Placa de Catalunya

Room Mate Pau

★★★★★

Room Mate Pau is the kind of hotel that makes a Barcelona city break easy: central, comfortable, cheerful and fairly priced. It is part of Room Mate, the Spanish group known for design-forward hotels named after friends, and it stands on Carrer de Fontanella, a short street running off Plaça de Catalunya, the square at the centre of everything. From the door, La Rambla leads down to the sea, Passeig de Gràcia runs uphill to Casa Batlló and La Pedrera, and the Gothic Quarter and the Palau de la Música are a few minutes' walk away; the airport bus, several metro lines and suburban trains all stop at the square, which makes arrival and departure straightforward. The hotel calls itself the gateway to the Gothic Quarter, and that sums up its appeal. Rooms are modern and bright, with bold colours, good beds with a choice of pillows, air conditioning and heating, and they range from standard doubles of around eighteen square metres to executive rooms, some with a terrace, a junior suite and a suite. They are not large, as is usual in central Barcelona, but they are well designed. Breakfast is a buffet with gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options and is served until noon, a Room Mate signature that suits Barcelona's late nights perfectly. A quiet, green interior terrace offers a break from the city, and the hotel has a small workspace, round-the-clock reception and concierge, laundry service and a dog-friendly policy. The hotel holds a Green Key sustainability certification and has won a Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice award, and reviews consistently praise its helpful staff and location.

Who it suits: first-time visitors, couples and solo travellers who want to be in the centre without paying luxury prices, and anyone arriving by airport bus or train who wants an easy first and last night. It is less suited to families who need large rooms, or travellers wanting a pool or spa. As at any hotel near Plaça de Catalunya, the surroundings are busy day and night, so keep valuables secure in the square and on La Rambla.

Making the most of it: ask for a quiet room facing the interior, or book an executive room with terrace for a little private outdoor space. Make the late breakfast part of your rhythm: sleep in, eat at eleven, sightsee through the afternoon and dine late like a local. If you are driving, the hotel has an arrangement with a nearby public car park, and there is a short-stay loading zone outside for unloading luggage.

Value: rates are mid-range for central Barcelona and good value for the location, though they climb in summer and during big events. Look out for direct-booking offers. The tourist tax is charged per person per night at the rate for this category. The value case is a fresh, friendly hotel steps from Plaça de Catalunya, priced well below the grand hotels a few hundred metres away.