Fodor's Expert Review Mercer Hotel Barcelona

On a narrow side street near Plaça Sant Jaume, this romantic boutique hotel, a medieval town house, is among the most spectacular examples of Barcelona's signature genius for the redesign and rebirth of historical properties. Hotel Mercer incorporates the last surviving watchtower of the ancient walled city; Pritzker prize–winning architect Rafael Moneo lovingly preserved the classical and Gothic elements of the building, and gave it a luxurious sense of light and space. The lobby features stone arches, exposed beams, a glassed-in patio (perfect for breakfast) with orange trees; the intimate bar in back leads to the romantic little Mercer Restaurant, in the hands of chef Xavier Lahuerta. Rooms are spacious; decor is spare. Some rooms have four-poster beds; all have spacious shower stalls, and some have big oval tubs as well. Full amenities include robes and slippers and Molton Brown toiletries. Ask for a room overlooking the central courtyard or the vertical garden wall—or the one built into the watchtower.