- Gran Hotel Domine, Bilbao: It took a lot of architectural chutzpah to erect a contemporary design hotel right next to Frank Gehry’s iconic Guggenheim Museum, but this place is up to the challenge. It’s a sleek yet comfortable place to stay.
- Hostal de Los Reyes Católicos, Santiago de Compostela: Created by royal order to welcome pilgrims coming to Santiago, it’s the most history-steeped lodging in town—or maybe in Spain.
- Hotel María Cristina, San Sebastián: Opulent in ways that only a Belle Époque hotel can be, this landmark hotel takes its name from a Spanish Queen and delivers royally when it comes to luxury and first-class service.
- Gran Hotel Inglés, Madrid: A total refit has transformed this famous old establishment into one of the capital’s most stylish boutique hotels, set in a narrow Las Letras street across from Hemingway’s favorite sherry bar.
- Hospedería del Real Monasterio, Guadalupe: Here’s a rare opportunity to lodge inside one of Spain’s most beautiful monasteries in this medieval pilgrimage town. Clanking keys, echoing corridors, and pilgrim-friendly prices make this an atmospheric treat.
- Casa Fuster, Barcelona: Modernisme’s heyday lives again in this deluxe hotel designed as a private home in 1908 by Lluís Domènech i Montaner. Private balconies in many rooms open onto leafy Passeig de Gràcia.
- Hostal de la Gavina, Sant Feliu de Guíxols: This oasis amid the bustle of the Costa Brava epitomizes gracious living with a hint of Moorish style.
- Hotel Marqués de Riscal, Elciego: Rioja wine house Marqués de Riscal hired Frank Gehry to design a “City of Wine” melding production facilities with this striking hotel with a shell of anodized titanium. A kissing cousin to the Guggenheim Bilbao.
- Las Casas de la Judería, Sevilla: Comprising 27 traditional houses in the old Jewish quarter, linked by a labyrinth of passages, flower-filled patios and underground tunnels, this eccentric hotel is full of history and character. There’s a lovely rooftop pool too.
- Parador Casa del Corregidor, Arcos de la Frontera: Once the headquarters of the king’s magistrate, this perfectly located parador in Andalucía has a modern wing hanging over the cliff edge. Its terraces have exhilarating views of the Río Guadelete plain below.