Barcelona Hotel Decision
 

Hi all,

I am having a tough time deciding between two hotels for a 5 night stay in Barcelona from 3/30/06 through 4/4/06. This is my first time in Barcelona. One thing worth noting is there is a huge football/soccer match on Saturday night.

Hotel #1: Princess Barcelona
This looks like an awesome hotel to stay in but it is about 4 km/2.5 mi from the city center. There is a metro right by it so it would be easy to get in and out of the city.

The reviews on trip advisor are very positive for this hotel despite it's far away location
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...Catalonia.html


Hotel #2: Hotel Colon
This hotel does not look as nice but it is right in the heart of the city by the cathedral. People seem to have trouble here with noise and with the football match I'm wondering if that would be a bigger problem.

The reviews on trip advisor are not as positive for this hotel.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...Catalonia.html

Is there a better hotel in the city center than the Hotel Colon that will run for under $140 a night? I feel like these are the two best options for the money where one is right in the center vs. one being outside the city.

What are your thoughts on this?

I would certaianly stay in the center city area. Hotel Colon is very nice but there are so many others as well. Are you limited to choosing between those two for some reason?

if you look at www.gtahotels.com you can find a number of centrally located nice hotels that include tax and breakfast.

the princess sofia is nice, 5 stars, but further away from the sights. however, if you have a really good rate there, that compensates for it.

look at the GUITART, and all four stars on gta.

i think you will find something or at least be convinced the princesa sofia is worth the extra distance. ( i myself wouldn't mind the additional luxury if it's a good price, since you are there quite a few days).

I am not limited to those two hotels but from my research those seemed to be my favorite options.

ekscruncy, If you have a specific hotel recommendation in the city center please do let me know :).

lincasanova, I'll check out your recommendations on gtahotels.com and post what I find here. Thanks!

The cathedrale of Barcelona is facing the Colon across the square but its facade is covered since a year or more for restauration. I was there at the end of December and it did not look like they would uncover it anytime soon. That kills a bit of the charm of staying in Colon. There is its sister hotel Colon-Regent (?) behind the Colon. You can try it. or try AC-Diplomatic, 4* hotel, rooms are very mordern design, free mini-bar and I liked the hotel. It is located in Eixample area (where I usually stay) 5 min walk from Placa Catalunya.

I've stayed in the Colon in a room with a cathedral and it was wonderful if you like being in the Gothic Quarter which i did AND the cathedral isn't covered in scaffolding..last I heard it still was.

This past July we stayed in the Apsis Atrium Palace located two blocks from the Placa Catalunya and within walking distance of the top of Las Ramblas, close to the Metro, etc., and we are glad we did....much closer to many sights and once you've dsone the Gothic Quarter well, you've done it.

We stayed at the Hotel Royal which is right onthe Ramblas and we liked it. The location was good and the room was a decent size. Kathe

Wow, I'm just having a hard time deciding what to do here :). I've debated between these hotels forever.

One of my biggest deterrant's from booking the Regencia Colon in the Las Ramblas area is that I'm going with my girlfriend. The beds at that place (and most places in Barcelona) are two singles pushed together which is not exactly the best :)

So should I go with location or comfort at the Barcelona Princess hotel? Is being in the city center much more fun?

I should add that I found one more hotel, Hotel Fiesta Caspe, that is not on Las Ramblas but is about a 15-20 minute walk. It also is a 4 star and seems to be pretty nice. Here's a link: http://en.venere.com/hotels_barcelon...&ref=28015

Anyone else have strong suggestions one way or another on staying in the city center?

I thought I should update my post. I ended up booking the Hotel Colon becaue the Princess Barcelona's prices jumped sky high for some odd reason on a Monday night ($300 just for monday night!)

For anyone that is interested in The Hotel Colon and is staying in Barcelona for 4 nights or more, make sure you e-mail them your reservation. They offer a 15% discount for stays of 4 nights or more.

Here is their website: http://www.hotelcolon.es

Also, the Hotel Colon appears to have real Double beds, not single beds pushed together. I'll verify this after staying at the Hotel, but here is the e-mail I received from the hotel:

> Dear Sir,
> We have availability for this time and we can offer
> you our special offer of
> 15% discount for a long stay (minimum 4 nights).
> Daily special rate standard double (1 DOUBLE BED OF
> 1 '50 CM X 1'90 CM) or
> twin room (2 SEPARATE SINGLE BEDS PUSHED TOGETHER)
> 30/3: 130; 31/3 & 1, 2 &
> 3/4: 160 euros
> -15% discount
> +7% V.A.T
> Buffet breakfast not included.
> Cancellation policy is 48hrs prior to the arrival.
> If making the reservation, please guarantee with
> credit card details.

I'm going to Barcelona the week before, leaving on 3/31.

First, I was looking at Barri Gotic but then I heard that the narrow streets may be charming to look at but may be more noisy if you stay there.

The Travel Channel show Passage to Europe with Samantha Brown showcased the Claris in Eixample, where the streets are wider.

So I started looking for apartments in that area, near the Passeig de Gracia and south of the Diagonal. Some apartments are really nice and pricey but found a couple for under 120 euros a night with some nice amenities.

May stay one night at the Meridien or the Avenida Palace to earn points/miles. Otherwise, the apts. seem like a nice deal. Bigger spaces, right where I want to be, can have furnishings just as nice as nice hotels, cheaper.

Depending on what you want to see in Barcelona, you might not be better off staying right off the Ramblas. I love the hotels that are up a bit, especially those that are along Passeig de Gràcia and the Rambla de Catalunya (extension of the Ramblas north of the Pça. Catalunya). Hotel Inglaterra, though, is good, on C/ Pelai, and a friend of mine stayed in the Hotel Ambassador (down the street from Le Meridien, about 2 blocks from the Rambla), which was comfortable and great for going out. Right around the corner from my apt. is the Apsis Splendid, which I have heard good things about. It is near Pça. Universitat, and just beyond that is Pça. Catalunya. You can catch the red and green metro lines, and have access to a lot of really great clubs, not to mention the MACBA, the old University (go inside!), and the Gaudí houses up Passeig de Gràcia are not far. Hotel Suiza at the Jaume I metro stop is a nice location, though the 1st floor street rooms are loud.

Good luck!
Claire

I also think that the Ramblas north of Plaza Catalunya is much nicer and quieter than the southern section. This area has great shopping, too, and is pretty close to the Corte Ingles which has a wonderful food market in the basement that does not close for break. I love Barcelona!!! In the warm months, the areas close to the sea would be nice too if you have a fairly large hotel budget.

We ended up staying at the Hotel Colon in the gothic quarter.

For my full review complete w/ photos check it out at trip advisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...Catalonia.html