After reading some very dodgy things about this hotel I made sure that my travel agent booked us a double room with a jacuzi bath (these are the biggest rooms that they have) and that was also away from the lift (hardly ever used to be fair).
The hotel is a tad hard to find (but if you get the airportbus it drops you off at Universitat which is near the hotel). Please make sure that you do your reaserch into the location and print yourself off a map! We did still get lost and asked some very nice guys handing out flyers where it was!
When you get there it does look like a hostel. It is next to an alley (I will talk about this later!) and you have to buzz to be let it (a great idea I feel!) The staff are SO nice and friendly and speak great English (compared to my lousy Catalonian!). They will give you directions, metro, train and everyday advice (they also have great maps there!)
The room was basic but nice and cool with aircon. It was big enough for 2 people. There is a TV but we didn't wish to use it (why watch telly when you are in Barcelona?!?!?!). There is a radio controlled by the light switches! The bath was in the living area with a huge shower curtain so the floor did not get wet. The bath is big enough for 2 ;-). The bathroom had a nice clean toilet, and bidet and the sink was in the main room and is huge!
Everything in the room was cleaned everyday. The toilet paper and towels were always stocked up. There is a wardbrobe which is big enouhg for 2 people, but there are minimal hangers. We took some and left them there! Also there are only 2 pillows on the bed so ask for more and you will get! The bed was so comfy it was unreal! I like hard beds (bad back) and I slept like a log (we both did!) The room was clean, but not bright.
The window was there, but it had iron bars and wooden shutters that you could only open a bit. I didn't mind this as the view was a alley that was used as a toilet and drug den! (This provided much comedy for my boyfriend when he was shouting at them to stop peeing etc...as they could not see us!) To be honest I didn't care about this as we were only in the hotel for short periods of time.
The location of the hotel could be noisy late at night (drunks and loud people) and in the morning (a small child shoutin PAPA!!! like a foghorn and people working on the building opposite the hotel; still they don't work on it at weekends so nice quiet mornings!). ADVICE: Take some earplugs. Can't hear a thing with them in!
The top of the alley at night from about 8pm had a couple of prostitutes (one lady who sat there everynight on the window-ledge of the little cafe). She was far too old to be doing what she was doing so we said 'Ola!' to her everyday! She was friendly, but not always 'together' some of the time!
There are plenty of shops near the hotel that sell all you need (cheap litre bottles of vodka for 6 euro's!) The cafe (previously mentioned) is great for morning coffee and the staff are great!
Overall we loved Barcelona so much that I want to go over there and live and work. You will love it. Watch out for bag pinchers (saw 1 near the hotel and nearly 1 on the Ramblas). If there is anything you want to know about the hotel or Barcelona feel free to ask!
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Advantages: Cheap, clean, central location, cheap supermarket nearby Disadvantages: No breakfast, no windows, not wheelchair friendly, questionable neighbourhood
Advantages: very close to city centre, but also great transport facilities, great bar and food and amazing atmosphere Disadvantages: more couple friendly than family friendly.
Advantages: very close to city centre, but also great transport facilities, great bar and food and amazing atmosphere Disadvantages: more couple friendly than family friendly.
Advantages: Cheap, clean, central location, cheap supermarket nearby Disadvantages: No breakfast, no windows, not wheelchair friendly, questionable neighbourhood
Aug 12th, 2008
very helpful by (100%):
