Casa Marcelo Barcelona

Nearly every aspect of this bed-and-breakfast embraces the past without feeling stuffy. Set in an 1861 building in one of the city’s medieval neighborhoods, marble-topped furniture, carved wooden doors, velvet upholstered chairs, and large mirrors lend the common areas an old-world glamour. The large, tiled dining room feels straight out of a classic mid-century Spanish film and opens onto a lovely balcony with views of the street below. Guests here are mostly couples and solo travelers.

On a pedestrian street in El Born, this bed-and-breakfast is right in the middle of one of Barcelona’s “It” neighborhoods. Vintage shops, art spaces, and high-end retailers call its narrow lanes home, and there are plenty of restaurants and nightlife options as well. The Picasso Museum and the Gothic Quarter are under 10 minutes away on foot, and the beach at La Barceloneta is a 15-minute walk. The metro is just four blocks away to reach destinations like Sagrada Familia and Plaza Catalunya. El Prat International Airport is 20 minutes away in a car, and can also be reached from the Aerobus stop in Plaza Catalunya in under 40 minutes.

The gilded-age vibe of the common spaces carries over into the mostly spacious rooms, which are and clean but can smell a bit old. Chandeliers, gold-framed mirrors, and antique-style furnishings accent the modern linens, funky carpets, and dark tiles, though the room on the street side picks up lots of noise from late-night revelers below. Room Two is particularly small, and there are no air-conditioners or televisions in any rooms. Only the Room Three and the Balcony Room have en-suite bathrooms, and the latter’s is nicer and more modern. The other three rooms in the bed-and-breakfast share one large, clean bathroom.

Continental breakfast is included every morning in the dining room or on the shared balcony, though offerings can be light and cups of coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are limited. Wi-Fi is free throughout for guests to stream their own entertainment as there are no TVs here. Rooms are cleaned daily and guests have access to the spacious kitchen, including use of the refrigerator to store perishables. Mexican handicrafts, some of which are used to add pops of color throughout the bed-and-breakfast, are available for sale. The owners are extremely helpful and the property offers drinks for purchase as well as laundry service for a fee.