Survival Guide - Discover Barcelona: Experience the Best of Barcelona - page 558

Sleeping
Barcelona has an excellent range of accommodation, with high-end luxury hotels, small-
scale boutique lodgings and a varied spread of midrange and budget selections. There is a
great choice in settings, from exploring historic districts to facing the seaside or being in
the thick of charming neighbourhoods packed with restaurants and nightlife. The continu-
ing economic crisis has slowed price increases, making the city reasonable value overall.
Accommodation Types
Hotels
Hotels cover a broad range. At the bottom end there is often little to distinguish them from
better pensiones and hostales , and from there, they run up the scale to five-star luxury.
Some of the better features to look out for include rooftop pools and lounges, views (either
of the sea or a cityscape such as La Sagrada Família, Montjuïc or the Barri Gòtic) and of
course proximity to the important sights.
B&Bs
Barcelona has a growing number of B&B-style accommodation. These tend to be in histor-
ic or heritage buildings in the Ciutat Vella (Old City) and L'Eixample, with boutique-style
charm. Most have between three and ten rooms. Attractive common areas and an extensive
cooked breakfast are common features. Not all will have private bathrooms.
Pensiones & Hostales
The city has plenty of hostels. If dorm living is not your thing but you are still looking for a
budget deal, check out the many pensiones and hostales . These are family-run, small-scale
hotels, often housed in sprawling apartments. Some are fleapits, others immaculately main-
tained gems.
If your budget is especially tight, look at the economical options on
www.Barcelona30.com .
Apartment & Room Rentals
A cosier (and sometimes more cost- effective) alternative to hotels can be short-term apart-
ment rental. A plethora of firms organise short lets across town, including Air Bnb