas, complete with antique furnishings, retain the grace of another age and there's a wonderful courtyard in which to relax...

Another classic Barcelona facade that promises an entirely different aesthetic within. Rooms aren't enormous, but they are undeniably stylish, with a minimalist's attention to detail and a quality hotel's commitment to comfort. The leafy sun deck on the roof is a haven high...

You won't get better upper mid-range rooms in Barcelona than those at Hotel Jazz. Everything about this place exudes harmony, from the soothing tones and soundproof rooms to the designer bathroom fittings (the towel heaters are a highlight), while the staff are friendly and...

An old-style elitism pervades this beautiful hotel, which vies for the crown of flashiest in town. It comprises three splendid old buildings that were knocked into one. Rooms are tasteful and comfortable, while the two restaurants are very exclusive and serve high-quality food.

If this hotel were anywhere else in Spain you might not give it a second look. Here in Barcelona, however, it's a unique choice, home to elegant Modernista touches, stained glass windows and dark wood panelling like that of a central Spanish comedor (dining room). The charming...

Occupying a beautiful, centuries-old building that backs on to the quiet Plaça de Sant Felip Neri, this stunningly renovated medieval mansion combines historic public areas with cutting-edge rooms of stone and timber. The rooms are large, with plasma screen TVs, soft-tone...

Cool has a new home. Welcome to the latest design hit in a city that prides itself on the occasional burst of zaniness. Here, the balconies look almost Guggenheimian, with strips of metallic skin peeled back from the shiny surface of the hotel - the sort of idea a latter-day...

One of Barcelona's oldest hotels, the Orient is built into the shell of a former convent, with spectacular leftovers such as an ornate cloister dating from 1842 (now a skylit restaurant). The rooms are decidedly more modern. Friendly staff are among the other highlights.