Hotel Review • Europe, Africa • Spain • Barcelona

At METT Barcelona, a Century-Old Icon Reclaims Its Place Above the City

Perched atop Tibidabo, METT Barcelona redefines a historic 1925 landmark with panoramic views, design-forward interiors, a Valmont spa, and standout Catalan dining.

The Review

Why it works

Courtesy of METT Barcelona

Hotel Snapshot

Getting to METT Barcelona requires a commitment. The hotel sits at the top of Tibidabo, the hill that looms over Barcelona's northwestern edge, and the drive up is winding enough that you start to wonder if you've taken a wrong turn. You haven't. When the building appears, so does the view. The whole city, spread out below you, the Mediterranean a pale silver line at the edge of it all.

Take a moment.

Design & Character

The building started life as the Gran Hotel La Florida in 1925, built in the grand Catalan style known as Noucentisme. Hemingway stayed here. Rock Hudson. Princess Fabiola of Belgium. More recently, Obama, Springsteen. A century of that kind of guest leaves a certain residue, and the renovation — finished last October under the METT Hotels & Resorts banner — is smart enough not to sand it away.

The lobby centers on the Florida Lounge by Lladró, a permanent collection from the iconic Spanish porcelain brand. Pieces from Jaime Hayon's The Fantasy and Embraced collections sit alongside lamps by Marcel Wanders, all of it lit by windows that have been in this building for a hundred years. It's the kind of room people slow down in without quite knowing why.

The Rooms

The Sea View rooms are the ones to book. The windows are floor-to-ceiling and almost unreasonably large, framing Barcelona below like someone composed the shot deliberately. You stand there longer than you meant to. That's fine. There's no reason to hurry.

Food & Drink

Mornings start with a breakfast buffet generous enough to make you reconsider your plans for the day. By midday the multi-tiered outdoor deck has sorted itself into its natural rhythms — a few people genuinely working on laptops with the Mediterranean behind them, others on yoga mats, most just horizontal on loungers doing absolutely nothing. All of it feels correct.

Lunch at 1925 Vermutería keeps things grounded and distinctly Catalan — croquettes that arrive crisp and molten in the middle, a steak tartare served on the bone with a presentation confident enough that it doesn't need explaining. Dinner at Albarada is the more considered option, chef-driven and locally sourced, the kind of cooking that makes you wish you'd skipped the croquettes. You won't regret the croquettes.

Courtesy of METT Barcelona

Spa & Wellness

The Valmont Red Carpet Spa earns its billing. Valmont is a Swiss luxury skincare institution with over four decades behind it, and the treatments here — from high-performance facial rituals to holistic therapies — are thoughtful rather than perfunctory. The Red Carpet treatment, something of a calling card among the fashion and film worlds, is available exclusively at select Valmont locations globally. This is one of them.

Location & Neighborhood Recs

By night the city lights up and the terraces follow. Cocktails, live music, warm air off the hillside. The kind of evening that's hard to account for when you get home.

Fast Facts

Location: Tibidabo, Barcelona, Spain

Rating: Five-Star

The Vibe: A century-old Catalan landmark reborn as a vibrant urban resort perched above one of Europe's great cities, design-driven and culture-rich without being stuffy about it.

Rooms: 70 rooms and suites

Pricing: Rates vary; contact the hotel directly for availability

Dining: Albarada for contemporary Mediterranean dining; 1925 Vermutería for refined tapas rooted in local markets — the croquettes and bone-served steak tartare are not to be missed; the Florida Lounge by Lladró for cocktails and light fare; The Pool Club for terrace lunches with sea views. The breakfast buffet alone is reason enough to linger.

Gallery

A closer look

Courtesy of METT Barcelona

Courtesy of METT Barcelona

Hotels Above Par

Boutique luxury travel expertise for travelers who care where they wake up, not just where they land.

Partnership Disclosure

Hotels Above Par may receive compensation, promotional fees, hosted-stay consideration, affiliate commissions, or other benefits from hotel, travel, or brand partners mentioned in this email. These relationships do not determine our editorial judgment. We choose what to feature based on relevance, taste, usefulness, and fit for our readers. Purchases, bookings, or inquiries made through partner links may result in compensation to Hotels Above Par at no additional cost to you.