Looking for the perfect place to stay in Barcelona for your upcoming trip? With six hotels spread across the city, the stylish Sonder brand is a compelling option. Sonder Casa Luz has a premium location in the heart of the city, right next to Plaça de la Universitat, and boasts a stunning rooftop restaurant with terraces overlooking the square. After spending four nights in the hotel and trying out its highly reputed restaurant, here’s our review of Sonder Casa Luz Barcelona and all it has to offer.
We were given a complementary stay at Sonder Casa Luz Barcelona. This site contains links to travel services we have tried personally, from which we may make commission at no extra cost to you. We always strive to give honest recommendations, and we have not been paid to write this article.
Sonder hotels: about the brand
Sonder is an up-and-coming hospitality enterprise that is relatively fresh on the scene. Today it has hotels in over 35 countries, but the story of Sonder is barely ten years old.
It began in 2012, in Montreal, USA, when a student called Francis Davidson began letting out apartments and welcoming guests with wine. This creative foray into hospitality began to expand and diversify, and Sonder was born as a disruptive player in the accommodation space.
Sonder’s hotels and apartments have a stylish but subtle vibe. Think light, airy spaces, understated colours, and minimalist furnishings that look plucked straight from the pages of a designer catalogue.
Bright and creative surroundings like this make the perfect place to stay whether you are on vacation or a remote working trip. That’s why a Sonder hotel worked just right for our workation in Barcelona. Sonder Casa Luz provided the comfort and facilities to work within the accommodation, but also the close connections and proximity to nearby coworking spaces, as well as the city’s central attractions.
Sonder isn’t yet quite as familiar in the lexicon as the multinational hotel giants of the world, but the word is spreading day by day. The team behind it is still young and full of energy, and the offering is just the right match for today’s flexible, curious travellers.
Book your stay at Sonder Casa Luz Barcelona.
Sonder Casa Luz Barcelona: the building and location
Sonder Casa Luz is situated on the cusp of Barcelona’s trendy and artistic Raval neighbourhood. You can read more about the area in our complete Barcelona neighbourhood guide.
The hotel stands overlooking the busy square of Plaça de la Universitat, and just five minutes’ walk from Plaza Catalunya, the city’s centrepoint of activity. Nearby, the Gothic Quarter and Passeig de Gracia are easily accessible by foot.
Getting around from here is effortless. You roll out of the hotel doors straight into the Universitat metro station, and then the city is at your command. I used a Hola Barcelona card to give me access all over the city on the public transport network.
Now for the building. It’s an elegant sandstone mansion, rising up six floors, with a facade reflective of Barcelona’s gothic architecture. On the top floor is Restaurante Casa Luz, which has developed a reputation as one of the city’s top restaurants, with gorgeous terrace views.
Bedrooms with a view and desk space
It’s not just the restaurant that has a view. Many of the rooms do too. I tried two rooms during my stay, and one had a balcony looking out onto the vibrant Barcelona streets below.
A desk space is featured in all the bedrooms in Sonder Casa Luz Barcelona. Imagine a working environment where you can sort through your emails, write up your reports, then pop outside for that balcony view or up to the top-floor terrace! And as you would expect for a place like this, the wifi is ultra-fast and reliable, and so we have featured it in our guide to Barcelona hotels with wifi.
This gave me the flexibility to choose between those lazy mornings working in the room, heading upstairs, or making my way out to explore the city’s cafés and workspaces.
The bedrooms all echo the minimalistic design approach consistent with the Sonder brand. But it’s far from boring. White walls are complemented with amber tiling and wooden furnishings. Most importantly, the beds are super comfy and friendly service is quickly at hand.
Each room has a cable TV as well, but we rarely have the urge for an evening in when there’s so much to do in the city on your doorstep! Check out our Barcelona 3 day itinerary for ideas on how to spend your time here.
Book your stay at Sonder Casa Luz Barcelona.
The stunning Restaurante Casa Luz
The top-floor restaurant at Sonder Casa Luz is very much the hotel’s showpiece. Barcelona has quite a low skyline for a city of its size, and this area in particular does not have many tall buildings. In this setting, the sixth-floor space provides a lofty vantage point to look out across the neighbourhood.
As you walk into Restaurante Casa Luz, you are immediately confronted with tall, broad, glass windows that face out onto the lively square of Plaça de la Universitat. The name translates to ‘house of light’, and there’s plenty of it coming in. Arriving early for lunch, I perched up at one of the tables next to a window to make the most of it.
The decor is rich and elegant without feeling pretentious. I always felt I could relax in the space, maybe thanks to the green plants dotted here and there. Glasses and bottles on high-up shelves are a reminder that you’re close to wine country. Circular tables of deep black marble are neatly arranged and immaculately laid.
Outdoor terrace areas on either side of the restaurant provide stunning, unabated views of the square and surrounding streets. Whenever the weather is good, it’s hard to turn down the opportunity to sit outside here and bask in it. .
Freshly prepared local food and wine
We’ve enjoyed lots of incredible food in Barcelona, but nothing has quite beaten the fresh Mediterranean cuisine at Restaurante Casa Luz.
The menu is a choice of tapas or full dishes. I enjoyed a sample of various delights and delicacies, and as is often the case in this part of the world I was particularly blown away by the seafood. Tuna belly, hamachi fish, oysters – all to die for.
The snacks and nibbles that accompany a spread here make all the difference too. Make sure you try the house special tomato bread! Truffled Spanish omelettes are another house favourite that are guaranteed to please.
A resident sommelier can help you choose a wine from the nearby regions of Penedès and Priorat. If you get the chance during your trip, pay a visit to Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, the village where many of the restaurant’s bottles are sourced from.
Just in case you need any more visual inspiration to visit for the food and drink alone, take a browse through the restaurant’s Instagram account.
Breakfast at Sonder Casa Luz Barcelona
In the morning, the rooftop restaurant is the setting for breakfast, which comes Mediterranean-style with a big buffet spread. You have a choice of local breads, pastries, meats, cheeses, eggs, fruits and cereals, as well as fresh coffee and juice.
Every day I took my breakfast plate out onto the terrace. It really is an inspiring way to start the day, out in the open air with a breathtaking view.
Rooftop activities and remote working
When it’s not breakfast, lunch or dinner, the sixth-floor terrace space is often repurposed for other activities. Rooftop yoga and fitness sessions are held regularly, and in the evenings live music is hosted.
In the daytime, when it’s quiet, you can also work remotely in the restaurant space, either inside our out on the terrace. Better than your desk in the office or at home, right?
Book your stay at Casa Sonder Luz Barcelona
You can check availability, prices and book your stay at Sonder Casa Luz securely on booking.com.
Have you stayed at Sonder Casa Luz Barcelona? Let us know about your experience in the comments below.
Looking for other accommodation options in the city, and considering short-term lets? Read our selection of 25 stunning Vrbo apartments in Barcelona.
For more exploration ideas, check out our article on the best free things to do in Barcelona. Visiting out of season? See our guides to Barcelona in winter and things to do in Barcelona when it rains.
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