Boutique Hotel H10 Montcada ★★★★

Our mission for this trip was to be right at the heart of the city so as not to waste our precious minutes on public transport. Cutting corners is never a good idea in the hotel department, so on the priority list alongside location was four-star luxury and services. We found the Boutique Hotel H10 Montcada. It fitted the bill perfectly for location on the Via Laietana, just a three minutes’ walk from the Palau de la Música Catalana and within walking distance of the cathedral, Las Ramblas and the Picasso Museum. It fitted the bill on the four-star standards front, rooms have air conditioning, a safe, Nespresso machine, Wi-Fi and flat-screen TV.

But what we didn’t expect were the bonuses, like the bottled water in our room and a welcoming glass of cava! Breakfast was a scrumptious buffet with fresh fruit, tempting pastries, and a selection of cheeses and cold meats. The biggest bonus was the brilliant rooftop terrace. It not only had fabulous views over the city, but a casual and relaxing air. We enjoyed greeting the sun on the terrace in the morning with a coffee, and in the evening, with cocktails from the Sunset Lounge Bar.

In our few days in Barcelona, we set out to revisit old favourites and make new discoveries. You will always find a new tapas bar in Barcelona, or a stratospherically modern new art gallery. Because of our location close to the beach, we included some beach-time. There can’t be many cities where you can go to the beach and to one of the most monumental works of art in the Western world, the Sagrada Familia, in the same day! Since we were right in the Gothic Quarter, our explorations included the remains of the Roman temple of Augustus, a tour of the Call Jueu, and the old Jewish Quarter.

We departed our favourite city topped up with the dose of glamour and excitement that Barcelona always gives so generously, and with the added bonuses of our newest discovery, the Boutique Hotel H10 Montcada.