Finding a decent place to stay in Barcelona below €100 a night is very hard. It is a pretty expensive place these days. Our Spain correspondent and Barcelona resident Graham Keeley does the groundwork for you.

1. Hotel España
This is a jewel of Catalan Modernism, decorated by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the same architect who designed the city's famous Palau de la Musica concert hall. The rooms at the back may have been refurbished but the building itself is worth staying in simply because it lets you imagine you are living in the era of Antoni Gaudi. The restaurant is especially good, and the hotel is just around the corner from La Rambla.
Address: Calle Sant Pau 9-11; +34 933 181 758; hotelespanya.com; doubles from €92 (£73).
Metro: Liceu (L3) or about a 10 minute walk down the famous "Las Ramblas" street if you get off at Plaza Catalunya (L1, L3), Renfe and Airport Bus.

2. Hotel Jardi
An oasis of calm in the thriving Barri Gòtic, this simple, no-frills hotel is located in a quiet, tree-lined square, Plaça Sant Josep Oriol. Sit on your miniscule balcony and look out across the square at the statue of the Catalan poet and dramatist Ángel Guimerá i Jorge, who was important in the Renaissance movement in Catalan culture in the 19th century.
Address: Placa Sant Josep Oriol, 1; +34 933 015 900; hoteljardi.com; doubles from €95 (£75.50)
Metro:

3. Hotel Market
Foodies can gorge themselves in style at the excellent Mediterranean-style restaurant then slope off upstairs to their rooms in the hotel to recover. The chic modern rooms are designed in a black, lacquered Oriental style. A number have terraces so try and bag one of those. Just two minutes from the Mercado Sant Antoni food market, so if you get one of the rooms with a kitchen, you can bring back fresh food and create your own feast.
Address: Passatge Sant Antoni Abat 10; +34 933 251 205; markethotel.com; doubles from €93 (£74).
Metro: Sant Antonio

4. Hostal Gat Raval
Ignore the non-descript facade and the builders and take the trouble to see this second-floor hotel, as it is a rare gem. Situated in the Raval, a city centre area mostly populated by Asian immigrants, Gat is ideally placed to taste one of the most exciting barrios in the city. This is where Asian culture mixes head-on with Spanish culture. It boasts some great Indian and Pakistani restaurants, not to mention theatres and shops. The rooms are smart, the hotel modern.
Address:· Calle Joaquin Costa 44, 2;+34 934 816 670; gataccommodation.com; doubles from €74.90 (£59.50).
Metro: Universitat

5. Hotel Ciutat Vella
Swish, ultra-modern, the rooms are bright and breezy with a range of combinations, including bunk beds. Round the corner from the Macba art museum, it puts you right in one of the trendiest parts of the city. In some ways this place typifies modern, hip Barcelona.
Address: Calle Tallers, 66; +34 934 813 799; hotelciutatvella.com; doubles from €90 (£72).
Metro: Universitat

6. Hotel Confort
In the middle of Gracia, for a long time one of the most happening parts of Barcelona, Confort is all sharp design and boasts a marvellous terrace. Step outside and you are among the buzzing bars and shops which give this part of the city its claim to fame. Take advantage of a series of offers, like the cut-price doubles in the low season – August.
Address: Calle Travessera de Gracia, 72; + 34 932 386 828; h-confort.com, doubles from €79 (£63)

7. Hotel California
Great value for money considering its locaton around the corner from La Rambla. The California offers decent, clean rooms and markets itself as gay friendly, though this is more subtly played than in hotels like Axel, in the "Gaycelona" district of Barcelona.
Address: Calle Raurich 14; +34 933 177 766, hotelcaliforniabcn.com; doubles from €85-95 (£68-76)

8. Hostal Goya
The best advert for this smart but comfortable hostel in the heart of the Eixample district is that business travellers who could afford somewhere much more upmarket opt for Hostal Goya instead. Do not be put off by the entrance or the stairway as you trudge upstairs to find your bed. Once inside, you are in what is essentially a family home, but run as a professional hostel. The high-ceilinged rooms are light and bright. The best one comes with its own balcony.
Address: Calle Pau Claris, 74; +34 933 022 565; hostalgoya.com; doubles from €85 (£68)

9. Hostal d'Uxelles
This is a very pretty hostel right in the east of Eixample – the posher part of what was the extension of the old city. It has some lovely Modernista touches – from the tiles to the cream walls and gilt-framed mirrors. Although it is right on one of Barcelona's busiest thoroughfares, you are only a short walk from La Sagrada Familia, or just a few minutes from the city's best shopping boulevard, the Passeig de Gràcia.
Address: · Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 688, pral; +34 932 652 560; hotelduxelles.com; doubles from €87 (£69).
Metro: Tetuan L2

10. Hosteria Grau
A charming place, from the beguiling spiral staircase to the open fire which may come in useful if you decide to visit in the winter. A family-run place, which despite its central location in the Raval, just off Plaça Catalunya, is not too noisy. This is an important factor in a city where racket seems to (unfortunately) be the norm. The Raval is probably the worst offender for noise. The 1970s-decorated communal areas are not too kitsch, just fun. For families there are apartments if you want to prepare your own food.
Address: Calle Ramelleres 27; +34 933 018 135; hostalgrau.com; doubles from €85 (£68).
Metro: Catalunya

All prices given are average per night for a double, but may vary depending on the season