METT Barcelona

Character and identity

Set high on the Carretera de Vallvidrera on the way to Tibidabo, METT Barcelona occupies a listed Catalan Noucentisme building from 1925, reopened after a full refurbishment that preserves the century-old architecture while resetting the hotel for a contemporary, Mediterranean lifestyle register. Scale is intimate: 70 rooms and suites across six floors, two pools (indoor and outdoor), the Valmont Red Carpet Spa (a partnership otherwise found only in New York and Los Angeles), the Mediterranean restaurant Albarada, the 1925 Vermutería, and the Florida Lounge by Lladró, where Marcel Wanders lamps sit alongside Jaime Hayon's Embraced sculpture. Service leans warm and discreet.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The defining draw here is the combination of a restored 1925 landmark with 360-degree views and the Valmont Red Carpet Spa, an unusually serious wellness anchor for a 70-key hotel. Pay up for a Signature Suite (up to 70 square metres, some with private plunge pools) if the views and space are the point; the Sea View Junior Suites are the smarter mid-tier pick. Best enjoyed in shoulder season, when the terraces come into their own.