Glories and Poblenou

Novotel Barcelona City

★★★★★

Novotel Barcelona City is not a hotel you choose for romance or history; you choose it because it makes a family trip to Barcelona easier and better value. It is a modern tower on Avinguda Diagonal at Glòries, the regenerated square where the Eixample meets the innovation district of Poblenou, and it has the practical virtues that matter when travelling with children: proper family rooms, space, a pool and good transport. Family rooms sleep up to four, with a queen bed and a sofa bed, and under the Novotel family policy two children stay free in their parents' room, which can make a big difference to the cost of a city break. Standard rooms are a reasonable size for Barcelona, around twenty-four square metres, with city views from the upper floors, and the top-category rooms have panoramic views and space for three. The hotel has a swimming pool for cooling off after a day of sightseeing, and on the nineteenth floor the NOU19 rooftop bar has panoramic views over the city, the sea and the Sagrada Família on clear evenings. The restaurant serves market cuisine and there is a breakfast buffet, a lobby bar, a fitness centre with a hammam, private parking, which is rare in central Barcelona, and pets are welcome. The location is better than it first appears. Glòries metro station on line 1 is about two hundred metres away, putting the old city and Plaça de Catalunya a short ride away; the Sagrada Família is a fifteen-to-twenty-minute walk; the Westfield Glòries shopping centre is next door; and the beaches of Poblenou and the Olympic area are within walking distance or a short bus ride.

Who it suits: families with young children, groups who want straightforward comfort and parking, and travellers who prefer a modern hotel with predictable standards over old-city charm. The trade-off is atmosphere: Glòries is a busy modern junction rather than a historic quarter, and the evenings will be spent travelling into the centre or exploring Poblenou rather than stepping out into medieval lanes.

Making the most of it: book a family room directly to secure the children-stay-free policy and the right bed configuration, ask for a high floor for the views, and plan one sunset at the rooftop bar. Use the metro for the old city, walk to the Sagrada Família, and spend a beach afternoon in Poblenou, where the sand is less crowded than at Barceloneta. If you are driving, the private car park removes one of the biggest headaches of a Barcelona stay.

Value: rates are mid-range and among the better deals for genuine family rooms in Barcelona, rising in summer and during big trade fairs. The tourist tax is charged per person per night, and under-17s are exempt; check the details for your booking. The value case is space, a pool, free stays for children and excellent transport at a fair price, with the Sagrada Família close enough for an early-morning slot on foot.