Top Destinations

This section answers the question that comes before the hotel: where should this trip be based? We rank districts and cities by what they are good at, arriving late, walking everywhere, eating well, sleeping in silence, rather than by popularity alone.

In Barcelona, the old city remains the default for a first visit, and our guide to where to stay in the Gothic Quarter sets out both the appeal and the noise. Once the district is settled, how to book a premium room covers the practical half: when rates move, what a room category really guarantees, and what is worth asking for at the time of booking rather than on arrival.

A destination earns its place here on three counts: there is enough to do within walking distance to fill the days you have, the rooms are worth their price outside the peak weeks, and getting in and out does not eat a half-day at each end. Anywhere that fails the third test drops down the list, however photogenic it is.

Readers planning a longer route through the country will find the same approach applied to destinations beyond Barcelona, from Madrid and Seville to the coastal resorts. And if you are still weighing neighbourhoods rather than cities, our full Where to Stay section holds the district-by-district reviews these rankings draw on.

Rankings age, so we date them. A district can be transformed by one tram extension or one wave of openings, and a destination that topped this list two years ago may now be the one we suggest avoiding in high season. When your shortlist is down to two or three, compare availability district by district for your dates: the ranking that counts in the end is the one that still has a room on the nights you travel.