I keep hearing Spain is cheap but prices don't bear this statement out
 

I have to travel on a budget. We are going to Spain in the spring next year and i am looking for places in Sevilla and Barcelona and am finding that hotel rooms in these places are $130-$140 and this is for a 2** <BR>place. This seems really expensive to me.<BR>I stayed in Italy for less than that. Do you have to pay these prices for a decent hotel room in these 2 citys?

<BR><BR>Maybe the people you're hearing this from:<BR><BR>. haven't been to Spain in a while<BR><BR>. don't visit large cities<BR><BR>. visit large cities but stay in cheaper places<BR><BR>As Europe's standard of living has increased vis-a-vis the U.S., so has its prices. <BR><BR>I paid less than $100 for a perfectly decent--to me--hotel room in Barcelona. But I don't think it was in a 2-star hotel either.

I'm going to Sevilla in March, and the hotel I'm staying at is about $70. (Hotel Simon) In my research, there are a lot of places that are in that same price range. I don't know anything about Barcelona because I've never been there. But I have found that Sevilla is more expensive than Madrid. But still much cheaper than what you've found. I have been using Lonely Planet, Rick Steves, and Time Out books. Plus the web site sol.com has a lot of listings for Sevilla as well.

Hi<BR><BR>centre of NYC can be pricey ?<BR><BR>Best solution for Barcelona is to stay in an out of season beach resort and go in by train. Check out somewhere like Mataro.<BR><BR>Peter<BR>http://tlp.netfirms.com<BR>

<BR>Sevilla is quite cheaper than Madrid and Barcelona, just compare the rates on the same category of hotels in the same website. It´s like comparing hotel prices in San Antonio with those of L.A. and New York.<BR><BR>Also, Madrid hotels raise their rates each time there is a convention in town -about twice a month, pretty much- and Seville doesn´t.<BR><BR>Could it be you are checking rates for April 13 thru 19 ( Semana Santa )and April 28 thru May 3 ( April´s Fair ) ?<BR>In that case, these are major worlwide renowned events and of course the hotels charge peak season rates and require minimum stays. Try getting a hotel in New Orleans for Mardi Gras and we´ll see how cheap it is...<BR><BR>If those are not the dates you are considering, than the 2 star hotel in Seville is simply overcharging, look for another one. I haven´t been to Barcelona, but it still sounds a bit too high a price for a 2 star even there.<BR><BR>

In Seville, you might try the Casas de la Juder&iacute;a located right in the Barrio de Santa Cruz. It is a three star hotel with a great location and will probably cost you about 100 euro per night, if not less.<BR><BR>M

<BR>Casas de la Juderia is a 3 star, but it has the decor and services of a 4 star, and the prices are a bit higher than most 3 star properties in town. For the spring -other than peak season dates- their rate is 129 Euros+7% tax for a double.

The one in Barcelona I checked was Meson Castilla -2* for 129euros. Juderia is about the same. Im not going during a festival time. The Citadines Hotel is 125 euro. I just thought I could get by in these 2 places for around 80 euro but I'm not sure. I have looked at hostal Grau and Levante but don't know how &quot;basic&quot; they are.Dont mind basic but also don't want to share a bathroom. Would like to know where xxxx stayed in Barcelona at $100?

Yeah Barcelona hotels aren't &quot;cheap&quot;. But everything depends on location obviously.<BR><BR>The only way to get a cheap room in Barcelona is priceline. It's the best bang for your buck. Expedia &amp; Travelocity are expensive.

<BR><BR>In Seville try the Hotels Alcazar and Becquer. Both are 3 star, nice properties, very central and they go for about 100$ on Expedia.com, probably lower on hotelclub.net or abahotels.com if you don´t mind prepaying on the internet, as opposed to just using your card to guarantee.<BR><BR>Also check Bancotel.com, they should have good rates for those dates.<BR><BR>Good luck !

thanks - olga, do you have any similar recommendations for Barcelona?

<BR>Sorry, I´ve never been, but the same websites I mentioned are good for Barcelona, too.<BR>Good luck !

I have had friends and clients stay in SITGES, lovely beach resort with excellent train connections to BCA if you are going to be there a few days.<BR>They were able to get 3-4 star hotels with bancotel for $50 a night for a double, no breakfast. Depends on if you have that much time to deal with out of city hotel.

We just returned from Spain last week and stayed at Hotel Amadeus (Sevilla) in the Barrio area. Lots of nice tapas bars in the area and wonderful architecture. We stayed at Hotel Amadeus (www.hotelamadeussevilla.com) for 76 euros a nite. Check out thie pictures of various rooms on their website. We stayed in the 3rd room at the top row on the group of photos on their website (the atlantico, room 101) The bed was nice and firm, a queen I believe, not two twins pushed together. It had a large bathroom, french doors, and we were very pleased with it. The mother-daughter team that run the hotel provide great service. The hotel has lots of antique furnishings with a patio on the roof, with chairs and tables. It's a nice place to have a glass of wine rooftop, with a great view of the Giralda. Check it out. I think you will be pleased. Hope this helps.

Where are you getting the prices for your rooms? Are you using a travel agent? If so, they're getting a great commission.<BR><BR>The MOST I've ever paid for a room is $115 and that was in Sevilla and was a splurge, Casas de Juderia. Usually I'm able to find room easily in the 50-75euro range - and these are nice places, not seedy dumps.<BR><BR>Spain is a paradise for bargain hunters. Food is great and inexpensive along with hotels and transportation. I went to Italy in 2000 and it is less expensive.<BR>

Paula..Thank you! exactly what i'm looking for.But I have tried several times to get onto the Hotel Amadeus site but it just keeps flashing &quot;loading&quot; and never brings anything up-is there a secret to getting on their site?<BR>And Cathy M. would really like some of your suggestions for Barcelona. That's where i'm stuck right now. And the expensive prices are posted on the web not thru a travel agent.

I've stayed in 2 places in Barcelona, the Hotel Turin and the Regencia Colon.<BR><BR>The Hotel Turin has a website: www.hotelturin.com<BR>I had a double and it was a large room. I paid 105euros. The location is right off the Ramblas near the Plaza Catalunya. It's modern, nothing extra special, but the location is good and price is OK.<BR><BR>I also stayed a couple of nights at the Regencia Colon. I paid 90 euros for a single. I believe doubles are less than $110, depending on when you're visiting. The location was in the gothic quarter, just across from the cathedral. I preferred staying in the gothic quarter versus the Ramblas. The hotel was very nice.<BR><BR>I do alot of my reseach using various guidebooks, and also hotelsearch.com. <BR>They don't charge a commission on this site. If they don't have a weblink to a particular hotel on hotelsearch.com I use a search engine and usually find the website for a hotel directly.<BR><BR>There are numerous Barcelona hotels in hotelsearch.com that are less than 100 euros.<BR><BR>Hope this helps.

ihavetobe,<BR>About Barcelona:<BR><BR>While I don't normally recommend the Barri Gotic as an area to stay in Barcelona, I've had to rethink that very seriously, as I found in July a brand new, very smart looking, &quot;very snazzy for the price&quot; hotel near the young, hip and lively El Born area (kind of Bcn's answer to SoHo or Notting Hill) that I really want to try someday.<BR>It's called the &quot;Banys Orientals&quot;, just opened in the spring (so new they didn't have their brochures printed yet), located on Argentaria street next door to my favorite Barri Gotic restaurant, the terrific &quot;Senyor Parellada&quot; (it's actually part of and open to the restaurant, as it belongs to the same family, a family of famous restaurateurs of long standing, owners of the famed Fonda Europa in Granollers). Argentaria street is well traversed day and night so the area is safe, and the rates for very snappy rooms with that catalan &quot;disseny&quot;, minimalist look are very reasonable: 84 euros double, 82 single (91 and 87 in high season), , plus 9 euros for brk. It was recently recommended in a British travel mag (either Food and Travel or the British Conde Nast Traveller-can't remember)<BR>Take a look at www.hotelbanysorientals.com<BR><BR>You don't need to stay outside of Bcn to find a decent place for around 100 euros. As Cathy M recommends, there's also the dependable Regencia Colon which is just around the corner from the 4 star Hotel Colon. <BR>At times you can even find low rates on www.hotelbook.com, utell.com or Travelocity for the plush, very upscale Hotel Balmes in Barcelona's tony Eixample district. Just saw a 103 euro rate there for Nov. 25. Rates at the Balmes fluctuate wildly for some reason.<BR><BR>As for Seville, as Olga has told you, you have several very nice 3 star options in the 100 euro range (just email the Amadeus), plus some 2 stars well under that, like the Sim&oacute;n and Hoster&iacute;a del Laurel.<BR>It requires some research and knowing where to look, but hotel bargains in Spain abound.

ihavetobe,<BR> I just checked out the Amadeus site and all I can say is that one the little links appaer beside the cello, just click rates or rooms. Tons of pics and lots of info. I have noticed that sometimes with the Spain websites certain hours are better. (don't know if it has anything to do with it but they are 6 hours ahead of us EST)

Just can't seem to get into the Hotel Amadeus site! I click on the &quot;English&quot; box and then the &quot;loading&quot; keeps flashing for ages...can you give me their e-mail address and I will e-mail them with my dates? Many thanks.