Ilunion Bel Art ★★★★

In its polished, contemporary design, the Ilunion Bel Art offers comfortable and bright rooms as the perfect starting point to lose yourself in the streets of Barcelona, where mythical architecture and magical Modernist buildings are scattered throughout the city. The splashes of colour and quirky furnishings echo the marvellous minds of the artistic Catalonian greats.

Fuel your adventure-packed days at the breakfast buffet, with a diverse array of colours as bright as Gaudí’s palette carefully decorated down to the very last detail. Exceptionally located just a 10-minute walk from the Sagrada Familia cathedral and 20 minutes from Park Güell, Ilunion Bel Art is the idyllic place to set out on your cultural exploration. Meander through the streets past the Sagrada, however, and you will stumble upon the Sant Pau Art Nouveau site - it was actually a working hospital until 2009, so much of the architecture is functional as well as beautiful.

In the city's old town, ramble away from Las Ramblas and relax in Plaça Reial; the hub for all kinds of city street life around the clock and home to quaint bars and vintage boutiques for a unique Barcelona souvenir. Simple, flavourful ingredients like seafood, jamón, and market-fresh produce are transformed into remarkable delicacies and then served in captivating settings, from Basque-style tapas bars, to Galician seafood taverns, avant-garde Japanese restaurants, and sinful chocolate shops in a wonderful culinary landscape.

After an enchanting day dancing over Joan Miró mosaics and under the towering boulevard trees, dig your heels in the sand at a rustic beachside chiringuito bar, and enjoy a cool glass of sangria as the sun paints the sky tones of amber and gold over Gaudí’s ethereal playground.