Considering where to stay in Barcelona. I've chosen two hotels for consideration and they are very different from each other.

Can you offer an opinion if you have stayed at either of them?
Hotel 1: Regencia Colon Hotel in Gotica (triple room)
Hotel 2: Mercer Baria Hotel near Gotica. (loft room)

We are 2 adults and 21-year-old son for two nights in May. Don't need plush environment but something clean, in the center of tourist area, and nice (not extremely basic). Please help with your thoughts or make another suggestion.

Hotel Regencia Colon is in a great location (near the Cathedral and Gothic Quarter) adjacent to its sister hotel, the Colon. It is basic, reasonably comfortable and extremely well located. Opinions vary are to whether this area or El Born or Plaza Catalunya are preferred, but we liked the location very much. N.B. You get what you pay for and if the Hotel Colon is not too much more, I would opt to stay there.

Both are very close, two mins walking apart and as central as it gets. Here you'll find guest reviews for both places:
Mercer Bória: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/boria-bcn.html
Regencia Colón: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/regencia-colon.html

We stayed in Hotel Colon over Easter weekend and it was a terrific location with balcony facing the Cathedral. The only drawback for us was very slow internet access.

Have just booked Casa Fuster for September...any thoughts ?
Just an overnight before catching train to San Sebastian.

Casa Fuster, beautiful hotel!

Casa Fuster is a great modernist building and the staff is outstanding. Every Thursday night from 9:00 to 11:00 Café Vienés turns into an exclusive jazz club. Woody Allen used it in a scene from his movie, ”Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona” (www.hotelescenter.es/casafuster/jazzclub-en.html).

We'll be there next Thursday for the New Orleans Jazz Quartet's performance.

And if you want to get a pre-taste of the brilliant San Sebastián food scene, you're staying close to Restaurante Igueldo, named after the hill in the western end of the La Concha bay. http://www.restauranteigueldo.com/en/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Catalonia.html

thank you

Undoubtedly the Mercer Hotel is better choice. It is very central and walls breathe history. In the cafe you can see part of the old Roman wall that protected the city. I think it's a cozy hotel.
Besides you can enjoy tapas at their restaurant.
The Hotel Colon is very good warm, but not as charismatic.