Getting some sleep in Barcelona

I stayed at Hotel Continental, right on Las Ramblas, and slept like a baby (both on the night my room faced the busy street and on the night I had a quiet back room). According to TripAdvisor, if you book online direct with hotel you save 5% (www.hotelcontinental.com, Code - Tripadvisor If you are particularly sensitive to noise, I'd suggest trying ear plugs, many centrally located hotels in Barcelona (and frankly every city in Europe) have thin walls and street noise.

where did you find reviews, I went on tripadvisor.com barcelona hotel reviews and clicked ( on left hand side ) on budget hotels ( under 150) and found many reviews for places where noise did not seem to be an issue.

We to stayed in the middle of La Rambla all during the La Merce festival. The whole festival was going on just outside with thousands of people and muscians. Slept just fine. Didn't hear a thing. We were in the Hotel 1898. It wasn't the cheapest place to stay but it was a great room and it was quiet. But, I've seen the same warnings about thin walls and lots of street noise. I'm betting that there is some truth to it but we did not experience it.

Thanks for the suggestions. Hotel Continental did not have enough rooms for our party, I had not noticed the "refine search" on Trip Advisor (which is where I was looking) and the wonderful looking Hotel 1898 was a bit out of my price range.

I've stayed at the Hotel Granvia (on Grandvia) less than a five minute walk fom the Plaza Cataluna for about 100 euros per night (including breakfast) and never missed a moments sleep. If you are a really light sleeper, ask for an interior room which often comes with a balcony overlooking their courtyard.

Consider the Hostal Martina in the Eixample district, just above the Gothic Quarter. I've stayed here 3 times so far, I think. Since it's a "hostal", they don't have many rooms so be sure to inquire early for 7 people to stay. Some rooms have in-room bathrooms, but others have down-the-hall facilities. I know they've expanded recently so maybe the additional rooms have bathrooms, too. The ceilings are high with crown molding, many floors are (mosaic) tiled, and some rooms have terrace/balconies and stained-glass windows. Very quiet, too, in relation to the Gothic Quarter. It's also the prettiest area of "old" Barcelona, residential, and just dripping with elegance. The building's entrance is something to see, too. They have an elevator and the owner, a woman, is bilingual. Oh, and they now have one or two apartments, too. Saludos, MadridMan - AND BarcelonaMan - @ you-know-where!

We stayed at Hotel Gran Via a few years ago and it was just about the noisiest room we have ever had. Requested a room on back and they replied ok-failed to print the reply out and they refused a back room (they were mostly vacant) when we arrived. The desk clerks were extremely rude. We noticed the location of Hostal Jardi on that trip and the location looks quiet. It gets good reviews.

Most centrally located places in Spanish cities will have some noise late into the evening. To say few people get any sleep is a bit of an exaggeration I would say - maybe they are just the ones who talk about it on reviews. Most windows are double glazed and depending on the time of the year, you would have the windows closed and the aircon on. Ear plugs are a good idea. Google maps should show you the precise location of the particular hotel, or hostal, whether it is on a main road or not and you can always ask for a quiet room. I have stayed in dozens of places all over Spain,including the cities and have never had a problem sleeping, and I am a bad sleeper.

Rented a 4th floor apartment right on Las Ramblas. No problem sleeping. Just make sure the windows are soundproof windows.

Worrying about noise? Come on, there are smells and noise in OKC aren't there? Barcelona is unique. Enjoy it!

Hotel Europark - Me and my daughter stayed at this hotel from 18 June - 21 June. Very good accommodation, staff very helpfull; Internet very accessible - 3 computers to the use of the guests. Would stay there any time again. Near a station and near a very good stocked grocery store.

There are a couple of choices: You can ask for a room off the main street to get more quiet (ask for tranquil). The downside is they may not have it available and it won't help with thin walls. You can also look at a room in a neighborhood (e.g. business district) that will be quieter at night. The downside here is it won't be as close to activities so you will need to use public transport/taxis to get around. You can also try earplugs and a blindfold (light may be a problem too). As a variation on earplugs, you can use noise canceling headphones or just an iPod to play some low music to mask the noise. Last option, go with it. plan a siesta in the afternoon so you can be up with the crowds later in the night.