Barcelona is home to quite a lot of quirky and unusual places to stay, and during my summer living here, I made it my mission to discover them all! These unique places to stay in Barcelona are unique for lots of reasons: from historical buildings-turned-hotels to vibrantly colorful boutique hotels to themed rooms and interesting holiday rentals.
I’ve organized these properties to BUDGET unique places to stay in Barcelona, which will usually come in at less than $100-$300 per night on average, and splurge-worthy unique stays, which can range in price. It’s important to note that even the splurge-worthy stays can dip below $100 in the low season, so it depends on your dates.
Then, I listed a few SUPER unique and interesting places to stay outside of Barcelona if you are looking for a properly interesting stay you won’t find anywhere else on earth. Check out my travel tips for Spain before you go.
One big tip: BOOK EARLY IN BARCELONA to save money! The hotels go up a lot in price the closer you get to your dates.
Many of these hotels have rooftop bars/pools, but if you can’t get enough, check out my roundup of the best Barcelona rooftop bars. Also see:
- Hidden Gems in Barcelona
- the best breakfast and brunch in Barcelona
- Barcelona Coffee Shops
- Barcelona adventurous outdoor activities
- Best Views in Barcelona
- Best Tapas Bars in Barcelona
Unique Places to Stay in Barcelona on a Budget
Looking for cool cheap places to stay in Barcelona? I’ve got you covered. If you are more of a hostel person, check out some of the best hostels in Barcelona here.
Hotel Praktik Garden
Location: Eixample
It’s unique because It’s a delightfully colorful plant-covered hotel for a great price.
Hotel Praktik is one of the most unique hotels in the Praktik chain (I have included two of my favorites in this post). Praktil Garden, as its name suggests, is covered in greenery. There are tons of beautiful plants and pops of color covering the reception and lounge common areas and the whole outdoor terrace, too. We loved the greenery for its serenity even in a huge city like Barcelona!
Enjoy Barcelona views from your bedroom window, or meet other travelers in the vibrant common areas filled with interesting art, books, and seating. Prices start from about 70 euros.
Praktik Bakery – Hotel and Bakery Combined!
Location: Eixample
It’s unique because: It’s a budget hotel AND bakery. At the same time. Yum.
Hotel Praktik Bakery is my second favorite Praktik Hotel in Barcelona after the Garden. I can’t think if many things more convenient than having an actual BAKERY on the ground floor of your hotel – I loved getting to eat delicious fresh baked goods in the mornings!
The rooms are small but are at a great rate of $130 – $220 a night. Located near Diagonal station in Eixample, you’ll be perfectly connected to all of the city and right amongst all the bars and restaurants of Eixample and the super-lively Passeig de Gracia.
Hotel Casa Sagnier
Location: Eixample
It’s unique because: It’s got an earthy and quaint vibe in the heart of the city.
Hotel Casa Sagnier is one of the more expensive (but not super high-end) hotels in this list. The interior design just oozes peace and comfort. You’ll have to plan yourself a date night-in with tapas and wine (solo or with your partner) as the room itself is a haven.
One of the highlights is the street views from the balcony. We love a romantic view, and Hotel Casa Sagnier has just that. So do yourself a favor and splurge on a lil’ upgrade.
Rates have gone up a lot since I first wrote this – they can go up to over $140 a night during the high-season, so try to book a weekday in the low seaason to experience this place.
Hotel Brummell
It’s one of the most unique places to stay in Barcelona Because It’s an adorable tiny boutique hotel next to Montjuic with a minimalistic and edgy hipster vibe, plenty of greenery, natural light, and homey spaces
Hotel Brummell is in my FAVORITE part of Barcelona. It’s right next to the walk to get up Montjuic hill, which is lush and green and has amazing views. The facade of Hotel Brummell is the same as an 1870’s building, but they have redone the whole interior in the name of ‘modernism’ with brushed concrete, metal, wood, and stone.
I just love the vibe here, and the rooftop pool is pretty epic as well. It has 20 rooms and is a great choice for those who truly love unique + boutique. They also have massages and yoga classes on the daily. Starting at $250 and going up to $500+ depending on the dates, you’ll have to check the prices below.
Allegro
Location: Eixample
It’s unique because: It’s got colorful futuristic design and amazing views
Room Mate Emma is a fun futuristic hotel in Eixample that will make you feel like you’re on the Zenon spaceship. They have bright purples and blues in the rooms and common areas and comfy spacious rooms.
Some rooms have beautiful balconies with outdoor lounges, too. Prices range from $80-$250 depending on the night and time of year.
Room Mate Pau
Location: Gothic Quarter, Placa de Catalunya
It’s a unique Barcelona stay because: It has contemporary + fun rooms and a perfect location
Room Mate Pau us is another interesting Barcelona hotel. The rooms have creative designs with swiss-cheese cutout walls and pops of bright colors. The suite rooms have great views and balconies, and the meeting and common rooms are chic as well.
Prices here start at about $250 and can go up to $600+ a night during high-season. It’s fantastic to be staying IN the Gothic quarter but next to the main square of Barcelona, which also connects to Eixample, Raval, El Born, and train stations to literally everywhere.
Hotel Casa Bonay
Location: Eixample
It’s a unique Barcelona stay because: It has modern rooms with mosaic tiling + rooftop bar
Hotel Casa Bonay ties together the old and new worlds with it’s modern and chic decor presented inside a 19th-century building. The hotel is also home to three places to get your fill on delicious foods and drink, including a rooftop bar.
For a bit extra, I recommend upgrading to a terrace room. There’s nothing like unwinding in the evening or starting your day looking over the European streets from your own personal terrace.
This hotel is a bit pricier, with prices starting at about $250 a night in the low season and up to $500 a night in high season.
Motor Yacht Boatel
Location: Port Forum
It’s one of the most unique places to stay in Barcelona because: You can rent a room on an actual floating BOAT in a Barcelona harbor.
How would you like to stay right on the water? But really, ON the water?! This is indeed possible at the Motor Yacht Boatel. Located in Port Forum a few beaches past El Poblenou, this harbor is a bit outside the city but perfect for those who want to be near the sea and away from the hustle of the city.
The boat has double rooms and rooms with single beds. The common spaces are very comfortable and you can even explore the captain’s quarters! Make sure to check ahead bcause this seems to only be available sometimes.
Hotel Pulitzer
Location: Between Gothic Quarter and Eixample
It’s unique because: It has bright, modern, and green interiors with plenty of social spaces.
I could stay at the Pulitzer Hotel every time I visit Barcelona because the decor is so welcoming and calming! As you can tell, we love light and bright spaces full of plants. And the rooftop space doesn’t hurt either, haha. There’s also live music on the terrace so if you love live music…then this hotel is a great choice.
The hotel also offers a lot of bang for it’s buck, with prices ranging from $1225 to $500+ a night for last minute.
Unique Places to Stay in Barcelona – Splurge-Worthy
Here are some unusual + fun Barcelona stays that might be a bit more of a splurge. Depending on how long you’re staying, it might be worth a bit of a splurge to stay somewhere super epic for a couple of days. Here are some ideas!
Hotel Neri – Relais & Chateaux
Location: Gothic Quarter (next to the cathedral)
It’s a unique stay because it’s in an 18th-century aristocratic house totally flipped by amazing designers to be the cutest hotel ever.
If you have the money, this would be THE BEST Barcelona hotel choice. You cannot get any more central than next to the cathedral, and you can’t get more cute than the design of this boutique hotel.
It’s a 5-star experience that will make you feel cozy and inspired. The rooftop pool presents direct Gothic Quarter views and you can be anywhere in the city within 5-10 minutes.There are quite a few different styles of rooms from normal to suites, so see if you can find something in your budget.
Casa Camper
Location: El Raval
It’s a unique hotel because: It has an eclectic and modern design and delightful space
Casa Camper is an edgy boutique hotel tucked right into the grungy neighborhood of El Raval – very close to the Placa de Las Angels which is a popular local skating and hangout spot.
Here you will be in a comfortable room surrounded by rich Barcelona culture. Some rooms here look out to sunlit plant pots and some into a courtyard. There’s a rooftop with epic views too, and a sister hotel in Berlin!
Cotton House Hotel
Location: Eixample/Gothic border
It’s one of the best Barcelona Hotels because: it’s a repurposed historic building made into a super luxe hotel!
The Cotton House Hotel has an alluring exterior in an old classical style and an even more luxurious interior. Built in the repurposed ‘cotton producers’ build,’ this hotel has a palpable old feel with a modern redesign.
Passing a beautifully decorated spiral staircase, you’ll find rooms themed after different destinations and empires, like ‘Egyptian,’ ‘Ottoman,’ ‘Panama,’ ‘Vichy,’ and more. It’s a pretty much perfect location in Barcelona, with views from yet another rooftop pool.
H10 Cubik
Location: Gothic Quarter
It’s one of the most unique Barcelona stays because It’s a cool modern cubic hotel with sleek design and nice rooms!
h10 Cubik might have one of the best locations of all these hotels. It’s located in the middle of Via Laeitana, in between the Gothic Quarter and El Raval. The cool cubic design is hard to miss, and the rooftop has an epic view as well.
Hotel 1898
Location: Gothic Quarter
It’s one of the most unique places to stay in Barcelona because it’s an elegant hotel in a refurbished historic building with a cool indoor pool
Once the General Philippines Tobacco Company headquarters, hotel 1898 has retained some of the old feels of the building in a new hotel. I can best describe it as elegant – with solid colors, leather seats, and wooded finishings… as if you should be drinking whiskey and smoking a cigar 😛
Hotel 1898 has an amazing rooftop pool and also a really unique indoor pool (the only one I know of in Barcelona) inside some old archways.
Vincci Gala
Location: Eixample
It’s one of the coolest Barcelona stays because it’s modern and cute while capturing the historic essence of the building
We are seeing a theme in the last few hotels with repurposed historic/old buildings, and Hotel Vincci Gala is no different. I can best describe it as luxurious and quirky, with pops of color and modern touches of design around a central glimmering atrium.
This hotel has a wonderful rooftop pool with views over Eixample and beyond.
Hotel SB Glow
Location: Poblenou
It’s a quirky stay because it’s got a fun and chic rainbow glow throughout the hotel with epic views
With spacious common areas lit with colorful lights, Hotel SD Glow couldn’t be left out on this list. This is a must-stay if you want to be east of the city near Poblenou with – you guessed it – amazing city views from the rooftop pool.
This hotel is more unique though because it has a view of the Torre Agbar, a building that many know to be penis-shaped. 😛 The rooms here have terrace views and interesting art on the walls, keeping things quirky.
Unique Places to Stay Outside of Barcelona
Here are the MOST unique places to stay around Barcelona. There are the most unusual and noteworthy accommodation options in all of Catalunya that I just HAD to include in this guide.
If you’re looking for an entirely unique experience rather than just one of the cooler places to stay in the city, keep reading.
Monestir De Sant Salvi
Location: Between Barcelona and Girona
It’s a unique stay because you can stay inside a monastery built in 1281! This place is a hotel, wedding venue, and amazing getaway at the same time. Stay inside the stone walls of an ancient monastery or swim in the long pool with a picture-perfect mountain view.
Les Cols Pavellons
Location: Olot, Spain (1hr outside Girona)
It’s probably THE most unique place to stay around Barcelona becasuse it’s a crazy glass hotel with private rooms and an onsen in each room
Yes, you read that correctly. Les Cols Pavellons is in the beautiful Catalan countryside, tucked behind a Michelin star restaurant inside a stone country house.
The 5 different ‘pavillions’ have glass floors and walls, private rooms and bathrooms, and yes, a private warm onsen spa in each room. If that isn’t the best way to finish off a unique Barcelona stays article, I don’t know what is.
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Passionate, full-time travel blogger with over 230k on social media and 150kMPV blog. Extraordinary photographer with two DSLR's + a drone with a love for capturing candid moments, epic drone shots, and magical compositions. I'm a natural-born content creator originally from California, but I've been on the road for 9 years living, working, traveling, blogging, and photographing my way around the world. I recommend the most amazingly adventurous and unique + boutique travel experiences/stays and helpful products to my audience and write comprehensive guides on my website that have helped millions of travelers so far. I love to inspire people to plan their dream trips, and many readers have given feedback as such. The reach on my platforms continues to soar, especially when combining cutting-edge social content with optimized articles on my high-authority website.