A Review of Nobu, Barcelona

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Concluding my posts from my trip to Barcelona, this visit was my second stay at the Nobu family of hotels, having stayed at Nobu London Shoreditch earlier this year. I wasn’t that impressed with London’s offering, so I thought I’d give the Barcelona contingent a chance during my stay there.

Unfortunately Nobu Barcelona falls in to exactly the same summary as it’s London sibling – it’s lovely, but it’s not worth the price! Undoubtedly it’s a wonderful hotel, and the food it offers really is a cut above, but I think you can find just as wonderful a hotel for a lower price tag.


Nobu Barcelona is situated in the west of Barcelona, close to the Plaça d’Espanya. From Nobu, the main area of Barcelona which is walkable is Montjuïc. Montjuïc is home to some wonderful museums, the Olympic Stadium, Botanical Gardens, castle and cable car so there is loads to do in the area.

The MNAC Museum just off the Plaça d’Espanya

Conveniently, Nobu is right next to Barcelona Sants train station, which is the main railway station in the city. To get to the world famous Sagrada Familia, it’s a quick 10 minute hop on the metro line L5 from Sants, and to get to the Gothic Quarter it’s 10 minutes on the line L3 from Sants. This means it’s really well located, and gets top marks given Barcelona is quite spread out.


The room was average in size with a nice big comfy bed, a huge TV unit and plenty of wardrobe space, as well as tea & coffee making facilities, robes and a safe. It was very clean and nicely finished with Japanese touches such as a tea set provided in the room. Water is provided daily, and I had some rice crackers on my pillow on arrival. The bathroom was modern and clean, with a huge walk in shower and nice big sink area. The towels were quite big and very cosy.

The room

Whilst the room was beautiful, modern and comfortable, there were a few practical areas where it fell down for me. Firstly, there is no table/desk/surface area at all other than bedside tables (which house large lights, plus a phone on one side and a radio on the other). It meant when I had room service after a late flight arrival (delayed…again) the lady had to leave it on the floor, and I had no choice but to eat in bed which wouldn’t be my preference.

Secondly, the finishing touches just weren’t there. When I walked in the room was ice cold. I tried to turn the air con off but couldn’t, and realised it was stuck on 3 degrees. It took 3 engineer visits (when I just wanted to go to bed) to actually get the control panel to work.

Wifi is also provided, using you room number and surname. Cue 3 more calls down to reception as mine wouldn’t work, to be told they couldn’t figure out why and I’d have to use 3G, which isn’t possible when I need to work. It was eventually sorted by me logging on to their staff network with a password, but it was annoying to have to make a total of 5 calls to Guest Services in the course of about 2 hours. I’m probably blocked!

The room was absolutely lovely, please don’t get me wrong. It’s a beautiful hotel and I’m privileged to have stayed in it. However for the price paid, compared to other 5* hotels I’ve stayed in, just like its London counterpart, it doesn’t make it to the top of my list of accommodation recommendations.

Views from the end of my corridor


Now, this is where Nobu was special in London and I can confirm was still special in Barcelona. The food really is a cut above, and completely and utterly delicious. Nobu Barcelona has lots of food and drink options.

The first is the Nobu Bar, which serves snacks and drinks. I sat there working for an afternoon and it was a cool place to sit, with lots of customers coming through and a nice chilled vibe.

The Bar

Nobu also has a rooftop bar which is open 10am – 10pm and offers views out over Barcelona with drinks and a food menu – and you can just peep the Sagrada Familia if you look closely enough. It really struck me that for a nearly 100 year old Cathedral to still be almost the tallest building in the city, shows how few high rises Barcelona has. Anyway, I had a spicy Catalan hot dog and it was DELICIOUS.

There is also a more formal restaurant, Kozara, which opens 7pm – 11pm. I had the teriyaki salmon and it was incredible. In typical English style I was there on the dot of 7 and no-one else showed up until I’d virtually finished! The majority of the menu is also available on room service, which you can see in one of my pictures above and was also super tasty.

In Kozara


Aside from the incredible bars and restaurants mentioned above, Nobu also offers a nice lobby area full of comfy seats and charging stations, where you can grab a coffee (or in my case, a wine – they even had my favourite wine of all time, Whispering Angel).

Nobu also offers a highly rated spa with a range of treatments, plus a gym which is open 24hrs a day for guests. I didn’t visit either, as I was in town for a work conference and just didn’t have time.

Nobu has a concierge, who was happy to help me with recommendations and ideas. Nobu also offers a range of Barcelona experiences which looked pretty cool. I particularly liked the look of the ‘Taste of Barcelona’ package which explores the gastronomic heritage of the city in a four hour private walking tour through the Gothic Quarter and El Born, sampling traditional dishes and discovering the local markets. After that it’s back to the hotel for a Barcelona Omakase menu at the restaurant. Amazing!

Finally, the rooftop is also home to a sundeck and small pool (more like a big hot tub inside) which is lovely for a sunny day – however, with only 3 beds and a couple of loungers it gets taken pretty quickly – so get there at opening at 10am (open until 6pm). Thankfully I timed my visit with windy and rainy weather so I didn’t feel I missed out too much!

The rooftop area.

So what did you think of Nobu? It was a beautiful hotel, but for me personally I don’t think it provided value for money. Having now tried two Nobus and having the same experience, I don’t think I’ll try a third. Stay safe and happy travelling!

28 responses to “A Review of Nobu, Barcelona”

  1. The rooftop area looks lovely – I’d love to sit up there with my book for a few hours. Re city hotels – in my own experience, I never really get the benefit of the place – I’m usually out and about all day and might just get back for a nightcap in the bar at best. So I’m not inclined to go for a more expensive choice. But I love a nice resort hotel at the end of a trip so am happy to splash out for that rather than on a city break….

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s exactly what I did with some lunch and a glass of wine, it was lovely. I totally know what you mean, though I do also like comfort to come back to a nice warm shower or hot bath after a day out walking for 12hours!!

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  2. Nobu sounds fancy! Room troubles aside, the hotel’s restaurant served up some delicious eats! Although honestly, I’d be like you and dine right at 7pm, haha (which even I find late to eat dinner…I don’t know how the Spanish eat past 8, 9, or 10pm)!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The food was so good and I will NEVER understand how they can possibly eat so late!!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. It looks lovely, but it’s good to know that it’s not quite worth the cost. The rooftop area seems the best part.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. No it’s definitely not, the rooftop was beautiful, but the pricetag is too much I think for what you get!

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Thanks for the honest review. It’s likely above our usual price point, but I’ll try to remember that it’s not one to go to when we want to splurge 😊 Maggie

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Definitely not a good use of a splurge option!

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Nobu looks like a lovely hotel, but the problems with the heating/cooling system and wifi seemed to definitely overshadow the position aspects. The food looks amazing though. I haven’t tried Whispering Angel, but French wines are the best. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I agree, the food was brilliant and I’d recommend going for a meal – but not staying. Ooo you’ll have to try Whispering Angel, it’s wonderful 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Thanks for sharing such an honest review and I am sorry to hear about your troubles at the hotel. While I love those views over the city from the end of your corridor and the rooftop area, I wouldn’t like the idea of staying in a cold room or eating in bed as food often leaves lingering smells in sheets 🥰 Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. No the cold room and dinner from bed were not selling points at all – you can find better hotels in Barcelona I think 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to read xx

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  7. The hotel looks good but I agree that it doesn’t tick all the boxes for a five star price tag and stay. Entering in a room that’s too cold is inexcusable. It sometimes happens to me as well and is especially annoying if the maid has left the window wide open! Monjuic is a great location and the food offerings looked superb Hannah.

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    1. I agree, it was just not good enough service for the price. Oh I know what you mean, when they leave the window open is so annoying!!

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  8. That’s a shame about the hotel. WiFi and air con are basic amenities these days and for the price you’re paying, you’d expect them to be in good working order. The food looks fantastic though and the rooftop pool looks very inviting.

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    1. I agree, especially when you’re in a pricey hotel, it just wasn’t good enough – but the food was DELICIOUS 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  9. Your stay at the Nobu hotel, though maybe overpriced, looks to have provided very comfortable living quarters and amenities, with the Sagrada Familia and vintage Gothic Quarter architecture in Barcelona eye-catching sights to see! Thanks for sharing, Hannah 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It is a beautiful hotel no doubt Phil, just sadly the finishing touches were missing. Luckily my next trip to hit the blog is much more successful hotel wise 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  10. I hate when hotel rooms don’t have a table or desk. You’d think they could have found space for at least a small one. That’s annoying to have to make so many calls to get things to work as well. It’s a bummer this one didn’t live up to expectations either.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I agree completely, it’s so ridiculous. Like just a surface would be helpful to put things on – it’s so impractical!!

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Pity the room didn’t live up to expectations- it seems so large and comfy in the photos!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was really beautiful, but the finishing touches and practicalities just weren’t there 😦

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Noted. No Nobu. 😉 Too bad about all that fuss at the beginning. For five stars, you’d think they would comp you somehow – drinks at the bar or something…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh my goodness I didn’t even think to ask, I was so annoyed and just went to sleep. I should have insisted on wine!!

      Liked by 1 person

  13. One can’t deny it, it’s a lovely hotel (and the food looks delicious), but for simple things like an aircon and WiFi that didn’t work fully, it’s a shame. I would say the hotel could have at least given you a bottle (or 3) of Whispering Angel for free for all the trouble you went through 😉.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sadly no complimentary whispering angel – I really should have insisted 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Sorry to hear that Nobu Barcelona wasn’t worth the price and that you had issues with the air conditioning and wifi. I’m not a fan of eating in bed either.

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  15. jasonlikestotravel

    Not the best of starts to your trip given the late arrival and then hassle with the temperature and wifi!
    Nobu isn’t somewhere I’ve stayed before but sounds like it’s best to give a miss except for its food!

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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