Hotel Miramar Barcelona

Score one for historic preservation, as well as one for modern architecture. This Twenties palace sat disused on a Montjuïc hillside for decades, which was a waste, considering its view of the port, and its semi-idyllic city-park location. Now, though, it’s rather exceeded its original potential — after a thorough renovation, including an audacious modern expansion by the architect Oscar Tusquets, the Miramar is now a luxurious and strikingly stylish 75-room hotel.

Far beyond historical revival, it’s a solid piece of modern work — surrounded by lush landscaped gardens, the hotel is a terraced structure riding on the back of the original palace, a sort of transition between the facade and the hillside. Inside, the rooms are picture-perfect modern-luxe, in soothing grays and creams, with ultra-modern fixtures, thoughtful touches like heated floors, and plenty of natural sunlight.

Common areas are suitably plush, and no less stylish — there’s a spa, complete with fitness room and indoor pool, and the outdoor pool is lined with a deckside lounge, and is landscaped to blend into the hillside. Meeting space is plentiful, and the Le Forestier restaurant serves a fine modern-Spanish cuisine with views of the gardens. Minutes from the city center but pleasantly removed, above it all, it’s the best parts of a city boutique and a country resort.