Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
$ Hostal Operaramblas,
with 68 stark rooms 20 yards off the Ramblas, is clean, insti-
tutional, modern, and a great value. The street can feel a bit seedy at night, but it's safe, and
thehotelisverysecure(Sb-€45,Db-€65,nobreakfast,air-cononlyinsummer,elevator,pay
Internet access, free Wi-Fi in lobby, Carrer de Sant Pau 20, Metro: Liceu, tel. 933-188-201,
These accommodations are buried in Barcelona's Old City, mostly in the Barri Gòtic. The
Catalunya, Liceu, and Jaume I Metro stops flank this tight tangle of lanes; I've noted which
stop(s) are best for each.
$$$ Hotel Neri
is posh, pretentious, and sophisticated, with 22 rooms spliced into the
ancientstonesoftheBarriGòtic,overlookinganoverlookedsquare(PlaçaSantFelipNeri)a
block from the cathedral. It has big flatscreen TVs, pricey modern art on the bedroom walls,
dressed-up people in its gourmet restaurant, and stuffy service (Db-€300, suites-€365-450,
generally cheaper on weekdays, breakfast-€22, air-con, elevator, free Wi-Fi, rooftop tanning
deck, Carrer de Sant Sever 5, Metro: Liceu or Jaume I, tel. 933-040-655, fax 933-040-337,
$$$ Hotel Nouvel,
in an elegant, Victorian-style building on a handy pedestrian street,
is less business-oriented and offers more character than the others listed here. It boasts royal
lounges and 78 comfy rooms (Sb-€110, Db-€192, online deals can be much much cheap-
er, ask about discount with this topic—you must reserve direct by email, not their web-
site; extra bed-€35, includes breakfast, €20 deposit for TV remote, air-con, elevator, pay
Wi-Fi, Carrer de Santa Anna 20, Metro: Catalunya, tel. 933-018-274, fax 933-018-370,
www.hotelnouvel.com
,
info@hotelnouvel.com
,
Roberto).
$$$ NH Hotel Barcelona Centro,
with 156 rooms and tasteful chain-hotel predictabil-
ity, is professional yet friendly, buried in the Barri Gòtic just three blocks off the Ramblas
(Db-€160, rates fluctuate with demand, bigger “superior” rooms on a corner with windows
on 2 sides-€25 extra, breakfast-€15, air-con, elevator, pay Internet access, free Wi-Fi in
lobby—30-minute limit, Carrer del Duc 15, Metro: Catalunya or Liceu, tel. 932-703-410,
fax 934-127-747,
www.nh-hotels.com
,
barcelonacentro@nh-hotels.com
).
$$HotelBanysOrientals
—despitebeingabig,modern,business-classtypeplace—has
a people-to-people ethic and refreshingly straight prices. Its 43 rooms are located in the
El Born district on a pedestrianized street between the cathedral and Church of Santa
Maria del Mar (Sb-€85, Db-€105, breakfast-€10, air-con, free Wi-Fi, Carrer de l'Argenteria
37, 50 yards from Metro: Jaume I, tel. 932-688-460,
www.hotelbanysorientals.com
,
reser-
vas@hotelbanysorientals.com
). They also run the adjacent, recommended El Senyor Parel-
lada restaurant.