Fun, Funky and Charmingly Run-Down
We enjoyed our stay at this quirky little hotel! If you are expecting luxury and U.S. standards, this isn't the place for you. But if you are looking for a tiny mom-and-pop style European hotel, give it a go! Out of all the places we stayed on our trip to Europe, this is the one that gave us the best stories to tell folks back home. Again, if you are expecting a Hilton or Marriott, this isn't the place for you. This place is fun, funky and charmingly run-down. If you have a "go with the flow" attitude and can enjoy its quirks, you'll love it!
Yes, the rooms are very pink! Our room, 248, looked like an old-style brothel. The wallpaper is dark and the rooms are tiny. I could stand between the two walls with my arms outstretched and touch both sides of the room. It made for very close quarters but we managed, even with all of our luggage. The bed was touching the wall but it was comfortable and very clean. Our room had a glass door with a patio, but it looked out onto nothing but 4 concrete walls (no window or view). Some rooms have great views but ours didn't. It didn't bother us at all because who cares about sitting in their room anyway? The room had a small flat screen t.v. but it was up in the rafters so you couldn't really see the screen (not a bother to us, but something others may care about). The "closet" was a pole that ran along the top of the room.
Although the bedroom itself was tiny, the bathroom was fairly spacious and kept very clean. A hair dryer was even provided in the bathroom. Even the towels were pink! The towels provided sometimes had a very unpleasant musty, mildewy odor; if you get a smelly towel just ask for others. I can't comment on the a/c since it wasn't turned on during our visit (in May), but we were able to keep cool by opening our patio door at night to let in fresh air. The room smelled very clean, just the towels were sometimes a bit funky.
The hotel was clean but our room showed signs of serious wear. It wasn't a big deal to us, but others might be horrified. I have posted some pictures of our room where you can see the worn carpet, torn wallpaper, etc. This place is not a "dump" by any means (it is very, very clean), but if your standards are high, you need to know what you are getting into. The staff was friendly and wonderful and the hotel had very good security. Our room was quiet and comfortable and, giving the amazing location, very resonably priced.
The location of this hotel is fabulous. It is located right on the upper part of Las Ramblas with easy walking to many shops, restaurants and bars right outside your door. The wonderful La Boqueria market was right down the street so we frequently walked over there to grab cheap wine, fresh bread and fruit and more. The hotel does provide a complimentary 24 hour buffet but we never used it (except for the soda machine; it was nice to have a glass of diet soda after a long day of sightseeing; the hotel even provided ice at the buffet, which is a rarity in Europe). I didn't pay much attention but it looked like the buffet had a small salad bar, a variety of loaf bread, and a drink machine with wine, beer, water, juice and soda. Many people were eating full meals at this buffet and I don't understand why you would do that when Barcelona's many delicious and inexpensive local restaurants and tapas bars are steps outside your door!
Overall we had a comfortable stay and we would not hesitate to book this hotel again.
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