Eixample, Gran Via

El Palace Barcelona

★★★★★

El Palace is the grande dame of Barcelona hotels, and staying here is the closest the city comes to the golden age of European palace hotels. It was built as the Hotel Ritz Barcelona in the years after the First World War, on the corner of the Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes and Carrer de Roger de Llúria, after the Catalan politician Francesc Cambó persuaded César Ritz himself to bring his name to the city; wartime shortages of imported materials delayed construction. For most of the twentieth century it was the address in Barcelona, receiving royalty, film stars and artists, and Salvador Dalí made it his Barcelona home, often staying for weeks at a time. A long legal dispute over the Ritz name ended in 2005, when the hotel took its current name, but the spirit did not change. Inside, you find the classic grand-hotel vocabulary done properly: a marble-and-gilt lobby, chandeliers, a sweeping staircase, period salons used for afternoon drinks and events, and long, quiet corridors. A renovation ahead of the hotel's centenary created a series of Art Suites dedicated to figures connected with the hotel's history, including César Ritz and Josephine Baker, and many rooms keep a traditional style with rich fabrics, marble bathrooms and high ceilings. The rooftop terrace, a garden of plants and loungers with views over the Eixample, became one of the city's favourite open-air spaces and is the place for a drink at sunset. The hotel is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, and service is formal in the best sense: attentive, discreet and experienced. Its location is excellent: Passeig de Gràcia and Casa Batlló are a short walk up the hill, Plaça de Catalunya and the Gothic Quarter a short walk down.

Who it suits: travellers who love history and classic luxury, couples on a special trip, and anyone who would rather sleep in a palace with stories than in a contemporary design hotel. The style is traditional, so travellers who prefer minimal modern interiors may find it heavy, and some standard rooms are more modest than the public spaces suggest; for the full experience, book one of the larger rooms or an Art Suite, and ask for a quiet, interior-facing room if you are sensitive to the noise of the Gran Via.

Making the most of it: reserve a table or a sunbed on the rooftop early in your stay, especially in summer, when the terrace is popular with locals as well as guests. The hotel's bars and restaurants are destinations in their own right, and dressing up a little for an evening drink in the historic salons is part of the fun. The location makes it easy to walk everywhere: up Passeig de Gràcia to La Pedrera, down to the cathedral and the Gothic Quarter, and across to the Palau de la Música in El Born.

Value: rates are at the top of the Barcelona market, though often a little below the newest international luxury brands, and they rise sharply in spring, summer and during major trade fairs. The five-star tourist tax is added per person per night. The value case is irreplaceable character: a century-old palace hotel in the heart of the city, with a rooftop that rivals any in Barcelona.