Barcelona Airport is open 24 hours. In such cases, many travellers find it more convenient to stay in a hotel near the airport so that they don't have to deal with transport to/from the city in the late or early hours.
Hotels at the airport
There is only 1 hotel directly at the airport.
- Sleep&Fly directly in Terminal 1 (business area) without having to deal with any transportation
Hotels nearby
The following hotels are available in close proximity to the airport with their own free shuttle service:
- Hotel Barcelona Aeropuerto by Meliá about 3 minutes by minibus from Terminal 2 and 5 minutes from Terminal 1
- Frontair Congress Aeropuerto approx. 15 minutes by minibus from the airport, usually the cheapest quality hotel near the airport, however, its disadvantage is a more difficult transport to the centre of Barcelona, however, you can solve this by taking the hotel's free shuttle both ways and going to/from the centre to the airport.
Other hotels around the airport either have their own shuttle service to the terminals for a fee, or you can just take a taxi.
Given the possibility of an all-night public transport from the airport to Barcelona city centre, it is better to choose a hotel directly in Barcelona.
In November 2024 I flew via Barcelona with Vueling and stayed overnight at the airport in Terminal 1 (the main, large, new terminal). The experience was very pleasant because you don't have to exit airside but can stay overnight. The airport is open 24/7 and some restaurants and cafes (including McDonald's) are open at night. The shops are closed at night though. There are plenty of places to relax and it is possible to go out into the "courtyard" to get some fresh air (or smoke) in the non-public part of the airport. For transfers and overnight stays, Barcelona airport (BCN) in Terminal 1 is the ideal choice. You will be satisfied. Highly recommended. However, beware of overnight stays in Terminal 2 (I have no experience here, just read that lowcosts fly there and it's an older, small terminal).