Staying in Mar Diagonal is not the obvious choice for everyone, but if you want a more relaxed, beachy atmosphere, it’s hard to beat Mar Terra. The building is impressive enough in itself, and the fact that every room has a sea view is not to be sniffed at. While the design of the place is simple, even bordering on sparse, the way that the windows frame that view mitigates what could otherwise be seen as a slight lack of inspiration. Getting into the city is easy enough on the metro, but it’s about an hour on foot to Plaça de Catalunya.


Home truths:
*The pool has opening hours, and is only accessible from 1 May to 15 October
*Neither bathroom has a toilet roll holder
*All the sea air has made the outside of the shutters a bit rusty
*The bedrooms feel quite bare
*Two people can sleep on a sofa bed in the living room