Barcelona is among the most popular cities in Europe. With 16 million annual visitors, only London, Paris and Rome can claim to welcome more. Given their relatively bigger size, it means the tourist-to-local ratio in the Catalan capital is possibly the highest on the continent: a well-known tale that’s inspired much resentment from Barcelonans, tired of being priced out of the city centre by landlords who buy to let. Though heading to lesser-known neighbourhoods is a way to beat the anti-tourism heat — and I know just the area.
Those craving the real Barcelona go to El Poblenou, which is a bit like Hackney, in the sense that it’s a place that vaunts itself as being somewhere where “those in the know” live, AKA a tight group of media and creative luvvies with chic jobs and disposable income to spend in trendy neighbourhood restaurants. In brief: it’s hip. It’s near the sea. What more could you want?
So where does one stay? The Hoxton Poblenou, of course. There’s no need to be the sort of person who’s cosplaying so hard that they avoid Britons altogether. And it’s nice to be somewhere that people will understand when one inevitably says: “Lo siento, como se dice… room service?”
Here’s what you need to know about El Poblenou’s coolest hotel. We advise booking in ASAP if you want a stylish crash pad for next year’s Primavera festival — or indeed, somewhere to recoup afterwards.
Style
Open since 2022, The Hoxton Poblenou looks comfortably lived-in, while still feeling fresh. The ground-floor restaurant and entrance hall, which houses a library of art books and desks — allowing it to moonlight as a co-working space — is decorated in deep blues and pastels that recall the kitsch and mosaic-like quality of the city’s architecture.
This is a distinctly cool hotel that doesn’t take itself too seriously; yet the decor is certifiably elite. Where you might leave most hotels with a bag stuffed full of toiletries, it takes every inch of self-control to leave this one without stealing some of the miniature lamps.
The connection between the decor here and in Barcelona goes further still. The unfinished masterpiece of Antoni Gaudi, La Sagrada Familia, is visible from the hotel’s iconic rooftop. This is a scene-y, must-be-pictured-here kind of place.
“I know the Hoxton Poblenou when I see it,” one friend replied to my Instagram story when I dutifully posed for a photo with the iconic cathedral in the background. The terrace is one of the hotel’s top selling points, split across two sections: one with a bar and Sagrada-side seating, another with a pool and sunbeds.
Which room?
The hotel has 240 bedrooms, all of which nod to Barcelona’s location on the Mediterranean coast. Terracotta floors, dry flowers, jute rugs and pastel hues (mint, salmon, cerulean) complement soft wooden furnishings, while floor-to-ceiling windows flood the rooms with natural light.
The suites to beat are on the eleventh and penultimate floor (the penthouse floor is just for the roof terrace). These are airy yet cosy, with armchairs, a sofa and a desk along with a king-size bed and a handsomely proportioned bathroom.
The value of a shower in Barcelona that has strong water pressure should not be underestimated; and nor should the view of the Parc Montjuic and the nearby sea.
Families have the option to stay in larger, “Homey” rooms, which include a kitchenette and dining area as well two double beds. Those can be cordoned off from one another for privacy using a sliding panel, effectively creating two bedrooms, and kept open throughout the day to create one big flat and let the air flow.
Food and drink
As is true of El Poblenou more widely, food and drink constitutes this hotel’s greatest strength. The downstairs restaurant, Four Corners, serves specialty coffee and a buffet-style breakfast until 11:30 (don’t skimp on the bacon, egg and cheese brioche).
Lunch is from 1pm onwards: order inside or on the outdoor terrace — and, for those nursing Primavera hangovers, room service is available. The Four Corners menu is classic Hoxton™: spaghetti laced with lobster and vodka, chicken parm and octopus panzanella; Harry’s Bar by way of global airport lounges.
There is also the option to takeaway pizza from a bar called the Slice Shop (€6 for a slice or €20 for a whole one), while those keen to grab a snack for the road need only pop to the hotel’s bodega, which sells East London staples like Torres Crisps and bespoke vermouth.
For dinner, head up to bar Tope on the rooftop, where waiters serve a rich selection of appetisers including sea bass aguachile and pulled pork carnitas: a Spanish adjacent menu that nonetheless constitutes a welcome departure from what otherwise ends up being a diet of Catalan tapas.
The cocktail menu is exceptional, including picantes made from agave syrup and a Pisco sour made with cardamom and pineapple cordial.
Facilities
The roof terrace pool is an oasis set 10 storeys above the city. Packages start from €70 for a four-hour stay — a base price which includes a sun-lounger or “cabana” (set back from the pool and draped in white linen to keep people cool), two cocktails and three tacos.
Corporate clients will also find much to love at The Hoxton, with a meeting and events space downstairs called The Apartment. At the heart of it is a pantry kitchen with a terrazzo-topped bar, while checkerboard concrete floors and handmade tapestry give the room some pizzazz.
A newish extension called La Cave means the overall space can hold up to 300 people for a standing reception. Which is great, because the room also has an artwork by Sandra Modrego hanging on the wall, which you absolutely want all eyeballs on.
When should I go?
With its unbeatable views across the city, The Hoxton does 360 like nobody else — which, considering Charli xcx’s longstanding relationship to Primavera Sound, makes it a topical pick for festival goers and purveyors of brat summer.
Besides early June, the best time to visit Barcelona is late October, by which point you’ll want to switch off the air conditioning units altogether. Sweetest is the pleasure that comes from taking in the sunset behind Gaudi’s Catholic masterpiece while everyone else you know is shivering in Soho.
The details
Rooms at The Hoxton Poblenou start from £160. Book it here
Book flights to Barcelona with Opodo
Use code OP30STANDARD on your first flight booking as a Prime member at Opodo UK for £30 off when spending a minimum of £200
