Trying to book a decent (clean, convenient neighborhood, not too noisy) 2-3 star hotel in Barcelona that has breakfast included in the price. Seems difficult. Is this not a usual thing for Barcelona? I know in Paris, breakfast's not inlcuded. Just hoping it's not the same for Barcelona.

Sorry for the non-capitalization of "Barcelona" in title and spelling oops in "there".

ttt

hi, kenav,

is there some reason you want to eat breakfast in the hotel?

in Madrid we ate breakfast in the hotel on the first day [admittedly it was not included; our choice might have been different if it had been] but decided it wasn't worth it for 13E each. so after that we ate in the hotel cafe - a very good breakfast including croissants and eggs for 5E each.

our hotel rate was much cheaper than if we'd pre-booked breakfast.

there are lots of places in big cities like BCN to get breakfast.

so unless you need to do it, I'd go out and explore.

regards, ann

Hi ann -
A little confused by your relply - the hotel breakfast at 13Euros was too high so you ate at the hotel cafe? Isn't eating breakfast at the hotel cafe the same thing as eating breakfast at the hotel?

Have been going to Poland, Hungary, Vienna recently and the breakfasts were included in the rate (didn't have to pre-book it for extra money).

Kind of nice to just go downstairs, eat, and then easily go back to the room, wash-up, use bathroom, brush teeth.

Thus, wanted to see if we could find the same "deal" in Barcelona.

Sometimes hotels in Spain have a dining room where breakfast is served as well as a cafe that attracts non-guests as well as guests who wish to dine a la carte. Maybe that is what Ann means.

I have been to Barcelona four times over a span of 40 years or so...(yes, I first visited when I was very young..in high school) Each time I have stayed at the Hotel Granvia which is a faded hotel in a terrific location. I have not been in 5 years or so but on each of my visits breakfast was included. They appear now to be part of a hotel chain so things might have changed on this score...the photos on the website make me think that they gussied up the place a bit...but worth checking out:

http://www.nnhotels.com/eng/hotelgranvia/index.php

Check the SolMelia.com site. They often have deals that include breakfast, although I think you may have missed the best deals for July and August.

Also, if you use sites like the following, breakfast is most often included:
http://www.gtahotels.com
http://www.octopustravel.com

and sometimes:
http://www.hotelclub.com

Since you can't walk a block in Barcelona without finding a cafe serving breakfast, I think it is harder and harder to find hotels what offer breakfast. Especially since the hotel breakfast is usually of lesser quality (and an overpriced surcharge).

I understand the idea of being able to go back to your room, but how is a cafe on the same block really any different?

hi, kenav,

yes, ekscrunchy is right - sory i wasn't clear enough.

as well as the breakfast room, the hotel had a separate cafe, where you could get food from about 7am to 11 pm. the coffee was better, the food was cheaper than in the breakfast room.

as we were only there 3 nights, we didn't venture any further, but there were loads of places serving breakfast nearby.

still not sure why you want to eat in?

regards, ann

I don't understand why you have to find a hotel with a breakfast inclusive rate. I always look at the big picture - how much is the room and how much is breakfast.

A hotel that cost 60€ but charges €13/person for breakfast is a better deal than a equivalent hotel that costs 100€ with breakfast. But the 60€ hotel will be excluded by you.

I don't know if it's the same for you - but I do like a cup of coffee before facing the world. Otherwise going out for breakfast is fun - part of the experience.

So .. check if the hotel has a kettle in the room. Now you may be fussed about real coffee in which case this won't do. I drink mine black without sugar and instant is fine so all I need is the hot water.

Agree with previous posters - you pay for that breakfast and it may not be very good.

I did once stay at a Melia hotel in Valencia and breakfast was included, and it was very, very good (if you want to eat a lot at that time of day) - but hey that was an expensive night's stay - far better to stay in a pension at a third of the price and choose your own brekkie.

rkkwan - My choice of hotel is not dependant on whether or not breakfast is included - it's just a bonus if it is.

I would not, as you say, exclude a hotel that costs 60E and breakfast is 13E for a hotel that costs 100E and that includes breakfast. But, they may be very different types of hotels as far as amenities, location, etc. Of course, if the 60E plus 13E breakfast hotel was fine (as far as my other criteria are concerned), I would choose it in a minute over the 100E hotel in which breakfast was included!

I surely wouldn't want to spend 12E for coffee and a croissant and some fruit! (I've seen that.)

Have taken breakfast in cafes outside our hotel in Paris - I was just wondering if there are any hotels in which breakast is included in Barcelona. That's all.

Well, Kenav, I support your right to choose a hotel w/breakfast! (Some of these answers border on bossy, don't you think?) Best Western-linked hotels often do include a full breakfast and also the Expedia "amenity search" feature will find hotels offering breakfast.

hi, Kenav,

sorry if I came over as bossy - not my intention.

I know this has been mentioned before, but why has the UK habit of providing kettle, tea, coffee etc. in the room not caught on elsewhere? even the most modest UK B & B would have that in teh room.

regards, ann

I've read that hotels which are specifically catering to either British or Chinese guests do have the kettles in every room, but in general these are expensive and prone to theft and breakdowns, which is why they are not more common.

Don't quite know what willtravel is on about - but there is any easy solution - carry your own kettle.

And I don't really mean a kettle - I have a mini boiler bought in Beijing ages and ages ago, replacing the one I bought in India, which replaced the one I bought in India - they don't last long!!

But this one - now I have had it for getting on for seven years. Weighs zilch - less than a tee shirt.

I never leave it at home. It saves me lots of money and makes me HAPPY.

Interesting where this thread has gone ...

I don't really care that much about a kettle in the room. I know that many U.S. chains have an automatic coffeee/tea maker in the room, and that's nice. But it's not a biggy for me.

H10 Catalunya Plaza. A really nice breakfast buffet and free cava and snacks available in the lounge all day.

In general, people in northern Europe eat big breakfasts and people in southern Europe don't. Hotels in Spain and Italy rarely offer much in the way of breakfast, whereas German and Scandinavian hotels usually include a substantial buffet breakfast in the price.
In Britain, a kettle is often provided in rooms because people like to make tea. In Spain or Italy, people generally drink coffee - proper coffee, not instant. Myself, I can't understand why anyone would want to mess around in a hotel room making instant coffee, when there are cafés on every street corner serving the real thing.

some of us can't even get our clothes on until we sip some coffee, that's why.