Barcelona on a budget: 10 cool hostels in Catalonia’s colourful capital

Modern, clean and situated right next to the main train terminal of Sants Estacio, this grown-up hostel offers both comfort and convenience. Lofty ceilings, funky lighting and modern furnishings provide the hostel with a sense of space and style. It’s pristinely clean throughout and feels more like a budget hotel. Dorms are either mixed or female-only and sleep four to six people; twin rooms are also available. Each bed has its own little reading light and power socket. The kitchen is small but well equipped and features a comfortable dining area with communal tables. Friendly staff and a beautiful interior sun terrace seal the deal.

An imposing hostel housed in a beautiful Modernist building on Barcelona’s glitzy Passeig de Gràcia, just a stone’s throw from Gaudi’s Casa Batlló and La Pedrera buildings, and a gentle stroll into the Old Town. The elegant façade features intricate stonework and colourful detailing. Inside, the elegance continues with lofty ceilings and a sinuous staircase that spirals its way up seven floors to a large rooftop terrace. The hostel’s 40 rooms are divided into four, six, eight or 12-bed dorms, some have little balconies. There are also private rooms with en-suite facilities, which feel more like a mid-priced hotel.

A small and stylish boutique hotel located on one of the trendiest streets in Barcelona’s ritzy Eixample neighbourhood. Casa Kessler fuses contemporary design with original period features, including Barcelona’s colourful floor tiles and intricate coving and cornices; communal spaces achieve the look and feel of an upscale Catalan apartment. Dorms are bright, clean and modern, with either six or eight beds. The twin and double rooms are spacious and beautifully presented, while the Junior suites present excellent value for money with their quality kitchenettes and bathrooms. The huge and well-furnished sun terrace is an idyllic space to enjoy Barcelona’s endless sunshine.

This legendary party hostel is located in the hedonistic square of Placa Reial. Its central location and excellent social activities are ideal for those keen to squeeze every last drop out of their time in Barcelona. Kabul is housed in one of the handsome 19th-century buildings that line Placa Reial (Royal Plaza). Period features can be found inside, although it’s been modernised and has an ambience not too dissimilar to a student union bar. Though not particularly modern, Kabul’s dorms are clean, spacious and air-conditioned. There is a free breakfast of fruit, cereal and pastries served in the bar and staff also run paella nights and barbecues on the rooftop, which are excellent value for money.

A small and homely hostel situated in the lively Poblesec neighbourhood, which is packed with excellent tapas bars, theatres and clubs. The Old Town and city beaches are all within walking distance. Free breakfast, luggage storage and towels offer excellent value for money, and staff are fantastic. Exposed brick walls and colourful mosaic floor tiles provide this diminutive space with a lot of character. A cosy lounge area has plenty of sofas where guests can play board games or watch films. Dorms are mixed and sleep four to nine people. Some rooms feature pod-style beds fitted with personal televisions. Private rooms are also available with either double or twin beds.

Casa Gràcia raises the bar for youth hostels – a large, sunny and stylish Modernista townhouse, with huge rooms, high ceilings, friendly staff and unusually elegant common areas, both inside and out. There’s a well-equipped kitchen for DIY meals, along with a reasonably priced restaurant, serving Catalan food and tapas with the odd fusion element. Mixed dorm rooms with en-suite bathrooms are mostly for six people, full of character, bright and white with plenty of space, and have large, stepped, wooden drawers that function both as lockers and somewhere to sit. Simple but comfortable double rooms are also available, and there are a couple of sunny ‘super suites’ with breathtaking views over the city.

A bright, homely hostel located right in the heart of Barcelona’s historic old town. Itaca is an ideal budget basecamp for travellers looking to explore the best of the Catalan capital. Inside, it’s bright, modern and well looked after, with colourful paintings and murals adorning the walls. The communal areas are furnished with funky beanbags and sofas, achieving an ambience that is intimate, warm and informal. This is a proper hostel-lover’s hostel, not a hostel pretending to be a boutique hotel. Dorms (all mixed) are modest in size, but well maintained and each room has a little balcony overlooking the narrow street below.

A thoroughly modern hostel located in the village-like neighbourhood of Gràcia, offering contemporary design features and quality amenities. Inside, it looks like something straight out of an architecture magazine: the interior draws on concrete floor tiles, unpolished wood and pendulous birdcage chairs to achieve a sense of modernity and warmth. Expect bright dorms and luxurious private rooms, some of which even boast private terraces with spectacular views over the city (be sure to request one of these if booking). The stylish on-site bar and restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers good-quality tapas alongside pizzas and meat or fish options.

A spacious hostel occupying an elegant modernist mansion in a quiet nook of Barcelona. This imposing and tranquil property is dripping with Barcelona’s signature modernist design features: colourful hydraulic floor tiles, lofty ceilings and ornate cornices. The lobby, resplendent with period design features and furnishings, elegant archways and colourful stained-glass, would be an asset to even the most luxurious of hotels. Large private rooms with en-suite bathrooms and free on-site parking make this an excellent budget option for families or those looking for a base to explore Barcelona and its surrounding areas by car.

Teatro Hostel oozes with character and provides a home-from-home for twentysomething travellers looking to hang out with like-minded souls. What makes the hostel a little different from its competitors is the theatrical theme that runs throughout, from the row of red velvet fold-up seats in the sitting room, to the marionettes that hang from the walls, along with the rooms named after playwrights and literary characters. There is no breakfast, but every night staff cook for the entire ‘family’ (as they put it), and travellers are asked to donate whatever they are able. Be prepared to join in and you won’t leave disappointed.