A Place to Stay in Barcelona?

Question

Has anyone had a particular, good experience with a hotel, hostal, pension, apartment, or guest house in Barcelona? I am looking for something on or near the Plaza Catalunya and Las Ramblas. Also, I would need the place to cost around 60 Euro/night for a double room. An apartment could cost up to about 115 Euro/night.

Also, not to be rude, but I have checked and checked so many hotel and apartment website searches. I am really looking for someone who's had a personal experience with a particular place to stay, not a reference to another hotel search website.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

I've stayed at a number of hostels ("hostals" in Catalán, "hostales" in Spanish - these are not of the youth hostel variety, however) in Barcelona and 3 stand out in my mind - although all 3 were different but well-located. Many places have seasonal prices and we don't know when you're going but the three I've listed below have double rooms for "around" the 60 Euro/night price point you're seeking, depending on the season at which you're traveling.

The Pensión Casa Goya (web: http://www.milisa.com/P.Goya/indexingles... ) is high on the list. It's located just one block "left" from the Plaza de Catalunya on the Plaza de la Universitat. While a hostel, it's much more like a hotel. The place was totally refurbished 2 years ago and the private rooms are much more than comfortable and have all those fancy-hotel amenities like a basket of shampoos, gels, soaps, and other stuff. There's also a coffee maker, hair dryer, modern flat-screen TV, heat, and very stylish rooms. I don't think any of the rooms have any kind of view but the rooms and the place itself is nice - although the walkway upstairs to the hostel leaves a lot to be desired but that's not their  property.

The Hostal Martina Bailen (web: http://www.hostalmartina.com/ ), located in a very nice neighborhood of Eixample (about 5 blocks to the right of Plaza de Catalunya), is also very high on my list because of the pure historical beauty of the building itself as well as the big hostel rooms and crown moldings, mosaic floors, large doors and windows, some with stain glass, some rooms with large enclosed terraces. The rooms are generally very VERY large and have very tall ceilings. The furnishings are quite simple and few but adequate. This place has a much more B&B-type atmosphere, the owner is very very nice, their's free hot/cold water dispenser in the "lobby", and the building has an elevator. The ground floor entry to the building is large, BEAUTIFUL, and has wonderful artwork.

My last recommendation is the Hostal Marenostrum (web: http://www.hostalmarenostrum.com/ ) ON La Rambla (actually on the corner of Carrer de Sant Pau), right at the LICEU metro station and right next to the Gran Teatro del Liceo. This is more of a typical hostel in service but the prices are good, they offer a free buffet breakfast, and most of the rooms have their toilet/shower/sink facilities - in the same room, no bath-"room", showers are modern shower massage kind with clear glass doors - no curtain to the rest of the room. The room I had had a balcony overlooking the JOAN MIRO (circular) painting on La Rambla. Very comfortable rooms and friendly staff. Very secure too. This place is the only one of the three, I believe, which has air conditioning.

Hope this helps!

Saludos, BarcelonaMan(.com)

Answer 2

Twice previously I've stayed in apartments in Barcelona which I booked through Friendly Rentals (see link below), and I'll be there again next month in another apartment that I've booked through them. The two apartments I stayed in previously (one large, one small) were fine, and I've always found the Friendly Rentals staff to be helpful. Take a look and see if there's anything that suits you...