Olivia Balmes Hotel
A central four-star Eixample hotel with varied room layouts, friendly service, and a rooftop infinity pool.
The verdict
Pick a traveller type to re-weight the scores and re-rank the rooms around what you actually care about.
Olivia Balmes Hotel is a renovated four-star property set in central Barcelona close to the city's main attractions. Guests consistently appreciate the friendly staff, reliable breakfast, and standout rooftop infinity pool with courtyard views. Amenities like the on-site gym are on the smaller side and decidedly standard. Thoughtful room options and extras like under-sink toiletry kits make it a practical and comfortable city base. 86111
Every line below traces back to something a traveler actually wrote — open a line to read the original sentence and follow it to the source.
What travelers noticed
- Guests consistently praise the central location, which puts main attractions within easy walking distance and sits 25 minutes from the airport. 8
- The rooftop infinity pool is singled out for its relaxing setting and views overlooking the courtyard and nearby buildings. 8
- Reviewers highlight the friendly and efficient service, noting welcoming greetings from both housekeeping and front desk staff. 8
- Rooms earn praise for natural light, open plan design, and practical layouts such as triple rooms for groups and families. 11
The catch
Who it's for
- — Families and groups booking triple rooms
- — Travelers wanting a walkable central base
- — Guests who prioritize a rooftop pool
Skip it if
- — Guests seeking a large, fully equipped gym
- — Travelers looking for a secluded retreat far from city streets
Seen on camera
6 moments · 3 videos · Olivia Balmes Hotel
Each moment is pulled at the second a cited reviewer said the words. Play it here, or open the original video at that timestamp.
“The range of room options is definitely a plus. Having suites available means you have real choices instead of just one…”
youtube.com1:30“the location of the hotel is fine and guest to fully enjoy the beautiful surroundings”
youtube.com2:26“With 113 beautifully designed rooms, each meticulously decorated with contemporary furnishings and top tier amenities, e…”
youtube.com0:34“Wake up to a delicious breakfast that fuels your day of adventures.”
youtube.com1:25“One of the highlights at Olivia Balm's Hotel is the variety of rooms available. You can pick a design room with a balcon…”
youtube.com0:11“And with the hotel just 25 minutes from the airport and a stones throw from Barcelona's iconic landmarks, every moment o…”
youtube.com1:16Frames are citations: each one links to its second in the source video, attributed to the creator who filmed it. Nothing here is supplied by the hotel. Creators who want a moment removed can ask and we take it down.
No loyalty-earning direct rate was found for these dates, so the lowest cash rate is shown first.
Prices shown are an estimated range, not a live quote — the booking site confirms the real rate for your dates.
This sits inside our estimated range for this hotel.
Confidence: low · modelled estimate, not a live quote. Check the supplier for the real rate on your dates.
Score breakdown
How the 96/100 is built, category by category — each one with the strongest thing travelers actually said, and the source it came from.
Bathroom
97- “One unexpected touch that we really appreciated was a box of toiletry kits (ranging from dental kits to sewing kits) stashed away beneath the sink. One of us always forgets something, so we really appreciated the touch.” 8
Location
94- “I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough, the location is spot on for exploring Barcelona.” 6
- “With modern accommodations and an unbeatable location, the Olivia Balmes offers a comfortable, relaxed place to come back to after a long day of exploring all of the wonderful things Barcelona has to offer.” 8
Room
94- “Primo location? Check. Clean room and excellent service? Check and double check.” 8
- “The most exclusive and spacious rooms of Olivia Balmes Hotel. With two different spaces, bedroom and living room, balcony and courtesy toilet. Olivia's Suite are facing to the heart Eixample district, very quiet and with all the details in order to make you feel the most special hotel guest.” 11
Service
97Bed & Sleep
94Nothing quotable yet on this one — the score leans on the rest of the coverage.
Value
90Nothing quotable yet on this one — the score leans on the rest of the coverage.
Where it is, how to reach it
Details checked 2026-08-31
Where it sits
Olivia Balmes Hotel and the 15 other hotels we cover in Barcelona. Hover a marker for the hotel; click to open it.
What’s nearby
Landmarks and transport around Olivia Balmes Hotel. Distances are straight-line, so walking times are approximate.
- Casa Mulleras — 7 min walk · 0.6 km
- Barcelona-Passeig de Gràcia — 7 min walk · 0.6 km
- Museu del Perfum — 7 min walk · 0.6 km
- Barcelona Museum of Contemporary ArtMuseu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona — 15 min walk · 1.2 km
- Palau de la Música Catalana — 19 min walk · 1.5 km
- Basilica of the Holy FamilyBasílica de la Sagrada Família — 4 min drive · 1.8 km
- Triumphal ArchArc de Triomf — 4 min drive · 1.9 km
- National Art Museum of CataloniaMuseu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya — 6 min drive · 2.7 km
- Barcelona International AirportBCN — 12 min drive · 12.1 km
Stay value
How this property reads against the hotels we cover alongside it. Measured on review evidence, not on a nightly rate.
Beats what $$ usually buys
Scores 8 points above the mid-range median of 88, across 613 hotels in the same bracket. In Barcelona it sits 7 points above the local median of 89.
- This hotel
- 96
- Bracket median
- 88
- Index median
- 90
Based on 613 comparable hotels.
Which room to ask for
What reviewers say about where to sleep inside this building — by room number where one is named, and otherwise by floor, wing, aspect and position. Every line opens onto the quotes behind it.
No reviewer has yet described a room, floor or aspect specifically enough to act on at this property. Room intelligence appears here the moment they do.
Where travelers agree — and don’t
The topics reviewers split on most. A wide bar means your experience depends on which room you get — or whose opinion you trust.
View the 20 things travelers said behind this verdict▾
Quotes run exactly as travelers wrote them — spelling and all. We trim for length, never for tidiness.
- “Breakfast was good and location of the hotel is in the center of the city, so for most of main attractions transport not required.” 6
- “The Olivia Balmes has some pretty standard amenities for a four star hotel (a small gym, free wifi with decent speeds, a bar and a restaurant in the lobby), but the real gem was the rooftop pool.” 8
- “Wake up to a delicious breakfast that fuels your day of adventures.” On camera71:25
- “Every time we went out or returned back, we were greeted by the friendly staff and everyone from the front desk to housekeeping was warm and inviting. We booked a triple room with a queen bed and a pull out sofa bed and found it to be plenty of room for the three of us.” 8
- “Every time we went out or returned back, we were greeted by the friendly staff and everyone from the front desk to housekeeping was warm and inviting.” 8
- “Nice renovated 4-star hotel, service is great.” 6
- “The living wall brings the same kind of modern minimalist decor that adorns the other public areas of the hotel” 8
- “Primo location? Check. Clean room and excellent service? Check and double check.” 8
- “The décor of the room was clean and modern, perhaps not as elegant as some of the other hotels we'd stay at on this trip, but perfectly functional.” 8
- “The range of room options is definitely a plus. Having suites available means you have real choices instead of just one standard layout.” On camera21:30
- “The most exclusive and spacious rooms of Olivia Balmes Hotel. With two different spaces, bedroom and living room, balcony and courtesy toilet. Olivia's Suite are facing to the heart Eixample district, very quiet and with all the details in order to make you feel the most special hotel guest.” 11
- “One of the highlights at Olivia Balm's Hotel is the variety of rooms available. You can pick a design room with a balcony or a suite, depending on how much space and what kind of view you prefer.” On camera20:11
- “Breakfast was good and location of the hotel is in the center of the city, so for most of main attractions transport not required.” 6
- “With modern accommodations and an unbeatable location, the Olivia Balmes offers a comfortable, relaxed place to come back to after a long day of exploring all of the wonderful things Barcelona has to offer.” 8
- “the location of the hotel is fine and guest to fully enjoy the beautiful surroundings” On camera92:26
- “I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough, the location is spot on for exploring Barcelona.” 6
- “From Olivia Balmes Hotel you can comfortably walk to most of the cultural, architectural and commercial attractions Barcelona has to offer, while discovering its most iconic charms like the Sagrada Familia, Las Ramblas, the Camp Nou football stadium, Casa Batlló or Park Güell.” 1
- “The Olivia Balmes offers comfortable accommodations in a location central to Barcelona's main attractions” 8
- “And with the hotel just 25 minutes from the airport and a stones throw from Barcelona's iconic landmarks, every moment of your journey is effortless.” On camera71:16
- “One unexpected touch that we really appreciated was a box of toiletry kits (ranging from dental kits to sewing kits) stashed away beneath the sink. One of us always forgets something, so we really appreciated the touch.” 8
What we still don't know
What we can’t tell you yet, said plainly. These close as we read more coverage of this hotel.
- No reviewer has named an individual room number here yet.
- Nothing reliable said about room types.
- Nothing reliable said about floor level.
- Nothing reliable said about building or wing.
- Nothing reliable said about which side it faces.
- Nothing reliable said about view.
- Nothing reliable said about position on the floor.
- 10 sources carry no publication date, so we cannot tell how current they are.
Ask about Olivia Balmes Hotel
Answered only from the coverage cited on this page. If nobody has written about your question, it will say so rather than guess.
How much we read
Deep coverage · 20/100We read 0 sources for this property, covering 0 traveler mentions, boiled down to 0 traveler insights worth knowing. Last checked 2026-08-31.
Watch this hotel
We keep reading Olivia Balmes Hotel. Tell us when you're staying and we'll follow it until then — you'll hear from us only when the verdict is rewritten, the score moves, or new reviews land. No daily mail, and the watch closes itself after your stay.
Sources
Everything quoted on this page, grouped by traveler insights, outlets, and video & podcast. Counts beside each group show everything we’ve read of that kind; no one kind can carry the score on its own.
6 of 6 summary lines above are traced to specific quotes. The rest summarise the read as a whole rather than any single document.
View all 11 cited sources▾
Everything quoted on this page.
- 8Hotel Review: Olivia Balmes - Barcelona, Spainsunglassesandumbrelladrinks.comReview site2016-07-01Ageing10 quotes used
“Every time we went out or returned back, we were greeted by the friendly staff and everyone from the front desk to housekeeping was warm and inviting. We booked a triple room with a queen bed and a pull out sofa bed and…”
Read originalsunglassesandumbrelladrinks.com - 1Olivia Balmes Hotel | Barcelona | Official Websiteoliviabalmeshotel.comReview siteDate not stated2 quotes used
“Brimming with natural light, our modern rooms offer maximum tranquillity and are the best option for resting in the heart of the city.”
Read originaloliviabalmeshotel.com - 2Is Olivia Balmes Hotel Worth It? | Barcelona Reviewyoutube.comVideoDate not statedListened for quotes only2 quotes used
“The range of room options is definitely a plus. Having suites available means you have real choices instead of just one standard layout.”
Read originalyoutube.com - 3Hotelreview: Olivia Balmes Hotel - Barcelonayoutube.comVideoDate not statedListened for quotes onlyRead originalyoutube.com
- 4FAQ | Olivia Balmes Hotel, Barcelona | Official websiteoliviabalmeshotel.comReview siteDate not statedRead originaloliviabalmeshotel.com
- 5Olivia Balmes Hotel, Barcelona, Spainmyboutiquehotel.comReview siteDate not statedRead originalmyboutiquehotel.com
More in Barcelona
All Barcelona hotels →An ultra-modern transit hotel located directly at Sants train station with floor-to-ceiling city views.
A modern high-rise featuring a 23rd-floor rooftop pool with sweeping Mediterranean Sea and skyline views.
A Plaza España hotel featuring soundproofed upper-floor rooms, Montjuïc views, and massive bathrooms.
Modern hotel featuring a rooftop pool and bar, spacious bathrooms, and a popular breakfast.
A 19th-century heritage hotel on La Rambla featuring a 360-degree rooftop terrace and well-insulated rooms.
A renovated base directly on La Rambla offering surprisingly spacious rooms and modern bathrooms.