Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona

I recently stayed at Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona with my daughter for 4 nights. For context, I have travelled extensively and stayed in many five star hotels, both in cities and resorts. We arrived just after the Tour de France time trial had finished, a bit exhausted after a flight delay, getting from the airport by train and after having dealt with some really rude and unhelpful staff at the train station! We instantly relaxed the second we met JiJi at check-in. What a lovely guy – so helpful and calming after a long journey. From that point on, our impressions of Mandarin Oriental were set, and just got better. My daughter was celebrating her birthday the day after and we had been left cake, handwritten cards, and cava in our room – such a lovely touch. She also was delivered more birthday cake at breakfast, which was a nice surprise! We had booked the entry level room (deluxe garden room king) as I specifically wanted to be facing the rear of the hotel and not the busy street outside. I had requested a quiet room on a high floor, and no surprise – they delivered! Our room on the 6th floor was a sanctuary – literally no noise whatsoever for the whole of our stay, except for some noise during the day from the small school behind – it was actually quite nice watching the Spanish children play basketball, and felt ‘real’. On the first morning we realised our safe wasn’t working, so asked Reception if they wouldn’t mind taking a look. They said they would send security. When we returned to our room a very short while later, the whole safe had been replaced! No fuss, they just did what they promised, and it was very refreshing not to have to chase things up, like you may do in other hotels. Barcelona is a busy city and Passeig de Gracia is a busy street. As soon as you reach the lovely door guys, and step foot on the carpeted ramp up to Reception you literally feel like you are entering an oasis of calm. It’s the perfect antidote to what’s going on outside. Yet, it is in a wonderful location – steps to fabulous shopping, strolling and eating. I considered many properties before settling on the MO. Specifically I was tempted by Hotel Arts and its sea views and recent refurbishment, larger rooms etc. I am so glad I didn’t go for it. What Hotel Arts may have in views, the MO more than makes up for in peace and quiet. Be aware that the area around the beach is full of night clubs, with loud noise, and pumping bass until breakfast time. It also does not deliver on having so much on your doorstep. I would not in a million years have swapped sea views and noise for our experience at the MO. No thank you! This hotel has so many staff! You can tell how much they care about customer service. Every member of staff looked professional, acted professional, was friendly, courteous and a real credit to the hotel and the MO brand. Breakfast at the MO is wonderful. Staff are professional, friendly and attentive. The pastries are to die for. An excellent buffet spread and varied a la carte menu. We also ate up at La Terrat. Now this rooftop area is the crowning glory of the hotel. We spent 3 or 4 hours up there on the sunbeds every morning and pretty much had it completely to ourselves. It is peaceful, with fantastic views and a lovely dipping pool. We were looked after so well up there and really took time to relax before heading out each afternoon. It was our favourite part of the hotel. I can strongly recommend the Vegetarian Burger and the vegetarian poke bowl too. If you stay at the MO, do go up to the Terrace! To keep this review balanced, there are just a couple of things I would comment on that could be improved. We asked for a room with a bath and were delighted to get a massive circular bath overlooking the gardens. However, after an hour of the bath taps on full power, it still only had a couple of inches of water in it. We gave up and never used it. The taps just weren’t powerful enough to fill it. The pool in the spa in the basement was quiet, but freezing! Some people might like that, but I do prefer something more heated in an area where you are supposed to relax. Housekeeping was very late in the day - we would come back at 4pm and the room was still not serviced. Not a huge issue, but if you prefer your room done earlier, it is probably worth requesting that. And finally, the TV came on one night at 3am! I think it must have a mind of its own. I do think I also read another review that mentioned this. If I went back, I think I’d probably unplug it, just to be safe!! No big issue at all, it only happened once. In summary, this hotel is in a class of its own in Barcelona. I wholeheartedly recommend it. The service is phenomenal, it’s calm, serene, quiet, luxurious, and in an absolutely perfect location. I would not hesitate to stay here again. Well done MO Barcelona, I’m definitely a Fan!

My stay at Mandarin Oriental Barcelona was exceptional from start to finish. The staff were warm, attentive, and genuinely committed to making every moment special. The rooms were beautifully designed, impeccably clean, and offered a perfect blend of luxury and comfort. The location is unbeatable, right on Passeig de Gràcia, making it easy to explore the city’s best shopping, dining, and attractions. The breakfast was outstanding, with a fantastic selection of fresh, high-quality options, and the overall dining experience was excellent. What truly sets this hotel apart is its attention to detail and personalized service. Every interaction felt thoughtful and welcoming. If you’re looking for a luxurious, elegant, and unforgettable stay in Barcelona, I highly recommend Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona.A Special thanks to Hotel Manager.

Room 223, Family Suite, Mandarin Oriental Barcelona, 26–29 May 2026, rate: EUR 7,205/night. -Terrible value. Avoid- We told hotel 3x we needed rooms around noon: aircraft 11:00 a.m., jet-lagged children. Each time: “should be possible.” Then, last min.: impossible. Reason seems clear: an Amex Gold guest apparently kept room in day use all afternoon. We know what afternoon day use is usually for: a few hrs in “good company.” Meanwhile, we booked the hotel’s most expensive room and spent 5 hrs in taxis with exhausted children because our paid room was unavailable. Irony: I have Amex Centurion and Black. I doubt there are even 10 Amex Black cards in Spain. Yet Amex Gold day-use counted more than a family paying EUR 7,000+/night. Insane. At 5:30 p.m., room smelled strongly of fornication. Bathroom not clean. At this price, unbelievable. Room 223 is sold as a Family Suite. It is not. Basically two EUR 1,000 rooms, across the normal corridor, joined by a ridiculous sliding accordion partition. Heating/A/C works only if doors are fully closed. Doors open = no proper A/C or heating. So the “suite” works only when it stops being a suite. Doors closed = 2 separate rooms, stitched with a cheap partition. Not luxury. Not a suite. A scam. Extra bed: unacceptable, more daybed/stretcher for a 10-year-old than real bed. Bathroom: ridiculous. Tiny sabot tub, barely 1.40 m, hair in bathtub, hot water like a trickle, industrial wall shampoo dispensers like ketchup boxes, tiny doses/use. Not luxury, cost-cutting disguised as design. Whole hotel very dark; bathrooms beyond belief. You can barely see yourself. We had to use iPhone lights there. Not atmosphere, design failure sold as luxury. Energy-saving obsession grotesque. Lights go off as soon as you move. Electricity switch cuts power unless real room key is inserted; credit card/cardboard does not work. Everything gloomy, impractical, uncomfortable. Terrace closed because stonework/parts of building were apparently falling into the street. Terrace sold with room but unusable because building is literally falling apart. See photo. Location: noisy central boulevard, traffic, police cars, street noise all day, poor windows. At EUR 7,000+/night, unacceptable. Huge mistake. We should have gone to Hotel Arts or W by the sea. General atmosphere: bad. No warmth, hospitality, confidence or luxury feeling. Poorly run, poorly coordinated, uncomfortable, joyless. Staff: mostly students/trainees/hotel-school recruits, many knowing nothing about hotel/city, some barely communicating in English/Spanish. Everyone lost, poorly trained. Five-star hotel without real crew. Airport transfer: another failure. They did not read request, passed it verbally, created errors. We waited 10 min: car not ready. Wrong name. Not under name requested. Driver knew our name, exactly what we asked to avoid. Driver knew also exactly our destination prior to go , against instructions. “Limousine” transfer absurd: electric car, unable to take 2 suitcases because trunk space is eaten by huge batteries. Luxury hotel should know airport transfer = passengers + luggage. Sending electric car with unusable trunk is idiotic. Everything seems designed to save hotel money, not comfort guests. Energy savings maxed. Guest comfort minimized. At EUR 7,205/night, Room 223 is one of worst hotel values we have experienced. Far from true five-star. Closer to 3.5-star sold at ultra-luxury prices. Avoid completely. In Barcelona, go to W or Hotel Arts…

My mom and I spend couple of nights at the property: very nice located and few steps away for attractions and underground. Very attentive staff and smooth services. We did even get an upgrade to a street facing room, which was very nice!

This place is amazing I went there and my room had the best city view, this is the best place to go for a city view!!