Where to stay in Barcelona?
Eixample
If I were you, I would definitely stay in Eixample, either the right side (La Dreta de l'Eixample in Catalan) or left side (Esquerra de l'Eixample).
Eixample literally means "extension" in Catalan because it was constructed when the city walls were torn down and the city was extended in the beginning of 1900's. It is basically the organized part of the city you see on the map, where all the squared planning is.
The wide street Passeig de Gracia divides the neighbourhood to two, right and left, and both sides are amazing to stay in.
The neighbourhood is safe and the buildings around are all beautiful, because this was where the rich society used to live in when the city was extended.
Here are some hotel suggestions in the neighbourhood, in the order of lowest to highest price:
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Gracia
Gracia is a lovely neighbourhood, which actually wasn't a part of Barcelona until Eixample and Paseo de Gracia was constructed in the beginning of 1900's. So it does have its own character, it's a bit further up on the map so a bit further away from the center, but I just love the vibe here. The narrow streets end in beautiful little squares, there are so many small local boutiques and shops and it's less touristy. So it would be my second choice of neighbourhood if I were to stay in Barcelona. Here are some of my favourite hotels in the zone.
El Born & Gothic
So, if you do not mind being in a touristic location but you prefer to be in the center where everything happens, the old historical city center is where you can stay. These two neighbourhoods are full of restaurants and bars, tiny little streets filled with shops, and of course, tourists. Let me go through my favourite hotels in the area, because since this is a touristic zone, it may be hard to choose from so many options.
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El Poble Nou
This used to be the industrial part of the city, where you still find a lot of warehouses, storage places and garages. However nowadays it's more than that. It is home to a lot of new restaurants, third wave coffee shops, parks and beautiful pedestrian streets. It is a bit further away from the city center, yes, however it's close to the beach (very handy in summer!) and well connected to the city center by yellow line metro. And of course, the prices are lower. Here are my favourite hotels in the area:
Where NOT to stay?
As I said in the beginning, if I were you, I would probably stay in Eixample and not in the old city center but as you are a tourist and as you may be staying for only a couple of days, I also understand if you want to stay in El Born or Gothic. However one neighbourhood I would NOT recommend you to stay would be El Raval. It is known as the not-so-safe area of Barcelona and it may get rough at night too. You can go there to walk around, of course, however make sure you always have your bag and phone secure.
On the other hand, while the areas Sarria Sant Gervasy are beautiful and very elite, they are a bit uphill and further away from the city center. To live, as a local, it is very expensive and high-end so you can find beautiful shops and restaurants around there, which will be very local, however to stay, it would be a bit far away.
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