Market Hotel

The historic facade and old-meets-new lobby of the hotel provides a striking change of scenery from the generic streetscape outside. The lobby features a glittering chandelier overhead, hardwood plank floors, and etched windows that give the space a funky edge. The antique-contemporary theme is accented by thoughtful details such as artsy shadowboxes, vintage-style lamps, and oriental carpets, but seating is limited to a single leather couch near the front desk. The Market Restaurant feels grand, with a stylish black-and-white finish accented by geometric mirrors and reclaimed wood fixtures. The popular restaurant and Bar Rosso both draw a local crowd throughout the evening, while overnight guests of the hotel tend to be solo tourists, couples, and families.

The Market Hotel is located on an anonymous, busy street at the edge of Barcelona’s Eixample neighborhood, and the immediate area around the hotel lacks the character many visitors to Barcelona expect. However, Barcelona’s contemporary art museum -- MACBA -- and the trendy El Raval neighborhood are both within a 10-minute walk away. Plaza Catalunya and La Rambla can be reached in 15 minutes on foot. The Sant Antoni metro station is just two blocks from the hotel and connects to destinations further afield, including Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell. Trips to El Prat International Airport take about 45 minutes on the Aerobus -- which stops just one block from the hotel -- and taxis can cover the same distance in about 20 minutes.

Thoughtful details, like reclaimed hardwood flooring, set the rooms here apart from many of Barcelona's other mid-range options, though noise from neighboring rooms and the street can be an issue. Single Rooms run small, but Standard Rooms are contrastingly spacious. Superior Rooms have separate living rooms with sofas and coffee tables and Junior Suites have terraces. The four-poster double beds are visually striking, but consist of two twin mattresses pushed together and can be uncomfortable. Rooms are furnished with distressed modern furniture, though it’s sometimes hard to tell if the antiquing is intentional. Wall art ranges from from pop-art prints to abstract canvasses, and all rooms have safes, small flat-screen satellite TVs, and air-conditioning. Bathrooms have dark-wood vanities, rectangular vessel sinks with antique-style taps, and black-tile shower/tub combos. 

The on-site bar -- Bar Rosso -- has a cocktail menu that rivals many independent high-end lounges and Asian-influenced small bites. The Market Restaurant serves excellent Catalan dishes and is popular with locals and tourists from lunchtime onward. The breakfast buffet has hot options, but it's only included in the hotel's bed-and-breakfast rates. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, though it can be spotty. Bicycle rentals and laundry services are also available and the hotel provides some business services as needed, including faxing.