Sci-fi splendour in super space hotel

My father and I can argue our differences of opinion until blue in the face – but a love of sunshine, good food, a bit of architecture, and quite a lot of alcohol, I've sort of inherited from him.

Barcelona it is then. Dad declares it one of his favourite cities and has been there many times.

We're staying at Barceló Sants – a glass box of a hotel, 20 minutes train hop from the city's El Prat airport. The huge hotel is perched on top of the city's main railway station in the Sants district, a couple of miles from the historic centre, but surrounded by an abundance of shops and tavernas. The entrance to the recently-refurbished Barceló Sants is out of this world space station style. Welcome aboard the 'space hotel' with its curved automatic glass doors, a circular internet hub, and giant images from sci-fi films high up beyond a wide staircase and gravity-defying mezzanine floor to the Orbital rooms and suites.

Our lovely twin room on the seventh floor overlooks the bustling district below.

The restaurant too has a science theme, divided into three areas: The Oxygen buffet serves healthy cuisine from low-calorie to energising meals, soothing teas to revitalising smoothies; Hydrogen is a-la-carte innovation; and Nitrogen is a chilled-out cafe offering herbal teas and snacks. The hotel's 14 function rooms make it ideal for organising events and conferences. And after the working day, the hotel offers a gym, free wi-fi, a cyber corner, the Orbital Bar and a solar system of gastronomy.

Dad and I have booked three nights in sci-fi splendour, but head out into the warm July evening, exploring Sants which is filling up with beautiful people and the smell of delicious seafood.

We chance upon the best paella we've ever tasted and guzzle sangria, before heading back to the hotel's Orbital bar, followed by some serious cyber sleep.

Our two full days in heatwave-hit Barcelona consist of exploring the sights, both on foot and on the fantastic Barcelona Bus Turistic. These sightseeing buses cover three routes, including the city's architecture-packed centre, taking in Antoni Gaudi's organic-style modernism masterpieces including Casa Mila and the still-unfinished Sagrada Familia.

One bus takes us on a route unfamiliar even to dad. It's a delightful ascent along cool winding streets to the Sants Montjuic district where stops along the way give panoramic views of the city below, including its centrepiece – the famous tree-lined La Rambla, and the imposing mountains beyond.

Parts of Sants Montjuic were created for the city's hosting of the Olympics in 1992. The stadiums, tracks and pools are still in use, guarded over by a sinuous futuristic 136m telecommunications tower created by architect Santiago Calatrava.

The bus continues on down to the port where the blue Med glistens and pristine cruise ships wait in the harbour.

We've booked a little boat trip, dad and I, to escape the searing heat. The sightseeing bus stops near the small harbour of Port Olimpic where we meet David, our skipper for a couple of hours. Our vessel is a simple sailboat which holds no more than six people and the three of us have it all to ourselves. We head out to sea for about half a mile while David gives us a potted history of the city and of himself.

The water is calm and the sky is clear and As The cap'n lets the sails steer us along the bay while he explains in rather good English how parts of Barcelona have been reclaimed from the sea, and how the recession affected the lives of the city's inhabitants, including himself. It turns out David is in fact an architect by trade, but with work drying up a little over the last couple of years, he took a chance – learned English, bought a boat and mastered sailing.

And now, in the summer months at least, he spends his days taking tourists on these mini excursions. Our little trip is a winner all round. I get to swim, and dad gets to be captain, learning the basics of tacking and navigation before David serves up olives and Cava in between steering us back to port.

Dad and I then spend the hot afternoon under the cool shade of the trees in Barcelona's most famous street, La Rambla, and its iconic food market, La Boqueria.

We've crammed quite a lot into two days. We didn't get to visit all that Barcelona is famous for, but our galactic hotel, mini offshore adventure and, of course, all-too-rare father-daughter time, have made sure it will be etched on the eons of time . . . well, truly memorable anyway.

Travel facts

Hotel Barceló Sants is on Plaça dels Països Catalans, 08014 Barcelona. Rates are from 120 euros (£88) per room per night. For further information or to book visit www.barcelosants.com or call +34 93 503 53 00

Barcelona Sea Tours are priced from 50 euros (£37) per person for two hours. Visit www.barcodealquiler.com