What's New

Spain, along with France and the United States, stands in the forefront of world tourism in terms of numbers of visitors. As such, Spain is constantly on the scene with late-breaking developments. After the long, bleak years of the Franco dictatorship, it has moved deeper into the 21st century. In hotels, restaurants, modern art, whatever -- even same-sex marriages -- once-sleepy Spain is now on the cutting edge, especially in Barcelona and Madrid.

Alicante

Along the Costa Blanca in southeastern Spain, you get the best view and some of the best regional specialties at Restaurante La Ereta, Parque de la Ereta (tel. 96-514-32-50), right next to the landmark castle that towers over this coastal port. Served by a formally attired staff, the cuisine is both traditional and creative. Fresh seafood and the best of regional produce are two reasons for the success of this place, which features the best-tasting set menus in the province.

Barcelona

No city, even Madrid, has experienced such explosive changes as Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia. More and more hotels -- boutiques and mammoths -- have continued to open. New hotels are being built and antique buildings recycled. The best example of the latter is H1898, Rambla 109 (tel. 93-552-95-52; www.hotel1898.com), which was created out of the former headquarters of the Philippines Tobacco Company and named for the year Spain lost the Philippines to the United States. It offers five different levels of rooms and a rooftop terrace with a lap pool.

The latest hotel to open is the stylish and chic Casanova BCN Hotel, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 559 (tel. 93-396-48-00; www.casanovabcnhotel.com), created from an 18th-century residence built of limestone. Whimsical lighting and ice-cream colors give this place an avant-garde look of sophistication.

The boutique Soho Hotel, Gran Via 543 (tel. 93-552-96-10; www.hotelsohobarcelona.com), was created by some of the most daring architects and designers. In some cases, various parts of the human body have been reproduced on the bedroom walls. The seventh-floor accommodations with wood terraces are especially desirable.

In the old fishing quarter of Barceloneta, Hotel 54, Passeig Joan de Borbó 54 (tel. 93-225-00-54; www.hotel54barceloneta.com), has opened in the former headquarters of the Association of Fishermen. This hotel has the best panoramic views of the Barcelona harbor and offers innovative features, including a lighting system that allows you to personalize your bedroom color.

Among restaurants, tapas devotees are flocking to the new Tapaç 24, Carrer de la Disputacío 269 (tel. 93-488-09-77), where one of the city's most creative chefs, Carles Abellan, dazzles you with his market-fresh ingredients and imaginative "weddings" of various food products.

One of Spain's most acclaimed chefs, Martín Berasategui, has opened Lasarte in the Hotel Condes de Barcelona, Mallorca 259 (tel. 93-445-00-00), serving the city's finest Basque cuisine. He can take the simplest of ingredients and turn a dish into something to excite your taste buds.

Bilbao

Art lovers flocking to the Guggenheim Museum can now stay at the Sheraton Bilbao Hotel, Calle Leizaola 29, El Ensanche (tel. 94-428-00-00; www.sheraton-bilbao.com), which was constructed over the former headquarters of the shipping industry. It evokes an ocean liner of tomorrow, and its public rooms are filled with a stunning collection of modern art and Spanish ship models.

Caceres

Deep in the heart of Extremadura, Palacete Alameda, Calle General Margallo 45 (tel. 92-721-12-62; www.alamedapalacete.com), a Belle Epoque mansion, has become the place to stay in town. Much of the original work was the design of an architect imported from Venice. Today's palace is a bastion of luxury with individually designed rooms that are spacious and elegant.

Cordoba

Near the old Arab quarter, the five-floor modern Maciá Alfaros, Alfaros 18 (tel. 95-749-19-20; www.maciahoteles.com), has become one of the top-rated hotels of Córdoba. Its most alluring features include a swimming pool in the courtyard and well-designed contemporary bedrooms, along with both a business center and a fitness center.

Costa Brava

In the resort of Lloret de Mar, the local landmark hotel, Gran Hotel Monterrey, Carretera de Tossa (tel. 97-234-60-54; www.ghmonterrey.com), has reopened after a long closure for a complete overhaul. This old favorite, which opened in 1940, has reclaimed its prestigious position. Guest rooms are spacious and luxuriously decorated. Also in Lloret de Mar, a challenger has risen: Rigat Park Hotel, Playa de Fanals (tel. 97-236-52-00), is a plush Mediterranean resort opening onto the sea. It's elegant, romantic, and sits in a garden of pine and eucalyptus.

Granada

A first-class modern hotel, San Antón, has opened at San Antón 74 (tel. 95-852-01-00), across the Río Genil fronting the Palacio de Congresos. Rising eight floors, it is graced with panoramic windows and contains contemporary, well-furnished bedrooms. Try for one of the upper-floor units with panoramic views of the Alhambra.

Ibiza

In the capital, Ciudad de Ibiza, the hot new hotel address for hipsters is El Pacha, Paseo Marítimo s/n (tel. 97-131-59-63; www.avantgardehotels.com), across from the popular nightclub of the same name. Fronting the waterfront, and rated four stars by the government, it is glitzy, inspired by the designs of Philippe Starck. Wear your skimpy bikini around the pool.

Madrid

That famous old favorite of visiting matadors and Ernest Hemingway, ME Madrid Reina Victoria, Plaza de Santa Ana 14 (tel. 91-701-60-00; www.solmelia.com), is back in business after a complete restoration. Its fin de siècle facade remains the same architecturally, but the interior has been modernized in the extreme, with not only the latest gadgetry but also chic new places to have a rendezvous, including the lobby-level Midnight Rose, serving delectable tapas.

Room Mate Hotels are all the rage in Madrid. There's never been a hotel chain quite like these boutique hotels, decorated by some of the leading designers of the country. One of the best is Alicia, Calle del Prado 2 (tel. 91-389-60-95; www.room-matehotels.com). Close to the big three museums of Madrid, including the Prado, the hotel has a minimalist decor and floor-to-ceiling windows in the bedrooms.

Among restaurants, Pan de Lujo, Calle Jorge Juan 20 (tel. 91-436-11-00), is a big-windowed restaurant near Parque del Retiro, serving imaginative Mediterranean dishes, with a lot of recipes inspired by Asian cookery. Alberto Chicote has already become one of the city's most publicized chefs, and he deserves his accolades.

Loft 39, Calle Velázquez 39 (tel. 91-432-43-86), evokes an art gallery, serving a first-rate international cuisine. Choose from affordable main courses or else indulge yourself with expensive fixed-price menus featuring costly ingredients.

Majorca

In the capital city of Palma, chef Joan Torrens is a current media favorite, attracting serious gastronomes to her Es Rebost d'Es Baluard, Plaza Santa Catalina 9 (tel. 97-171-96-09). The Mallorcan cuisine is delicately crafted and harmonious in flavor, with the best suckling pig or stuffed loin of lamb served on the island.

Also on the island you can follow in the footsteps of George Sand and her lover, Chopin, to the Valldemossa Hotel, Carretera Valldemossa s/n (tel. 97-161-26-26; www.valldemossahotel.com), a boutique hotel that has been created out of a Carthusian monastery. The stone-built house has been sensitively restored, offering only a dozen rooms. It's an idyllic retreat for those who want to escape the hordes flocking to overcrowded Palma.

Marbella

In the heart of the chic resort of Marbella, the Town House, Plaza Tetuán, Calle Alderete 7 (tel. 95-290-17-91; www.townhouse.nu), has opened in a tastefully converted private home. From the roof terrace to the individually designed bedrooms, this is the ideal choice to stay for atmosphere, unless you demand a seafront location.

Mijas

Outside the most atmospheric town along the Costa del Sol, Gran Hotel Guadalpin Byblos, Urbanización Mijas-Golf, Mijas Costa (tel. 95-247-30-50; www.byblos-andaluz.com), is set among spectacular gardens overlooking two 18-hole golf courses. Blending Western and Moorish architectural elements, it is a study in Andalusian grace with swaying palms and bubbling fountains. For spa lovers, the resort is the best choice along the coast.

Its rival, Radisson SAS El Marques Resort Spa, Avenida De Gran Bretana, Mijas Golf (tel. 95-552-01-91; www.radisson.com), is a challenger in all ways and is set near five of the best golf courses along the Costa del Sol. Bedrooms are spacious and furnished stylishly, each of them opening onto a large terrace. The setting is in an upmarket urban development.

Seville

In the "city of flamenco," it seems appropriate that Museo del Baile Flamenco has opened at Calle Manuel Rojas Marcos 3 (tel. 95-434-03-11). The museum is like an encyclopedia of this mysterious Gypsy art form, with exhibits tracing the history of the dance through multimedia technology.

In the historic center, Casa Sacristía Santa Ana, Alameda de Hércules 22 (tel. 95-491-57-22; http://sacristiadesantaana.com), has opened in what was a sacristy in the 1700s. Painstakingly restored, it offers the latest gadgetry yet maintains a country chic.

Tarragona

Three ancient buildings in the Old Town were combined to house the Museu D'Art Modern de Tarragona, Santa Anna 8 (tel. 97-723-50-32; www.altanet.org/MAMT), a showcase of contemporary art, including all the works by the noted sculptor Julio Antonio. There's also a rich collection of photographs by some of the nation's best-known photographers.