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At the Axel Hotel Barcelona you check in where the famous gay hotel chain began in 2003: an Art Nouveau building in the middle of the Gaixample, which was expressly built by and for the queer community. On the rooftop there is a pool, spa and ground bar with DJ sets and drag shows on weekends, and on the doorstep are the bars and clubs of Barcelona's gay village.
The Axel TWO Barcelona is the little brother of the legendary Axel Hotel, bringing the same queer, gay-owned concept to a quieter corner of the Eixample. At the top of the rooftop you can relax by the pool, jacuzzi and the pink sky bar with a view over the city, while you are only a few minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the Gaixample.
The Hotel Cram is an elegant design hotel behind an Art Nouveau façade from 1892, located in the middle of the Gaixample, just one block from the Axel Hotel. From the rooftop pool with city views and the Michelin-starred restaurant Àngle, you can walk to the district's queer bars and clubs in a few minutes.
Gay hotels in Barcelona are most densely located in Gaixample, the gay district in the Eixample Esquerra. Those who live here have bars, clubs and cafés right on their doorstep and short distances to the metro and city centre. Several houses in the district are explicitly aimed at gay guests or openly advertise their queer-friendly attitude. The Eixample is also a good base for sightseeing, as the Sagrada Família and Passeig de Gràcia with the Gaudí buildings are within walking distance or a short metro ride away.
But you are not committed to the Gaixample. Barcelona is an open city, and in almost every accommodation it is a matter of course for two men to book a double room. In the old town around the Ramblas and the Gòtic, you live closer to the harbour and the beach, but louder and more touristy. Things are quieter and a little more alternative in Gràcia. Which location is worthwhile depends on what you have in mind: night owls drive the shortest from Gaixample, those who want beach and tapas are in good hands in the direction of Barceloneta. Plan early if you're visiting for Pride at the end of July or the Circuit Festival at the beginning of August, as the central venues fill up quickly.