SLS - Barcelona
- Nick, Editor
- Sep 18
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 24
a waterfront spectacle where Barcelona’s joie de vivre goes full technicolor
Article summary>>
In this article, you will get our unbiased, independent review and thoughts on the SLS Hotel in Barcelona
Rooms & suites
Food & Drink
Amenities
Service
Vibe
Location
Thoughts
Booking
The building reads like a gleaming white amphitheatre angled to the sea, sleek and theatrical, but with an easy resort stride. Inside, the lobby’s first impression is a wink: mirror-bright surfaces, sculptural lighting, palm fronds flirting with velvet, and a procession of beautifully dressed locals cruising past to the bar.
SLS has always loved a little drama; here on Barcelona’s Port Fòrum waterfront, that drama comes with sea air and salt on your lips. Opened in spring 2025 as the brand’s European debut, it quickly became the city’s conversation piece, a five-star “urban resort” that fuses Miami-style pool energy with Catalan sunshine and serious design talent.
Where you are:
SLS Barcelona sits at the lip of the Port Fòrum marina in Sant Adrià de Besòs, a few minutes’ stroll from a quiet, locals’ beach and steps from Parc del Fòrum, which hosts Primavera Sound and other big-ticket festivals. The address is Carrer de la Pau 2, technically just outside the historic core, but well connected: El Maresme–Fòrum (L4, the Yellow line) and the Port Fòrum tram stop are a roughly 10-15-minute walk, linking you to the Gothic Quarter in about 25-30 minutes door-to-door. It’s a more exhale-by-the-sea position than an Eixample townhouse or a Gothic cloister, and that’s the point: this is a leisure-first base for beach days, waterfront sundowners, and late nights you can sleep off by the pool.
Diagonal Mar, one of Barcelona’s biggest malls, is an 11-minute walk; the CCIB convention centre is about the same. Sagrada Família is a 15-20-minute cab ride, and you’re a quick tram or Metro hop from the ateliers and cafés of Poblenou. In short: you swap right-in-the-thick-of-it sightseeing for a waterfront neighbourhood that’s evolving fast, and the trade pays off when your day ends with a sunset over masts and a DJ on the roof.
Architecture & design:
The hotel’s architecture comes from b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos (the Barcelona studio behind headline-making projects across Spain). Their trick here is practical magic: the stepped, south-facing structure ensures that every one of the 471 rooms and suites has a balcony or terrace, an urban-resort luxury that’s rarer than you’d think.
Interiors are by New York’s Rockwell Group, who lean into SLS’s signature playfulness: Venetian mirrors; glowing cocktail bars; marble-and-mirror bathrooms; a palette that shifts from moody jewel tones to breezy creams as you rise towards the roof. It’s deliciously photogenic, yet not precious; more “dress-up fun” than hushed museum piece.
Rooms & suites:
Entry categories are “Delight” and “Captivate,” both around 28-30m² (Delight Twin/King; Captivate with marina views). Expect the SLS calling cards: a statement minibar that actually tempts, a walk-in rainfall shower stocked with Ortigia products, a vanity worthy of a quick face-card refresh, and that private balcony, your morning-coffee theatre for boats sliding in and out of the marina. Families can book two-bedroom connecting configurations; accessibility options include larger roll-in showers and visual alarms.
Suites amplify the fantasy. The Euphoria tiers (Studios, Apartments, and Marina Terrace) feature lounging spaces, kitchenettes in the apartments, and terraces of 31m² or larger. The Luxuriate Suite, all marble bath and an outdoor lounge that begs for a slow bottle of cava, tips past 80m² inside with a 54m² terrace. And then there’s the Celestial Suite, a one-of-one suite with a vast private terrace (97m²) looking straight down the coast. It’s the kind of stage set that makes you understand why music videos happen in hotels.
Practical note for planners: of the 471 rooms, 53 are suites, plus 20 long-term suites aimed at longer stays or production crews. That spread makes SLS unusually flexible for multigenerational groups, wedding buyouts, or long-form creative work. For more information, offers, and bookings, click here.
Eating & drinking:
Lora is the culinary anchor: a modern Mediterranean kitchen driven by open fire and a genial generosity of spice and smoke (think Barcelona meets Morocco). Seasonal vegetables hit the coals, seafood gets caressed by wood-oven heat, and big platters are designed for passing around the table. At breakfast, it’s a lively scene of jet-lagged New Yorkers, festival-goers, and young Catalan families comparing beach intel.
For something more home-grown, L’Anxova Divina is your tapa pilgrimage, an informal love letter to Catalan bar culture. Vermut on tap, anchovies (naturally), a tortilla that inspires table-wide spoon fights, blistered padrón peppers, and late-night hours that make it a date-night fallback when everything else is booked.
The lobby’s Deluxe does that new-Barcelona trick, café by day, lounge bar by night, while Kyara, the jewel-box cocktail bar, plays with perfumery ideas and “unconventional ingredients” to deliver drinks that arrive photo-ready and finish surprisingly dry and grown-up. Coral is the signature pool bar, siphoning South Beach energy onto a Catalan deck (spritzes, ceviches, and Sun). And high above, Cósmico is the rooftop playground: two infinity pools glinting in the blue, big-serve cocktails, and a Japanese-leaning, share-friendly menu made for long afternoons that slide into golden hour. Their “Cosmic Affairs” DJ sessions are already a local fixture.
Pools, wellness & the SLS take on “reset”
There are three outdoor pools: a boardwalk-level showpiece that fronts the marina and two rooftop infinity pools that crown the property (the high-low move is classic SLS, party upstairs, serenity down by the water). The gym, bright and well-equipped, runs 24/7 and is matched with a spin studio and programming in partnership with local outfit Edan Studios. A full subterranean spa is on the docket as part of the roll-out, slated to open in late 2025; for now, think in-room rituals, beach runs, and pool-to-cocktail recovery.
Service & scene:
SLS is no wallflower brand, and Barcelona doubles down: the crowd skews design-curious, well-travelled, and ready to mix, Americans with Dis-loyalty status comparing notes with Madrileño weekenders and Londoners in town for a CCIB conference. Daytimes are breezy and leisure-first; by late afternoon, the roof is a soundstage of clinking glass and basslines. Staff move quickly and warmly (pets are welcome), and the concierge team has a clear edge on the waterfront scene, from kayak rentals and boat charters to under-the-radar tapas in Poblenou. Parking is on site (paid), and check-in/check-out are calibrated for the late riser.
Meetings, weddings & the big-room advantage:
For a hotel with a sense of mischief, SLS Barcelona is buttoned-up where it counts for events. The Gala Ballroom spans 770m² (8,288 sq ft) with daylight and blackout options; there are 8-10 breakout rooms across two levels; and both marina-side and rooftop spaces make for photogenic welcome cocktails. It reads less “convention centre” and more “fashion show” (in the best way).
Sustainability notes:
Behind the mirrors, the building is working towards LEED Gold certification (with the team openly talking about pushing for Platinum), alongside energy-efficient systems and partnerships with local nonprofits. It’s not a hair-shirt approach; this is an exuberant resort, but it’s good to see credible targets and transparent commitments within a brand built on spectacle.
What to do around SLS Barcelona:
Parc del Fòrum for shows, open-air screenings, and festival energy (yes, that Primavera Sound). Book early if your dates overlap.
Museu Blau (Natural Sciences Museum) for a surprisingly cool, sharply designed museum in the Foster + Partners building; it’s five minutes from the hotel.
Poblenou ramble the Rambla del Poblenou for independent cafés, ice cream, and a different, more creative-district rhythm.
Beaches north and south, Llevant and Mar Bella nearby (the latter with a more local vibe and chiringuitos), or tram up the coast to Badalona for a quieter day.
Diagonal Mar for last-minute swimsuits, forgotten chargers, or a rainy afternoon retail loop.
verdict:
SLS Barcelona is not trying to be a hushed palace hotel in the Gothic Quarter, and thank goodness. It’s a confidently contemporary, waterfront version of Barcelona that a lot of travellers secretly want: pools you’ll actually use; restaurants that warrant staying in; a roof where the mood reliably tilts to joy; and rooms purpose-built for alfresco coffee and unhurried sunsets. If you’re first-timing Barcelona and plan to tick every Gaudí and every Gothic cloister, you might want a night or two in the centre as well. But if your Barcelona is as much about the Mediterranean as it is about Modernisme, this address makes eminent sense.
It’s also a clever choice for groups that usually struggle to reconcile tastes: the style-hungry twenty-something gets Cósmico and Kyara; the couple gets Euphoria terraces and Lora’s warm hospitality; the planner gets a proper ballroom and daylight breakout rooms. Add in pet-friendliness, balconies in every room, and a location that breathes, and you’ve found a new Barcelona archetype: the urban resort done with both a wink and a spine.
If your Barcelona agenda reads beach, design, music, food, repeat, SLS Barcelona is unapologetically your place. The only question is whether you’ll ever make it past the rooftop. Miami meets Mediterranean in the best possible way. Nice hotel.
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Waterfront setting with easy beach access and marina views.
Every room has a balcony or terrace, rare in Barcelona.
Six strong dining and bar options on site; lively rooftop scene.
Three pools (two rooftop infinity), 24/7 gym, and serious event spaces.
Pet-friendly; parking on site.
Cons:
Not in the historic centre, expect 25–30 minutes to the Gothic Quarter by public transport/taxi.
Scene-forward: DJs and rooftop energy won’t suit everyone.
Spa is a late-2025 opening (check status if treatments are a must).
Key facts at a glance:
Location: Port Fòrum waterfront, Carrer de la Pau 2, 08930 Sant Adrià de Besòs (10-15 minute walk to El Maresme-Fòrum L4; tram at Port Fòrum).
Hotel rating: 5-star urban resort.
Hotel vibe: Playful, design-forward, social, equal parts glam and beachy. (Think Rockwell Group interiors, rooftop parties, marina sunsets.)
Food & drink: Six venues - Lora (open-fire Mediterranean), L’Anxova Divina (Catalan tapas), Deluxe (all-day café/lobby bar), Kyara (perfumery-inspired cocktails), Coral (pool bar), Cósmico (rooftop with DJs and Japanese-leaning plates).
Hotel amenities: Three outdoor pools (two rooftop), 24/7 gym and spin studio; full spa scheduled to open late 2025
How many rooms: 471 total; 53 suites + 20 long-term suites; all with balcony/terrace.
Pricing: Dynamic by season; recent checks show entry rooms around £300-£550, trending higher in prime months and during big events (MWC, Primavera). Watch for offers like “Fourth Night On Us.” Check prices and available offers here.
Location recommendations & attractions: Parc del Fòrum (festivals), Museu Blau (Natural Sciences), Poblenou cafés/ramblas, beaches (Llevant, Mar Bella), Diagonal Mar shopping. For all tours & activities in Barcelona, see below or click here.
All hotels & resorts on The Five Star Edit are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive a small commission from advertisers when using our affiliate links.
SLS Barcelona Review 2025
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