Having decided over Christmas that I fancied a trip to Barcelona again I got onto the Ryanair website and started booking up. Having been to Barcelona a few years ago and staying well outside the main centre I decided that this time I wanted something quite central but also at a budget price. After all there was no way I could have afforded one of the posh 5 star hotels. So with those thoughts in mind I trawled all sorts of internet sites and ended up back on the hotel section of the Ryanair site. I had a couple of choices around the Station and dotted over the city but decided that Roma Reial fitted the bill better than any of the others.

In fact a number of websites describe the hotel as a bit of a hidden gem and I would certainly agree with that. In fact it's so well hidden I ended up doing a trip around the Placa once before I actually found it. In fact that is probably my biggest complaint as the hotel doesn't seem to be too adequately signposted making it quite hard to find unless you know the Placa particularly well. While that is a complaint its really a small issue and one that didn't really have any overall effect on my stay.

Upon arrival at the hotel, having finally found the door, the check in process was quite typically easy. Hand over the print out confirmation to the English speaking Spaniard behind the counter then hand him you passport and he'll hand you back a room key with your confirmation and passport. The hotel has a total of 61 rooms with most rooms offering a balcony view and only a couple, mine being one of them, with either no view or a view of the middle of the building. Although my view was the latter this didn't matter too much as my room was only intended for sleeping in.

Having checked in and headed up the stairs I got to my room. Each room is operated with a key card, which also operates all the lights and power as well. In each of the rooms there is a telephone, two single (or one double dependant on your booking), a TV, table and an en-suite bathroom. The hotel seems to be based around the principles of no frills and really caters for people who have come to see the city, not spend time in the room. The bed was relatively comfortable and the shower seemed to be adequately stocked with hot water, which basically meant the hotel fitted all the criteria I needed it to.

The location is perfect and with so many bars, including 4 Irish bars, located within 5 minutes easy walking it worked out quite well. It's also pretty central for the tourist attractions, located within the Gothic Quarter of the city. About 10 minutes walk up Las Ramblas you'll find yourself in Placa Catalunya, where the majority of tourist busses depart from. When you do leave the hotel it's best to keep an eye on your belongings however as the area is quite notorious with pickpockets.

Overall I found the hotel to be very accommodating. I didn't use it that much but for what I needed it for it was pretty much perfect. There are obviously a few tiny complaints but nothing that really affected my stay. The beds were made every day and fresh towels delivered and that's all you really need from a place like this. It is a hidden gem but it seems to be quite a popular one as well and booking it well in advance certainly seems to be advisable. If you are looking for a cheap hotel to lay your head this is certainly one I'd recommend, central and ideally located for pretty much everything.