Friday, August 6, 2010

Rooftop Cocktails in Barcelona Hotels

There's something very cool about wandering into a 4 or 5 star hotel, and heading striaght for the lift without the staff or consierge batting an eyelid. Oh, and if they do, you just slip them a "I'm just going up to the bar" and receive a nod. Well, it's the height of summer, we're heading for some great parties already this wekeend. But if you're not in the mood for an all night dance fest and fancy some cool cocktails, then there are some great places you can try out.

One of the most central locations is the Gran Hotel in the gothic quarter, right in front of the Plaça Sant Jaume (metro Jaume I). Stunning views of the Cathedral and the sprawling streets of the maze that is the gothic quarter below provide a perfect backdrop for your drinks.

Gran Hotel Rooftop Bar - BarcelonaSights

Visit Up is the name of the rooftop bar at the Pulitzer, just off Plaça Catalunya. This bridges the gap between the old and new, just on the border of the old town and the "new town" of Eixample. August has a limited access, and September jumps straight back in where it left off (open every night bar Mondays - pun intended!). Both locations so far are a nice summer walk away from each other, and if the thirst gets the better of you in between, then you could always stop off at the next place.

Visit-Up at the Pulitzer - Barcelona Sights Blog

Hotel 1898 on Las Ramblas has Bar Isabela where you can book tables for some snazzy grub, or nip up for a quick cocktail, too.

La Isabela at 1898 - Barcelona Sights


And although not strictly a rooftop bar, the wet bar at the W Hotel in Barceloneta is well worth a mention. There is also a 26th floor bar (indoors) if you fancy the view, but Wet Bar has the best of both worlds with style, DJs and the Med right next to you!

Wet Bar at W Hotel - Barcelona Sights

For more outdoor drinking tips, check out my other posts from last year. And if you're coming to the city this summer, and fancy your own terrace, why not check out these Barcelona apartments for rent, with a selection of central apartments, some with terraces and balconies.

4 comments:

Elven Hunter said...

Thanks for this post. I'm going to visit Barcelona this year (in fall, I guess), and I think I'll stop at the Gran Hotel, though all the other hotels you described seem to be very good, too.

By the way, do you happen to know if Gran Hotel is far from Gran Casino de Barcelona? The names sound really alike...

A poker tournament (http://www.isop.com/en/isop/179-isop-barcelona-2010) is going to take place there, and I would like my hotel to be close to that casino.

Unknown said...

Hi Elven, thanks for the comment. The Gran Hotel is not really close to the Casino - that's in the Olympic Village, and "Gran" just means "big" in Catalan, so it's a popular name for things like hotels and casinos, etc. so I can understand your confusion!

However, it's still not THAT far, and if you like the look of it, you should be able to pay for the room with your winnings, right?!

Elven Hunter said...

Thanks for your answer! :)

So it's not close... I'm not really good at orienting myself, hope I won't get lost :)

You mean to say the rooms are TOO expensive?

Unknown said...

Hi again. Don't worry - Barcelona is easy to navigate once you have a couple of landmarks - like the twin towers which housed the athletes during the 1992 Olympic Games - the Casino is just below one of them (now the Arts Hotel).

As for the prices, I have no idea what is expensive or cheap for people nowadays, but if you want somegreat deals, try the Diagonal Mar area - it's pretty underdeveloped so far, so you have some great deals....

 
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