More about Aranea
Great hotel
by A TripAdvisor Member
We are just back from a lovely 4 night stay in Barcelona. We stayed in the Apsis Aranea, which is outside the main part of Barcelona but only 20 min stroll from the playa catualya, which is the main square. Its a lovely clean hotel. The first night we stayed we were given a very small room on the 7th floor, although it was very clean we asked for a bigger room and it wasnt a problem. We booked the hotel on its website and got it for E60/room per night without breakfast, which was a great rate. I would also recommend the Turistic tour bus which is E17 for 1 day or E21 for days and it brings you everywhere! Also the bus station to Girona airport is only a 10 min walk from the hotel but do buy you tickets there the evening before as there can be long queues.
Very good!
by A TripAdvisor Member
The reviews for this hotel were quite misleading and had me and my 3 friends worried about our stay but we stayed at the Apsis Aranea for 7 days in July 05 and really loved it. The hotel is cheap, spotlessly clean and in a convenient location. 4 blocks from Passeig de Gracia and a good 10 minute walk from Tetuan metro station. If your fussy about walking then its probably not the best place to stay but when your in Spain and the weather is as good as it was for us walking was not an issue. The staff speak good English and were very helpful. The rooms (we got 2 doubles) aren't huge but if you get a front facing room the windows are huge letting in alot of light and making the room feel brighter and airer. The bathroom is great; very clean and modern. We didn't eat at the hotel but instead had breakfast from one of the two bakeries round the corner which is a cheaper option. There's a great Chinese around the corner too. All in all a great, comfortable and affordable stay!
Modern, clean and cool - would stay again.
by TripAdvisor Member poshnorris
Really nice, well located, modern hotel with good facilities.
The air-conditioning was a godsend as it was the height of summer, and my girlfriend was on the verge of meltdown before we arrived!
Would recommend this to anyone - families, couples, lone travellers, as it is clean, safe, good value and over all a great base for your stay in Barcelona.
Gem of a Hotel!!
by A TripAdvisor Member
I went there during the easter holidays, for four days, 3 nights. Found hotel great, friendly staff, definately value for money!
Ideally located to visit all the sites, bars....
Very Pleasant, would whole hearted recommend this gem of a hotel!
Disappointed
by TripAdvisor Member Only_the_truth
Having read all the reviews about this hotel I was somewhat disappointed by the experience we had.
We stayed at this hotel for 4 nights (Sunday to Wed) over the Easter weekend.
Yes, I agree it's modern and clean and the staff are helpfull,
BUT
rooms are on the small size, wardrobe space is inaddequate, the traffic can be heard through the night, the residents in the next room can be heard, the restaurant was not open at night (not even for a coffee), the free internert access is 1 PC on a dial up modem that did not work 2 out of the 4 days we were there and the lounge consists of 4 seats on the first floor (again no coffee etc).
Outside, there were good links to the metro (4 blocks away) and busses (2 blocks away). The Sagrada Famillia is 500-600 meters away but you have to cross the Diagonal (main road cutting throught Barcelona) so don't expect the walk to be quick, quiet or relaxing.
There are plenty of Bars nearby that serve tappas and more substancial meals but they tend to be pretty unexciting fare.
If I was going back to Barcelona I'd stay somewhere more central with hopefully a bit more atmosphere.
Taxi from the airport to hotel was 28 Eur. On the return, we caught a taxi to the Center then the Airport bus. Total cost 14Eur.
A great night's sleep and everything works
by A TripAdvisor Member
We are a middle-aged couple and we stayed for 2 nights. Smart, clean, modern hotel with a sense of peace about it. The area really felt safe, appreciated that after hanging onto my wallet all day. It is a short walk from Segrada Familia and a bit out of the way of the city centre but it's worth it for peace of mind.
Most important to us was a good night's sleep to allow us to pack in sightseeing in the day - we got the sleep, no traffic noise, comfortable beds (firm but we like that), great air conditioning. The marble bathroom sparkled. The rich hue of the wooden floors and the open brickwork looked the biz.
We booked through the hotel's web site which was cheapest - 95 euros per night for a double room, booked breakfast at the same time, reduced rate of 8 euros per day each, and we were pleased with it.
The hotel advertises free internet access and a sun roof. We had to ask the staff for directions to both of them as they were not apparent or easy to find. The sun roof is accessed by taking the lift to the top floor going through the fire exit, climbing a short staircase then you have to walk across the back of the office then onto the sun roof. We enjoyed it when we found it, great place to recover and catch a few rays. The staff were very pleasant and helpful. Would definitely book again.
Extremely disappointing stay
by TripAdvisor Member CiaraB
After reading the reviews on this site I booked 5 nights at this hotel. We ended up staying two and couldn't wait to leave. Our room resembled a jail cell - one narrow window that looked onto a brick wall. There wasn't enough room to swing a cat in the room, and it seemed that many guests must have tested this theory as there were a lot of dirty marks on the walls (ok, maybe they tried to swing a suitcase rather than a cat)! The aircon could not be controlled in the room - it was way too hot and stuffy (what must it be like in the summer months I wonder). We were overcome by the smell of airfreshner (always a bad sign) on first entering the room. The noise levels were also high due to the pseudo wooden floors, guests arriving in at night at 2.30am, 4.30am etc, chambermaids cleaning in the morning. Staff were not very approachable. We moved to a 4 star hotel near the beach and it was bliss and not much more expensive. If you have a 3 star budget, shop around as there must be better value out there than this.
Excellent Value for Money
by A TripAdvisor Member
Just returned from two nights in this hotel, and we can't really fault it for value for money. The rooms are a decent size, well laid out, and with good quality finishes which the maids keep spotlessly clean.
The only drawback is that the location is a good walk from the main Tourist areas, but only 5 minutes from the nearest Metro station, and handy for Gaudi's Cathedral.
Excellent hotel
by TripAdvisor Member mcharan
We also spent 5 nights in the Apsis Arenea; got the same rate as previous reviewer; excellent value - great breakfast; central yet quiet location. Got a nice clean room on second floor- spacious, modern.
Forum Posts
Apsis Aranea
by roccorivers
Hi we're thinking of staying in the Apsis Aranea hotel over the New Year period. Just wondering what type of neighbourhood it's in and where it is in relation to the nightlife as we are looking for a lively New Year!
Re: Apsis Aranea
by cesarl
Nice safe area and nice hotel. Excellent prices if you book through their website.
