Add your sail date and the links open on the night before.
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Before it was El Palace, this was Barcelona's Ritz. Forbes rates it Four-Star, it says it's a 5-star and a Leading Hotels of the World member, and it puts Rafa Zafra's Amar Barcelona, a rooftop pool and a Mayan-inspired spa under one roof on the Gran Via.
We can't give you its drive to the ship. The homepage we read doesn't print a street number, and the geocoder couldn't place it, so there's no routing figure here — not a guess.
Book an Art Suite or an El Palace Suite and the airport transfer is included. Parking, pets and check-in times aren't on the page.
Book it for the history and dinner at Amar, and ask the desk how long the taxi to your terminal takes.
Book it if
- You want the old grand-hotel Barcelona
- Dinner at Amar Barcelona appeals
- You'll book a suite with the airport transfer included
Look elsewhere if
- You need parking terms before you arrive.
- You want a drive time to the ship on paper.
- You need pet terms.
What El Palace offers, and what it leaves out
What El Palace gives you, as its homepage and Forbes list it: green is there, gold costs extra or has a catch, grey nobody says.
Your night before, from here
A night at El Palace before the ship, from the hotel's homepage and Forbes.
Amar Barcelona by Rafa Zafra, the Grand Hall and the Rooftop Garden, with a rooftop pool and a Mayan-inspired spa.
Book a taxi for your check-in time and ask the desk how long it takes; we couldn't route it.
Breakfast is served in El Jardín, per the hotel; the price and whether it's included aren't printed.
No routing figure: the homepage prints no street number, so we couldn't place the hotel.
Parking isn't mentioned on the homepage.
Getting here, and on to the ship
Pick where you start. A question mark is a ride you book; with the top suites, the airport leg is included.
With an Art Suite or an El Palace Suite, a private airport transfer is included, per the hotel. Other rooms get no published airport ride.
No cruise shuttle is published — the included transfer with the two top suite types is to the airport, not the port.
Not measured — no address on the page we read.
From BCN without a hotel shuttle
Book an Art Suite or an El Palace Suite and the private airport transfer is included, per the hotel. Otherwise it's a taxi on the meter or the Aerobús; the airport page has both.
The homepage doesn't mention parking.
Parking for your stay: Not stated.
No cruise shuttle is published — the included transfer with the two top suite types is to the airport, not the port.
Not measured — no address on the page we read.
Flying in on sail day? Check your landing time first.
Distance
Not measuredThe homepage we read prints no street number and no port distance, so we couldn't route it. Ask the hotel how long the taxi to your terminal takes.
Source: hotelpalacebarcelona.comCruise shuttle
Shuttle not statedNo cruise shuttle is published — the included transfer with the two top suite types is to the airport, not the port.
Source: hotelpalacebarcelona.comParking while you sail
At the hotel
Cruise parking unconfirmedThe homepage doesn't mention parking.
Source: hotelpalacebarcelona.comParking for the cruise
WTC: €29 (about US$35) a day, €90 (about US$100) for 7For the cruise itself, WTC Barcelona's car park publishes €29 a day, €90 for 7 days and €12.50 (about US$14) for each extra day, VAT included. Barcelona cruise parking compares the options.
Source: parking-cruceros.wtcbarcelona.comComing by car? Barcelona cruise parking has the WTC car park's €90 week and the other lots, and our Barcelona cruise guide says which lines use which terminal.
The night you’re paying for
The evening
Pool · Food or drinks on siteAmar Barcelona by Rafa Zafra, the Grand Hall and the Rooftop Garden, with a rooftop pool and a Mayan-inspired spa.
Source: hotelpalacebarcelona.comBreakfast
Not statedBreakfast is served in El Jardín, per the hotel; the price and whether it's included aren't printed.
Address
Gran Via, EixampleGran Via, Barcelona (the homepage we read prints no street number)
Hotel website
Ratings
Forbes Four-StarWe didn't find it on MICHELIN's Barcelona list. Forbes Travel Guide rates it Four-Star. The Forbes rating is from its Barcelona list, read October 3, 2026.
Source: forbestravelguide.comThe fine print, in one place
The homepage we read left out times and house rules, so most of this sheet is a list of questions.
Check-in and check-out
Minimum age
Not stated by the hotel.
Extra fees
Tourist tax €12 (about US$13) a person a night (5-star rate from April 1, 2026, under Catalan Law 2/2026 with the city surcharge)
Wi-Fi
Not stated
Parking for your stay
Not stated
For the cruise itself, see Parking.
Breakfast
Served in El Jardín; price not stated
Pool
Rooftop pool and a Mayan-inspired spa
Pets
The homepage doesn't mention pets.
Food and drink on site
- Amar BarcelonaBy Rafa Zafra
- Grand HallBar and lounge
- Rooftop GardenRooftop
- El JardínBreakfast
Rooms
Classic rooms up to the Superior Suite, plus Family Suites, Family Rooms, Art Suites and El Palace Suites.
Accessibility
El Palace’s pages we read say nothing on accessible rooms — ask before you book.
On site
- EV chargingNot stated
- Guest laundryNot stated
- GymNot stated
- Pets allowedNot stated
Also worth knowing
- 5-star, per the hotel
- Forbes Four-Star
- Private airport transfer included with Art Suites and El Palace Suites
- Formerly the Ritz; Booking.com still uses "ritzbcn"
Before you book
Worth knowing
- Forbes Four-Star; 5-star, per the hotel.
- Private airport transfer included with Art Suites and El Palace Suites.
- Family Suites and Family Rooms are listed.
- Booking.com still files it under 'ritzbcn', the old Ritz name.
- Tourist tax for a 5-star: €12 a person a night from April 1, 2026, under Catalan Law 2/2026 plus Barcelona's €5 (about US$6) surcharge.
What we couldn’t confirm
- Its street address and our drive time
- Parking
- Check-in and check-out times
El Palace's details as published on October 3, 2026 — ask for the street address and parking when you book.
The other splurges near the ship
Dinner at Amar tonight, the port in the morning.
Send us your sail date and we'll check El Palace for the night before and sort out the taxi to your terminal. No payment on the form.
El Palace FAQ
Is Hotel El Palace Barcelona the old Ritz?
Yes. Booking.com still lists it under 'ritzbcn', the old Ritz name.
Does El Palace include an airport transfer?
With Art Suites and El Palace Suites, a private airport transfer is included, per the hotel. Other rooms, no.
What's the Forbes rating for El Palace Barcelona?
Four-Star, per Forbes Travel Guide's Barcelona list.
Who cooks at El Palace?
Amar Barcelona is Rafa Zafra's restaurant; breakfast is in El Jardín, and there's the Grand Hall and a Rooftop Garden.
How far is El Palace from the cruise port?
We can't say: the homepage we read prints no street number, so we couldn't route it. Ask the hotel for a taxi time to your terminal.
Booking the cruise too?
Sailing from Barcelona? Send your dates and we'll pair El Palace with the cruise and the ride to the terminals. No obligation.
Got it — thank you.
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