Gran Hotel La Florida ★★★★★

We felt almost guilty abandoning the city centre to enjoy Barcelona, but at the recommendation of a friend, the prospect of peace and serenity away from the bustling city, and most of all the prospect of that superb view, convinced us. When we arrived and realised how beautiful, friendly and luxurious the whole place is, we almost felt guilty for almost feeling guilty! Apparently, only the British can do this! My best friend and I had been to Barcelona many times and stayed in various places, some good and some not so great, but we’d always stayed in the city. This time it was all about luxury and location.

Thanks to its prime position on Tibidabo's Hill, this hotel is rightly regarded as one of the top luxury resorts in the city. It is only 20 minutes from the city centre, and the hotel provides a free shuttle service to get there. So we had the best of both worlds! When you arrive you see an imposing white Spanish castle looking down over the whole city of Barcelona. In front of it is a long outdoor pool and sun loungers, with shady areas and beautiful terraced gardens. Behind, you have glorious views of the Pyrenees. In the evening you can sit and dine outside on your own terrace or on the terrace of the hotel’s restaurants and just be mesmerised by the spread of the city lights. This is the skyline as you’ve never seen it before.

We booked a room with a terrace on the first floor. It was really unusually spacious and full of light. The French windows led on to a private terrace with a table and sunbeds, making it the perfect place to chill out after a day in the city. We had a vast marble bathroom with toiletries by L'Occitane of Provence. Throughout the hotel you see flower paintings by Catalan artist Isabel Cruellas. It was nice to see a display of local talent amongst the contemporary design.

On our first evening we stayed in the hotel, as much to enjoy the view as to sample the restaurants. There is a choice of three, and we chose L’Orangerie. There are stunning art deco light fittings and huge hand-painted moon-like wall lights illuminating the shining glasses and pure white linen. When you sit at the table, there is that view again, making you feel positively Olympian. The food is to match; all Mediterranean and fresh; beautifully cooked and presented.

There is a fabulous spa here as well and we treated ourselves to an aromatherapy massage with essential oils of lavender, tea tree and geranium. It was absolute heaven, fit for angels!

Between adventurous trips around the city centre, revisiting old haunts and discovering some new ones, and evenings spent over dinner or relaxing in the lounge library in front of the open fireplace, we had had another wonderful experience in Barcelona and now, there’s only one more thing to do: plan our return to the Gran Hotel la Florida!