Review: Condes De Barcelona & Tripadvsor
Jun 13th, 2013, 05:16 AM
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Review: Condes De Barcelona & Tripadvsor
I tried posting this review on Tripadvisor but they never put it up. I have long thought that they filter negative reviews when they have some booking arrangement with a hotel.
I chose the Condes De Barcelona hotel because I was afraid that staying closer in would be too noisy. Every review of every hotel in the old town at numerous comments about the noise. I had asked for a quiet room in the old building when I made the reservation 3 months in advance. Instead, they put me in the annex right on the main street. The double windows did muffle to street noise to a large degree, but not completely.
The hotel proved to be a bad choice for many reasons. First, despite what many Tripadvisor reviews say, the location is very inconvenient. It is close to some of the major modernista buildings, but it is a 15-20 minute walk to the Ramblas and farther to Barri Gothic, La Ribera and Barceloneta where tourists spend most of their time. If you go back to your hotel of an afternoon rest up when things close 2-4, then that's an hour 20 minutes and four trips a day, day after day. It quickly kills your feet. We took the subway, which helped, but it was still a pain. Life would have been far easier if the hotel were a short walk. It is a big mistake to stay further out than Placa Catalunya, noise or no noise.
Second, The hotel was also a bit run down in the way older European hotels often are. The hallway carpets were filthy and the bathroom was iffy. The room floor was made from cheap laminate and had soft spots that almost led to a trip on occasion.
Third, an most annoying of all, they advertise free wireless but it doesn't work very well, so I spent a lot time frustrated trying read my email and my Skype calls. Other guests would see me trying to get on in the lobby and grunt sympathetically or tell me that they had just given up. Definitely do not stay there if you need to keep in touch with things back home. To compound matters, they have no business center and not even a computer to print boarding passes. They desk clerk told me to email the boarding pass to her and she would print. Fine, except the wireless wouldn't let me connect to the airline. It wasn't terrible but there must be better places in Barcelona to stay.
I chose the Condes De Barcelona hotel because I was afraid that staying closer in would be too noisy. Every review of every hotel in the old town at numerous comments about the noise. I had asked for a quiet room in the old building when I made the reservation 3 months in advance. Instead, they put me in the annex right on the main street. The double windows did muffle to street noise to a large degree, but not completely.
The hotel proved to be a bad choice for many reasons. First, despite what many Tripadvisor reviews say, the location is very inconvenient. It is close to some of the major modernista buildings, but it is a 15-20 minute walk to the Ramblas and farther to Barri Gothic, La Ribera and Barceloneta where tourists spend most of their time. If you go back to your hotel of an afternoon rest up when things close 2-4, then that's an hour 20 minutes and four trips a day, day after day. It quickly kills your feet. We took the subway, which helped, but it was still a pain. Life would have been far easier if the hotel were a short walk. It is a big mistake to stay further out than Placa Catalunya, noise or no noise.
Second, The hotel was also a bit run down in the way older European hotels often are. The hallway carpets were filthy and the bathroom was iffy. The room floor was made from cheap laminate and had soft spots that almost led to a trip on occasion.
Third, an most annoying of all, they advertise free wireless but it doesn't work very well, so I spent a lot time frustrated trying read my email and my Skype calls. Other guests would see me trying to get on in the lobby and grunt sympathetically or tell me that they had just given up. Definitely do not stay there if you need to keep in touch with things back home. To compound matters, they have no business center and not even a computer to print boarding passes. They desk clerk told me to email the boarding pass to her and she would print. Fine, except the wireless wouldn't let me connect to the airline. It wasn't terrible but there must be better places in Barcelona to stay.
Jun 13th, 2013, 06:10 AM
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> First, despite what many Tripadvisor reviews say, the location is very inconvenient. It is close to some of the major modernista buildings, but it is a 15-20 minute walk to the Ramblas .... It is a big mistake to stay further out than Placa Catalunya, noise or no noise.
My comment is only about above, the location of the hotel. I have never stayed at this 4* hotel in Barcelona but my friend once did and had a nice experience. He does not the kind of person who needs "business center" in his hotel. About the location, it's only a matter of preference, whether you want to stay in the thick of the tourist central of Barcelona or slightly outside. Also whether you are used to walking back at home. Big-city people may not mind that. I have not stayed at this hotel but quite familiar with the area. I would walk faster than you, only slightly, 10 minutes down to Plaça Calalunya. Maybe a bit longer when you walk a bit uphill back toward the hotel.
"location is very inconvenient " " it is a big mistake .." I think it was very inconvenient, it was a big mistake to YOU. But I would think, not to many others.
My comment is only about above, the location of the hotel. I have never stayed at this 4* hotel in Barcelona but my friend once did and had a nice experience. He does not the kind of person who needs "business center" in his hotel. About the location, it's only a matter of preference, whether you want to stay in the thick of the tourist central of Barcelona or slightly outside. Also whether you are used to walking back at home. Big-city people may not mind that. I have not stayed at this hotel but quite familiar with the area. I would walk faster than you, only slightly, 10 minutes down to Plaça Calalunya. Maybe a bit longer when you walk a bit uphill back toward the hotel.
"location is very inconvenient " " it is a big mistake .." I think it was very inconvenient, it was a big mistake to YOU. But I would think, not to many others.
Jun 13th, 2013, 08:21 AM
#3
There are better places in Barcelona to stay, but when you booked, didn't you look at the location so that you knew where the hotel was situated? If you did, then it's not the hotel's fault, if you didn't, it's your fault. Similarly with the business centre. You must have known there wasn't one when you booked?
If you didn't like the room, you should have gone back to the desk and asked to be moved to where you had booked, but bear in mind that most hotels don't guarantee that requests can be accommodated. If the room wasn't clean, all the more reason to ask to be moved.
The wifi problem should have been solved by the hotel and it wouldn't have hurt them to allow you to log on to your airline and print your boarding passes.
Perhaps a little more research when making bookings would assist you in the future.
If you didn't like the room, you should have gone back to the desk and asked to be moved to where you had booked, but bear in mind that most hotels don't guarantee that requests can be accommodated. If the room wasn't clean, all the more reason to ask to be moved.
The wifi problem should have been solved by the hotel and it wouldn't have hurt them to allow you to log on to your airline and print your boarding passes.
Perhaps a little more research when making bookings would assist you in the future.
Jun 13th, 2013, 09:29 AM
#5
I just posted a rather negative review on Trip Advisor so i disagree that they "filter" negative reviews any more than they filter positive reviews. I have published both sorts over the years.
As to the reviews themselves. GO AHEAD and take whatever you want with a grain of salt. I find it interesting that many people start out their own reviews with the words, "We picked this place because of the excellent reviews on Trip Advisor."
As to the reviews themselves. GO AHEAD and take whatever you want with a grain of salt. I find it interesting that many people start out their own reviews with the words, "We picked this place because of the excellent reviews on Trip Advisor."
Jun 13th, 2013, 10:31 AM
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That is why I like Fodor's, because whether you agree with the person or not, it is their honest opinion. Who knows who is telling the truth or not on TA. I like Booking.com. We have used them in about 8 countries and only one hotel was not as expected, reviewed, or represented.
Jun 15th, 2013, 05:08 AM
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"I just posted a rather negative review on Trip Advisor so i disagree that they "filter" negative reviews any more than they filter positive reviews. I have published both sorts over the years."
Did you post a negative review about a hotel that has a deal with Tripadvisor? It's clear that the hotel has a arrangement with them.
Did you post a negative review about a hotel that has a deal with Tripadvisor? It's clear that the hotel has a arrangement with them.
Jun 15th, 2013, 06:43 AM
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I gave a negative review of a Paris hotel ( I stayed at in May) on Expedia....they published it!
We often read reviews on Expedia and Booking.com before making a decision....
For example , one reviewer mentioned rooms in a hotel we were interested in
had
that stupid" see through" bathroom - that alone took it of the " list"!
.
We often read reviews on Expedia and Booking.com before making a decision....
For example , one reviewer mentioned rooms in a hotel we were interested in
had
that stupid" see through" bathroom - that alone took it of the " list"!
.
