Short answer: Barcelona
Where should we stay in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter for a quiet romantic weekend? Our answer
For a quiet romantic weekend in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, stay at The Wittmore Hotel. It is an adults-only hotel of 22 rooms, tucked into an alley, and every room faces the courtyard's vertical garden instead of the street. If you would rather wake up over one of the quarter's squares, choose Hotel Neri Relais & Chateaux.
Mondmodel Editors ·
The Wittmore Hotel: silence behind an unmarked door
The Wittmore Hotel is at Carrer de Riudarenes 7, in the alleys of the Barri Gòtic. 22 rooms, adults only. Every room looks onto the courtyard, which the hotel says holds Barcelona's largest vertical garden, and the windows are soundproofed. The Sobreático roof terrace looks towards the Basílica de la Mercè.
One thing to know: DJs play in the living room on Thursdays and Saturdays from 8 to 11 pm. The restaurant, Contraban, is run by chef Alain Guiard.
The Wittmore Suite includes the roof to yourselves from 11 pm, with cava, fruit and chocolates.
Hotel Neri Relais & Chateaux: the palace on the square
Hotel Neri occupies a 12th-century medieval palace on Plaça Sant Felip Neri, one of the city's quietest squares. It has 22 rooms and suites and is Barcelona's only Relais & Châteaux hotel. The Roba Estesa roof terrace is green and still.
The restaurant, a, also run by Alain Guiard, is the only one serving on the square itself.
Deluxe Balcony is the only room with a balcony onto the square. Deluxe Terrace has a private terrace with an outdoor bathtub.
Mercer Hotel Barcelona: two thousand years in the walls
Mercer Hotel Barcelona is on Carrer dels Lledó, a few steps from the cathedral, and is built into the Roman city wall. Five-star Gran Lujo. The street is narrow, so a taxi with luggage is awkward; expect to walk the last few metres.
The Premium Junior Suite has its own terrace.
What separates them
The Wittmore and Neri belong to the same hotel group and have 22 rooms each. The difference is where the window points. At The Wittmore you look in towards a garden, which is why it is the quietest. At Neri you look out over a square where you can also have dinner. Mercer has the most history.
THE VERDICT
The Wittmore for silence and an evening on the roof. Neri for medieval stone and the square outside the window. Mercer for the most history in the walls.
Frequently asked
Where should we stay in the Gothic Quarter for a quiet romantic weekend?
The Wittmore Hotel: 22 rooms, adults only, every room facing a courtyard with a vertical garden, and soundproofed windows.
Which room at Hotel Neri has a balcony over the square?
The Deluxe Balcony. The hotel says it is the only room where you can step out onto a balcony over Plaça Sant Felip Neri.
Does The Wittmore get noisy?
The rooms face the courtyard and have soundproofed windows. The DJ nights in the living room on Thursdays and Saturdays, 8 to 11 pm, are the only exception we know of.