Eixample (meaning 'extension') is Barcelona's 19th-century planned district — a perfect grid of octagonal city blocks where Modernista masterpieces by Gaudí, Domènech i Montaner, and Puig i Cadafalch line the avenues. Passeig de Gràcia is the city's most prestigious address for both hotels and boutiques, home to the famous Manzana de la Discordia (Block of Discord) where three rival architects built competing facades within a single block. Hotels along this avenue range from international five-stars to design-conscious boutique properties in converted Modernista apartments.
The neighbourhood is sophisticated and less chaotic than the Gothic Quarter, with excellent restaurant choices concentrated along Carrer d'Enric Granados and the cross-streets between Diagonal and Gran Via. The left Eixample (Eixample Esquerra) is more residential and offers better hotel value than the right side near Passeig de Gràcia. The area around Carrer del Consell de Cent between Muntaner and Arinau — known as the Gayxample — is the centre of Barcelona's LGBTQ+ scene, with accepting hotels, bars, and restaurants creating a welcoming atmosphere.
For accommodation strategy, the Eixample's grid layout means hotels here tend to offer larger rooms than the Gothic Quarter's converted medieval buildings, often with tall ceilings, tiled floors, and Juliet balconies overlooking the characteristic chamfered street corners. Rooms facing interior courtyards (patis d'illa) are quieter but darker; street-facing rooms on upper floors get excellent light but more traffic noise. The area around Sagrada Família in the eastern Eixample has a cluster of mid-range hotels that benefit from the monument's proximity while being 15–20 minutes by metro from the main tourist circuits — a useful strategy for families who want space and value.
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