No matter what m_kingdom2 says, Barcelona is a wonderful city.
It's not so big, so any hotel in the center is at most a 10min taxi ride away from the cruise dock.

BUT... WHEN in September are you going? Note that on the 11th of September (yes, 9/11) is the Catalan national holiday and around the 24th is the Fiesta de La Merce, where the whole of Barcelona is partying for 4 days. It makes for a great atmosphere if you like this kind of stuff (plenty of Catalan traditions like the Correfoc (firerun) and the human towers), but it makes the city also very busy and noisy. So you might want a more quiet hotel right out of the festive area, in which case I would recommend the Gran Marina.

Stardust - We arrive on the 9th and sail on the 10th. Arrive back in port on the 17th and leave the same day. Right now we have reservations at the Hilton but are unsure of its relationship to the city center. I believe the rate we were quoted was 140 Euros, around $180.

The Hilton is not in any way, shape, or form, as close to the city center as are many other hotels.

Intrepid1 - Thanks for the help, as I had no idea just where the Hilton was located in reference to the city center.

There are two Hiltons as I recall. You could possibly go to the Hilton website www.hilton.com and do a search for hotels in Barcelona...I believe those sites have a "map" feature so you can more closely place the hotels.

I would definitely NOT stay at any of the Hilton hotels, as they're both in business areas outside the center.

oK, we stayed at the Continental Palacete and loved it. That being said, pick a hotel near the Placa Catalunya. From there, you can walk to many, many more things that you can possibly see in one day. It is truly the heart of the city.

There must be a hundred hoels in that area that will easily fit your bill. Don't restrict yourself to the marina area. JMHO

PS. M Kingdom2 is entitled to his/her opinion, but I think it is a vastly minority opinion.

ttt