Hotel Indigo Barcelona Plaza Espana by IHG 

Hotel Indigo Barcelona A genuinely excellent stay, and the easiest five stars I’ve given on this trip. The room was spacious, well-appointed and thoughtfully designed — the kind of place that feels considered rather than just furnished. But what actually made the stay was the service. I arrived well before check-in, and the front desk — Rina and Lucas (apologies if I’ve got the second name slightly wrong) — turned what’s usually an awkward wait into the best possible introduction to the city. They taught me about the Catalan region, walked me through the hotel, and pointed me toward things to do and places worth visiting nearby. Then they checked me in quite early and upgraded the room once they understood how long difficult the trip was. That kind of intuitive, generous hospitality sets the tone for everything after. And the standard held. Housekeeping was efficient, and the service stayed consistent across every department we dealt with — no weak links, no drop-off. The one honest caveat is location. You’re a 25-minute-plus walk from a lot of the nicer restaurants and shops, so it’s not the most central base. There’s a grocery and a shopping centre about ten minutes away, but the retail there is limited. What it is close to is the OFFSónar and Sónar events — which is exactly why we chose it, and if you’re in town for those, the location flips from a drawback into a real advantage. Beyond that, I have nothing bad to say. If you’re staying in Barcelona — especially for Sónar — this is an easy recommendation.