Hotel del Mar

Situated between the Gothic Quarter and the beach, the 72-room, two-star Hotel Del Mar is a primo spot for seeing the best of both Barcelona worlds: history and seaside.

Quick read

Pros: Accepts pets. Close to the beach. Excellent nightlife and dining.

Cons: Street noise from traffic. Boxy hotel style. Charges for “extras” (safe, Internet, breakfast...).

Rooms

Done up in blues and light woods, the guest rooms at the Hotel Del Mar are neither offensive nor inspired. Their chain hotel feel is somewhat blah and basic, but clean and reliable.

All rooms are equipped with air conditioning, a flat-screen television, safe (for an additional charge) and telephone. Some have balconies with vistas of the port (ask ahead).

Bathrooms

The private bathrooms are basic but nice, with new fixtures, a hair dryer and toiletries. Some come equipped with a tub (ask ahead).

Hotel

The Hotel Del Mar is certainly not flashy, but it does the trick. One thing we didn’t love about the place, though, is its tendency to nickle and dime. Breakfast, though hearty, costs €9 (only worth it for those who eat a lot in the morning—otherwise, the nearby Café Born is a good pick for a cheap continental breakfast.) Wi-Fi is available in the lobby for an additional (and expensive) fee, and guests must pay to use the in-room safes.

One nice perk: The hotel accepts small dogs and, shockingly, does not charge extra for them.

Location

The Hotel Del Mar’s location is not quite the beach and not quite the Born. It’s in-between, and that’s a good thing. Within a few blocks are the beach, port, Ciutadella Park, Picasso Museum, Museum of Catalonia and church Santa Maria Del Mar—meaning the Hotel Del Mar is well connected. In fact, this is our favorite neighborhood for a stay in Barcelona because it’s central and has a little bit of everything.

There are lots of options for eating and drinking in this ‘hood. We like Salero (http://www.restaurantesalero.com/) for something nice (save by catching their affordable menú de mediodía during the day Monday through Friday). Pizza Paco (Allada Vermell, 11) is nice for something less expensive, and Picnic (Comerc 1) also offers a tasty dinner menu. Try Milk (Gignas 21) a nice weekend brunch, or Maians (Sant Carles 28) in La Barceloneta for authentic Spanish food.

Transportation

Subway: The Hotel Del Mar is located a five-minute walk from the Barceloneta Metro stop, on the Yellow Line/L4 (one of the best lines in the system as far as visiting sights).

From the Airport: Take the RENFE Cercanías train (which departs about every 20 minutes from T2) to the Passeig de Gracia stop. From there, transfer to Yellow Line/L4 to Barceloneta.