GOOD HOTEL IN BARCELONA
 

We are planning a trip to Europe that includes four nights in Barcelona (our first time) in early May of 2005.

Any recommendations as to which district to stay? Also what hotels do you recommend in the 130 to 200 EURO price range.

Thank you

For a little more you will get Hotel Arts which was quite good, see my lengthy review on it for further info.

We enjoyed staying at the H10 Gravina this May. The location was good, near the top of Las Ramblas so you could easily walk there or over to the Plaza Catalunya, Bari Gotic or towards Le Exiamlpe (excuse my spelling!)We paid 130E a nite which I think I booked off Travelocity. This did not include breakfast but there are many places near by for that (even Starbucks - DH made me go!)The staff was very helpful, the bathroom was large by Euro standards, and the room was OK (not the best feature) but all in all I was pleased with what we got for the price.

It really depends what kind of area you want to be in... Las Ramblas is very lively and crowded, lots of bars, shops and restaurants and many of the less expensive hotels are there. Barri Gotic (near the Cathedral) is quieter (esp. at night) and full of tiny alleyways and winding streets that are great for wandering and losing yourself. The Diagonal/Eixample area is more upscale, with lots of shopping and some good restaurants, as well as beautiful art nouveau architecture and some of the best-known Gaudi buildings.

Last year, I stayed at the Hotel Condes de Barcelona, which I really liked, in the Eixample. It was only a 15-minute walk down to Plaza Catalunya and Las Ramblas, with great shopping in between (a priority for me!), a block from 2 amazing Gaudi buildings, and for me it was a nice escape from the noise and crowds of Las Ramblas at night.

But again, it depends what you want to see and do and what kind of neighborhood you want to have as your home base.

If you are interested in staying in the Barri Gotic, I have stayed at the Gran Hotel Barcino which is right next to Placa Jaume (City Hall), only one block from the old Cathedral. I can recommend it as a good moderate hotel in that price range, and you can't beat the location for sightseeing. I loved walking around the Barri Gotic at night. It is not a super-luxury hotel or anything, but the room was ample sized and it was very comfortable, and the staff was very attentive and helpful with any questions or problems that we had.

The first thing you want to do is to gather as much practical information as you can before taking your first step and the first thing I would recommend is for you to visit Maribelguides.com and download her personal guide to Barcelona. It will provide you with enough information to get started on selecting your hotel and making plans for your stay in Barcelona.

Now may be a little early to book, but you can check out the best rates for the hotel(s) you're interested in. We like the AC chain of hotels and understand that they will be opening up a new 5-star in Barcelona next spring. If so, then they should be offering on-line specials after the first of the year.

We were just there in June and stayed at the H10 Placa Catalunya.

Directly on the square. Location can't be beat. Walk in either direction: Ramblas, Barri Gothic, Eixample, etc. All minutes away.

Directly accross the square from El Corte Ingles.

Hotel was very nice with great buffet breakfast included.

Hotel arts is lovely- we saw Kate Moss there. Right on the marina where there are lots of great little fish restaurants.

We liked the NH Calderon on Ramblas de Catalunya, just a block from Plaza de Catalunya but much quieter than the Plaza and Ramblas area. It's on the edge of the Eixample and around the corner from Passeig de Gracia. Excellent location, nice modern rooms and great bathrooms.