Hotel Arts Barcelona

The luxurious Hotel Arts occupies a steel-and-glass tower in the Vila Olímpica; the handy beachfront location and magnificent sea views are combined with facilities including a huge panoramic spa on the 43rd floor, a 500-piece collection of contemporary Spanish art, and some of the best service in the city.

Restaurants include the two Michelin-starred Enoteca Paco Pérez, with contemporary Catalan cuisine and 700 wines to choose from, and the  city’s most fashionable terrace, with a new infinity pool and DJs in summer. The glamorous rooftop pool and sunbathing terrace overlook Frank Gehry’s steel-lattice ‘Fish’ sculpture.

It’s a good 20- to 30-minutes’ walk or metro hop to the city centre, but the surroundings are seaside-chic: a yacht-filled marina surrounded by restaurants and a golden city beach.

Barceloneta, a five-minute walk away along the seafront, is still a quaint, old-fashioned district of traditional tapas bars and seafood restaurants.