Majestic Hotel & Spa

Character and identity

Anchored on Passeig de Gràcia in the thick of Barcelona's luxury shopping spine, the Majestic has held its ground since 1918 under the same founding family. The neoclassical façade gives way to recently refreshed interiors that read classic but contemporary, hung with a serious 1,000-piece modern art collection featuring Tàpies, Guinovart and Kapoor. Across 258 rooms, expect high ceilings, cream-and-beige palettes and marble bathrooms with Atelier Cologne products. SOLC handles slow-food dining from the hotel's own Maresme kitchen-garden, La Dolce Vitae runs the rooftop pool and tapas scene, and El Bar del Majestic still functions as a piano-bar meeting point for the local set.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What sets the Majestic apart is the combination of an unbeatable Passeig de Gràcia address with a genuinely museum-grade art collection and a kitchen-garden-driven restaurant in SOLC, all still family-run after a century. Book a Junior Suite Passeig de Gràcia for the boulevard views and high ceilings; the midweek three-course lunch at SOLC, around $38, is the value play worth catching.