Primero Primera

Rooms

Primero Primera's 36 rooms are gorgeous; simply styled with a mix of antique and modern furniture. You'll find crisp white linens on big comfortable beds, deep armchairs or sofas piled with cushions, oil paintings, and modern slate-grey bathrooms with rain showers and Gilchrist & Soames toiletries, plus deep tubs in the bigger rooms. There are tea- and coffee-making facilities with vintage cups and saucers, free soft-drink minibars, and big plasma TVs (though no DVD players). And best of all, you get black-out blinds and absolute peace; we didn't hear a sound from outside or other rooms, so slept extremely well.

Our 4th-floor Superior with Terrace room was beautiful - spacious and flooded with light from its private terrace. There was a biscuit-coloured sofa, a red antique rug on the blond parquet floor, and an enormous wardrobe in a separate private hall area. We visited in November, but the room would come into its own in summer, when you could sit out and have room-service meals.

The 3rd-floor Standard room we saw felt a little small, but was classily decorated in monochrome shades, and perfect if you just want a base in Barcelona, rather than somewhere to relax during the day. Don't forget there's a lovely lounge and restaurant/café downstairs, too.

If you want something romantic, go for one of the attic rooms in the eaves, a mix of Standards and Superiors; we loved their wood-beamed ceilings and sense of cosiness (though they don't have masses of natural light). They share an outdoor terrace with red walls and a cactus mural, which feels at odds with the rest of the hotel but is a great space, with chairs and a couple of loungers.

If you're coming with kids, or just like loads of space, the Junior Suites and Suites are also lovely. They have private terraces and big sofabeds in separate living rooms, plus robes and slippers.

Features include:

• Fan
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

A big buffet breakfast is laid up in the restaurant/café every morning. We loved the relaxed atmosphere in here, with chilled music, comfy sofas, retro floral wallpaper and beautiful hanging lanterns: it made for a perfectly relaxed start to the day.

Food-wise, expect bowls of fresh fruit (apricot, mango, melon); platters of tiny Iberian meat sandwiches and various cheeses; little pastries with delicious blackcurrant jam; quince and cheese on cocktail sticks; and various fresh juices. Hot options including scrambled eggs and sausages are available for a small extra cost.

The restaurant/café remains open all day (until 11pm), and serves simple meals such as smoked salmon with green asparagus and blinis, Iberian meats and cheeses, roast chicken and cake of the day. I tried the zucchini soup which was creamy, but a little bland.

There are a few good restaurants in the neighbourhood, 5-10 minutes' walk away. Primero Primera recommends A Contraluz, a garden eatery serving Mediterranean and Catalan specialties; Dos Torres, serving seasonal cuisine; and Montesquieu for tapas. If you want to push the boat out, taxi to ABaC, a 2-starred Michelin restaurant 5 minutes away. Alternatively you can head into town; reception will recommend restaurants.

Features include:

• Bar
• Honesty bar
• Kids' meals
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service

Activities

• Be inspired by the quirky map of Barcelona, sketched onto a wall in the library. It highlights the city's must-sees, as well as some more unusual things that staff recommend, such as local shopping areas
  
  
• Park Güell is close, a Unesco World Heritage Site designed by Antoni Gaudí. There are walkways covered with stone trees, stalactites and geometric shapes, and many of the surfaces are decorated with pieces of pottery or glass to create a mosaic of colour
  
  
• Other unmissable works by Gaudí in town include the modernist Casa Batlló (once a house, now a museum, with an arched roof and an incredible orange, green and blue mosaicked facade), La Sagrada Familia (a still-unfinished Gothic church, funded entirely by public donation to create a true 'church of the people'), and La Pedrera, with its famous carved exterior and chimneyed roof
  
  
• Get tickets to a concert at the Palau de la Música Catalana with its world-class acoustics and performances that range from symphonic and chamber music to jazz and Cançó (Catalan song). Or watch amazing opera at the Gran Teatre del Liceu
  
  
• Art lovers will enjoy the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC), which traces the history of sculpture, painting, objets d'art, drawing, engraving and photography from the Romanesque period to the mid-20th century
  
  
• There are excellent independent shops and boutiques in the Sarrià district (a 15-minute walk away, or you can hire bikes from the hotel)
  
  
• Catch the old wooden tram up the hill of Tibidabo (near the hotel) for amazing views over the city

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Plantlife / flora
• Shopping / markets

Kids

Although this feels like a hotel for older couples and friends, families are welcome and baby cots/extra beds are available. Your first child aged 0-12 stays for free; there is a charge for a second child and for 13+ year olds.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Toddlers (1-4 years), Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

Most rooms are very spacious, as the hotel used to be an apart-hotel. Junior Suites and Suites have a sofabed for 1 or can fit a baby cot.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available, Family Rooms

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Primero Primera is set a few km outside the city centre, in the Tres Torres district. It's 14km from the airport and a 10-minute drive or 15-minute metro ride from central Barcelona.

By Air:
Barcelona El Prat (14km) is served by many international and budget carriers, as is Girona. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving these airports.

From the Airport
The hotel can provide transfers - see Rates - or you can take a taxi from Barcelona and Girona airports. Alternatively it's easy to take public transport here: take the airport bus to Plaça de Catalunya, then head to the metro and take line 6 to Tres Torres, which is around the corner from the hotel.

By Train:
For a more eco-friendly trip, take the mid-afternoon Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris, then transfer to the overnight sleeper to Barcelona.

By Car:
We wouldn't recommend hiring a car here as you really don't need to, but if you want one to explore, see our car rental recommendations. The hotel has a big car park - extra cost.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Barcelona and getting around