The 130-room Salles Hotel Ciutat del Prat is a solid budget option for business travelers who have work to do in the area of Prat de Llobregat. Given it's free shuttle and close proximity to the airport, it's also a good choice for those waiting for a flight. Rooms are small with dated decor (picture dark wood furniture and an emphasis on royal blue accents), but clean, and offer a few amenities like free minibar snacks, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs. There's also a sauna and indoor pool as well as an on-site restaurant. Travelers looking to experience Barcelona will likely be disappointed by the hotel location, as the hotel is a full 15 minutes from the city center.

For those looking to spend a night or two near the Barcelona-El Prat Airport, there isn't a better option than the upper-middle-range BAH Barcelona Airport Hotel. The lobby includes a display with up-to-the minute flight information about departures, arrivals, and delays. Flight attendants and pilots regularly check in and out. Guest rooms are surprisingly modern and bright for this price point. However the on-site La Sal Marina Restaurant gets mixed reviews for food quality and there isn't anything exciting within walking distance. An outdoor swimming pool, fitness and business centers, and room service are additional perks. And with free Wi-Fi, breakfast, and a shuttle to the airport, prices stay reasonable.

The 206-room Tryp Barcelona Aeropuerto is a mid-range airport hotel with simple, modern rooms and a free airport shuttle. Located in a bland office park without any real neighboring sights, the hotel is best suited to transit passengers, although noise from a neighboring highway can be an issue. Salles Hotel Ciutat del Prat, right in El Prat de Llobregat’s charming downtown, offers rooms with more character, an indoor pool, and a free airport shuttle at a slightly lower price point.

Frequent flyers or those in town for business are drawn to the mid-range Air Rooms Barcelona Airport, which sits in the heart of Terminal 1. It's a corporate-style hotel with enough amenities for an overnight visit or a daytime hour-killer -- though the nine rooms get booked up fast. All are compact and the frosted glass bathrooms lack privacy, but features include Nespresso machines and free minibar drinks. More spacious Premium Rooms have additional sofa beds. The large gym and business center are open 24 hours, though expect fees for Wi-Fi. Location is key here, but for guests who don't mind a short shuttle bus ride, it might be worth considering BAH Barcelona Airport Hotel, which has an outdoor pool, restaurant and bar, plus much lower rates. 

One of the major architectural monuments of the city of Leon, the 426-room Parador Hostal San Marcos de Leon is an elegant hotel with extensive and beautiful grounds. The Parador chain hotels are typically luxury hotels located in a former castle or monastery; this Parador is a former hospital for pilgrims along St. James' Way. A splendidly renovated building, it is still a stopping point for pilgrims and tourists. Rooms are spacious with historic touches like four-poster beds and interesting preserved architecture. The lobby is striking and the fascinating architecture continues in the hotel's bars and restaurants, but some guests have complained about a lack of soundproofing.

Hotel El Convento, a boutique built on the site of (and in the same style as) a former 17-century convent, is the best hotel in Leon. A flowering central courtyard, antiques lining the hallways, and a fine dining restaurant that many consider to be the city's premier option make for a charming stay. Rooms are mid-range but have plenty of character, with details such as brick walls, terracotta tile floors, and wrought-iron bed frames. The hotel added a small pool after our visit.

The Be Live Adults Only Costa Palma is a 143-room, upper-middle-range hotel with a striking wavy facade set just back from Cala Major beach. While the resort is small by most standards, it's one of the closest to the island's capital, just 15 minutes by car from Palma. The hotel's guest rooms feel fresh and contemporary; the vast majority open to balconies with at least partial sea views. Buffet dining doesn't disappoint and a seafront beach club makes for a great sunset cocktail venue, the small swimming pool and lack of on-site health facilities, however, are downpoints. For a more upmarket stay in a traditional Mediterranean-style property, the next door La Cala is also adults-only but set right on the beach.

The Be Live Adults Only La Cala is an upper-middle-range hotel set in a traditional Mediterranean-style building overlooking Cala Mayor beach. Thanks to its interiors combining a stylish mix of classic and contemporary, as well as its child-free policy, the hotel has a relaxed vibe that compliments the plentiful sea views. Modern, black-and-white rooms have flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, and tea- and coffee-making facilities, plus balconies -- most overlooking the water -- though not everyone enjoys the open-plan bathrooms. Breakfast is included and of good quality, and there are a spacious alfresco terrace and an Africa-themed a la carte restaurant. At just 67 rooms, it fills up fast, but travelers can check availability at nearby sister hotels Marivent and Costa Palma, as there's not much difference between them and they share some facilities.