Hotel Colors

If you’re looking for the Barcelona of the postcards—the one with the Gothic spires and the overpriced sangria pitchers on every corner—you’ve come to the wrong neighborhood. Hotel Colors sits up in Horta-Guinardó, a part of the city that doesn’t give a damn about your Instagram feed. This is where the locals live, where the hills start to climb toward Collserola, and where the air feels just a little bit thinner and cleaner than the humid soup of the Ciutat Vella.

Let’s be honest about what we’re dealing with here. Hotel Colors isn’t trying to be the Mandarin Oriental. It’s a two-star establishment that wears its name like a badge of honor—or a warning, depending on your tolerance for primary hues. The concept is simple: they took the name literally. You might find yourself in a room that’s aggressively red, or perhaps a soothing, if slightly clinical, blue. It’s a design choice that feels very much of a certain era, but it beats the beige-on-beige sadness of most budget chains.

When you walk in, you aren't met with a white-gloved concierge. You get a functional lobby and a staff that knows the L3 Metro line like the back of their hand. Because that’s the reality of staying here: you are going to become very well-acquainted with the Green Line. The Valldaura station is just a three-minute walk away. It’s a twenty-minute subterranean haul to the center of the chaos, but that’s the trade-off. You trade the convenience of being able to stumble home from a bar in El Born for the luxury of a room that doesn’t cost your firstborn child and, crucially, a place to put your car.

Parking in Barcelona is usually a special kind of hell involving narrow ramps and astronomical hourly rates. Here, they actually have on-site parking. For anyone crazy enough to be driving a rental car through this city, that’s not just a perk; it’s a godsend.

The reviews don't lie, and they aren't always pretty. You’re going to hear your neighbors. The walls have the structural integrity of a thick piece of cardboard when it comes to soundproofing. If the guy in 204 is watching a late-night football match or having a spirited debate with his spouse, you’re going to be part of that experience. The showers are functional, the Wi-Fi is decent enough to check your mail, and the beds are exactly what you expect for the price point—firm and utilitarian.

But there’s a reason to stay here beyond the budget. You’re a short hike from the Laberint d'Horta, one of the weirdest and most beautiful spots in the city. It’s an 18th-century neo-classical garden with a cypress maze that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a Borges story. Most tourists never see it. They’re too busy getting their pockets picked on the Rambla. Stay here, grab a coffee at a local bar where the menu is only in Catalan, and walk the maze.

Is Hotel Colors worth it? If you’re a luxury seeker, stay away. You’ll hate the commute and the thin walls. But if you’re a traveler who views a hotel as nothing more than a place to crash between adventures, and you want to see a side of Barcelona that hasn't been sanitized for your protection, this place works. It’s honest, it’s colorful, and it’s real. Just bring some earplugs and a Metro pass.