10/10
“All great”
Location and staff
Nothing
Barcelona · head to head
Mandarin Oriental vs Hotel Arts Barcelona
Priced on the same night, 2026-11-09: Hotel Arts Barcelona is $425 a night less. They are 2.5 km apart.
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The honest take
Hotel Arts at $640 a night with a 9.0 rating from 1,815 reviews is the sharper booking: a beachfront tower with two outdoor pools, a spa and a two-Michelin-star restaurant, at roughly 58% of the Mandarin Oriental's $1,112 rate. The Mandarin Oriental scores higher (9.2 from 418 reviews) and sits on Passeig de Gràcia with a rooftop pool and pet allowance the Arts doesn't have, but that premium buys address and skyline, not more hotel. They're 2.5 km apart in different worlds - one on the grand shopping boulevard, one on the sand - so the choice is really about what kind of Barcelona you want outside the door.
The look and the feel
Mandarin Oriental
The Mandarin Oriental occupies a converted 1950s bank on Passeig de Gràcia, gutted and rebuilt by Patricia Urquiola, who kept a sense of Catalan crafts running through the lobby in bold colour and ceramic tile against dark wood and marble. It sits directly between Gaudí's Casa Batlló and La Pedrera, so the street outside is a parade of tourists and modernista façades day and night. Rooms are quieter and more restrained than the public spaces, with a residential, high-gloss calm; the rooftop pool and bar look out over the rooftops of the Eixample grid.
Travellers who want to be inside the Eixample's architecture and shopping, willing to pay for the address and a marginally higher-rated stay.
Hotel Arts Barcelona
Hotel Arts is Barcelona's glass tower by the sea, one of the twin high-rises on the Olympic waterfront, all steel and blue glass with Frank Gehry's fish sculpture glinting below it. The lobby is airy and corporate-grand rather than intimate, built for scale, with an art collection scattered through the public areas and floor-to-ceiling views toward Barceloneta beach. It's a different register from the old city entirely - modern, breezy, a short walk to the sand rather than to Gothic alleys - and the crowd is more international business and beach holiday than boulevard flâneur.
Travellers who want sea, pools and a serious restaurant at a lower nightly rate, and don't mind trading Gaudí's doorstep for a beachfront tower.
At $640 versus $1,112, Hotel Arts gives up the rooftop pool and pet allowance the Mandarin Oriental offers, though it counters with its own beachfront and two outdoor pools plus a two-Michelin-star restaurant.
The Mandarin Oriental is the more characterful room to sit in, with Urquiola's tactile, Catalan-inflected interiors on one of the world's great shopping streets, while Hotel Arts is the better view to wake up to but the more generic building to walk through.
The numbers
| Mandarin Oriental | Hotel Arts Barcelona | |
|---|---|---|
| Price, same night | $891 | $466 |
| Guest rating | 9.2/10 | 9/10 |
| Reviews | 418 | 1815 |
| Stars | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Facilities on our list | 8 | 7 |
| Distance apart | 2.5 km |
What one has that the other doesn't
Only Mandarin Oriental has
- Pet
- Rooftop
Only Hotel Arts Barcelona has
- Beach
What guests actually say
Mandarin Oriental
- central location
- clean and comfortable
- experienced, helpful staff
Hotel Arts Barcelona
- fantastic location and views
- excellent breakfast
- friendly, helpful staff
- renovation inconvenience, no air conditioning in lifts or corridors
“the views are amazing, food is great, nice large rooms, newly renovated”
Guests at the Mandarin Oriental come away happier, as reviews describe an entirely trouble-free stay, while Hotel Arts guests, though very pleased overall, mention renovation disruptions like lifts and corridors without air conditioning.
Rooms & rates, 2026-11-09
Mandarin Oriental
- Deluxe Garden King RoomRoom Only · free cancellation$891
- Deluxe Garden Room KingRoom Only$908
- Deluxe Garden Room KingRoom Only · free cancellation$923
Hotel Arts Barcelona
- Room, 1 King Bed, Non Smoking (Scenic)Room Only$466
- Scenic Two DoubleRoom Only$466
- Run of HouseRoom Only$466
In guests' own words
Hotel Arts Barcelona
8/10
“Great Hotel, fantastic location”
I stayed here in August for a poker tournament. Overall my experience was very pleasant What I liked 1. Very nice rooms, plenty of USB and USB-c outlets 2. As a Titanium member, I received a very nice welcome gift (bottle of wine) 3. The breakfast is simply amazing The caviar is fantastic, and the fruit are really good 4. The staff are friendly, competent, and helpful. They were all good, but I will mention a few
10/10
Do you think it’s amazing place?
8/10
“lush”
the views are amazing, food is great, nice large rooms, newly renovated
hotel still undergoing renovation, so there was some inconveniece like no air conditioning in lifts or corridors
About each
Mandarin Oriental
Luxurious Accommodation on Passeig de Gràcia Located on the prestigious Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona, the Mandarin Oriental offers a prime location near iconic attractions like Gaudi’s Casa Batlló and La Pedrera, making it the ideal choice for discerning travelers. Unparalleled Amenities for Ultimate Relaxation Indulge in the hotel's spa, rooftop and…
Check-in — · Check-out 12:00 PM
Hotel Arts Barcelona
Luxurious Design and Amenities Located overlooking the beautiful Barceloneta Beach and the city center, Hotel Arts boasts 2 outdoor pools, a luxury spa with stunning city views, and an impressive art collection. The rooms feature modern amenities like flat-screen TVs and sound systems, with elegant bathrooms offering both a bath and shower for ultimate…
Check-in — · Check-out 12:00 PM
Facilities, in full
Mandarin Oriental
- Fitness facilities
- WiFi available
- Parking
- Non-smoking rooms
- Air conditioning
- Fitness center
- Swimming pool
- 24-hour front desk
- Restaurant
- Room service
- Business center
- Heating
- Terrace
- Family rooms
- Garden
- Pets allowed
Hotel Arts Barcelona
- Fitness facilities
- WiFi available
- Free WiFi
- Parking
- Non-smoking rooms
- Air conditioning
- Fitness center
- Swimming pool
- 24-hour front desk
- Restaurant
- Room service
- Business center
- Heating
- Terrace
- Family rooms
- Lift / Elevator
Where they are
Passeig de Gràcia, 38 - 40Marina, 19-21
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Rates are live for 2026-11-09, one night, two guests, fetched together so the two are comparable. Facilities and reviews are from each hotel's own listing. The honest take is written by our AI from the listing, the reviews and what is widely known about each hotel. HotelDupe earns a commission if you book, which never changes the verdict. All comparisons