AmarTravel

Traveling to Barcelona in early November with my husband, 11 year old twin boys and my in-laws. Staying overnight (pre-cruise) and back again on the 9th-11th. Looking for recommendations on 3-4 star hotels that are safe, clean, modern, close to mayor attractions and offers triples or quads. TA reviews have really made making a hotel decision very difficult, thus my dilemma! Also, we will be arriving very early (8:00am on Nov 1st) after a very long trip - what would be the best way to arrange for our hotel rooms to be available upon our arrival?

After our cruise and Barcelona, we are off to Madrid on the 11th staying until the 15th. Also have the same hotel dilemma in this city… looking for recommendations - not sure if we should look in Barrio de Letras or Salamanca areas. Have been looking at Hotel Meninas or Vincci properties as possible options but have been swayed by some negative reviews.

Any and all recommendations from recent travelers to these two cities knowledgeable about 3-4 star hotels would be gladly welcome.

zeppole

The only way I know to guarantee entry into a hotel room before noon (or later) is to book for the night before you arrive.

If you don't want to pay that much, then try booking an airport hotel, since the clientele very often has departed before 9am to catch flights, or book an enormous hotel that is unlikely to be fully booked. Maybe you can beg the hotel staff to give you an empty room before the standard check-in time. But you can't count on it.

scae0706

You may find you have trouble finding a hotel with triple or quad rooms. Some friends cruised in May from BCN and had trouble finding a triple room. An apartment might be the answer. You might consider the Citadines Aparthotel which is right on the Ramblas. Not a luxury hotel but clean and comfortable. It is about as central as you can get. Taxi to the ship will be easy to find and will cost around 20 euros. You need to know that they charge extra for each piece of luggage. I don't know if you woiuld be able to check in early.

nytraveler

I'm confused. There are 6 of you - so you need eithrer2 triples - or a quad (for you and the kids) and a double for your in-laws. I don;t know any hotel that will put 6 in one room - just a multi-room suite. If you look, I'm sure any of the larger hotels will have suitable rooms.

And, yes, the only way to be sure of getting a room early in the am is to pay for it from the night before.

Casual_Cairo

Here is my Barcelona experience so far -

I'm in Barcelona as we speak in a tiny little room in the H10 Universitat spending as much as 200 Euros a night for it, but I get free WIFI. WooHoo! Oh, and I talked them into giving me breakfast daily since my view is out a window into an air shaft in the building! European Hotels are such a rip off! (Come to Egypt and see the value you can get!) GEEZ LOUISE!

Anyway -

I am in a good location though and just down the street is the Ramblas and the Placa where all the tours seem to start. Yesterday I took the city Walking Gourmet tour which was good for 15 Euros. Today I did a wine tasting tour for 50 Euros. Saw two big wineries and had tapas for lunch and plenty of wine. Tomorrow and another day will do two more of the walking tours (11 Euros each) and plan that they will be good. You get a discount when you sign up for these tours at the Information office at the Placa.

Yes, the Bus Turista is still running. There are two companies running them and I've heard one is better than the other, but can't remember what they said was the reason. Only one of them maybe goes to the big cathedral I want to see, but I can't remember which is which. If I figure it out in the next couple days - will let you know.