Looking to book our 7th RS tour with the Best of Barcelona and Madrid tour for March 2017. Will be traveling with 3 other couples and plan to arrive 3 days early for day tripping.
Would love feedback on hotels used in Barcelona for past Spain tours and recommendations. Would prefer to find 4 rooms in one hotel for your group. I have researched several of the hotels recommended in the RS Spain 2016 guidebook but still trying to determine which area of the city would be best. Prefer to have a central location convenient to restaurants, sites and the metro. Hoping to stay under 150-180 euros per night.
Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Tess
Posted by
Washington DC
28040 posts
My hotel in Barcelona was probably a bit more down-scale that you would want, but the location was very convenient. It was on Carrer Santa Anna, which is one block from Plaça de Catalunya and very close to the old quarter. Some of the key modernista sights are about a 10-minute walk in the opposite direction. Plaça de Catalunya has a large tourist office that is the starting point for some of the local walking tours. It also has a major Metro station served by multiple lines, and the airport bus terminates there. The negative side of this is that the area is awash in tourists.
If you want a somewhat quieter area (though my hotel really was surprisingly quiet), you might check out places a few blocks farther from the Barri Gotic, in the Eixample along or near Passeig de Gràcia. I walked through that area many times, and it seemed nice. I had the feeling that a lot of the folks sitting in the cafes were locals rather than tourists.
Posted by
Folsom
2732 posts
We were on the Best of Spain tour this summer and the group stayed here: Catalonia Portal de l’Àngel. It wa one of the nicer hotels on the entire tour. Centrally located, pool, great breakfast.
Posted by
oklahoma
1022 posts
I am booked on RS that tour for june 2017. The hotel RS tour is staying at is NH Barcelona Centro hotel. I will be arrive in Europe end of May for a Rhone river boat cruise and ending up in Barcelona. That trip is staying at the Le Meridian Hotel. then when that trip is over I am moving over to NH Barcelona Centrol for my RS tour.
Please report back on how the trip was like
Thanks
Posted by
Sapulpa, OK, USA
6522 posts
We also stayed at the Hotel Catalonia Portal de L'Ángel on our Barcelona/Madrid RS tour a few years ago. We loved it. It was quite nice, and on the pricey side. We paid €140 in 2013. The location was super, and the breakfast spread was amazing. The staff was great, as well. If it's still in your price range, I'd recommend it. Or you can wait and see what the tour hotel will be; staying in the same hotel saves some hassle.
Posted by
Sapulpa, OK, USA
6522 posts
Kim, the tour was great! I'll fill you in at our RS Travel Group meeting tomorrow, if I remember to review my trip notes tonight :-)
Posted by
Central Connecticut, USA
1103 posts
We went on the Barcelona-Madrid tour in February 2015, and stayed at the NH Barcelona Centro before the tour started (this was the same hotel that was used on the RS tour). The Centro is a modern hotel that is centrally located. We took the Aerobus from the airport to Placa de Catalunya, and then walked 10 minutes to the hotel. The breakfast was excellent, and they had a coffee machine that ground the beans for each serving.
Before the tour we visited Park Guell (bus from Placa de Catalunya) to see all the Gaudi architecture.
Hope you enjoy your trip.
- Bob & Carolyn (your fellow travelers on the Sicily tour)
Posted by
Tacoma, Washington
12 posts
I always try to stay in the hotel that the tour will begin in. It helps in getting refreshed and ready for the fun to begin!
Posted by
281 posts
We were also at the Portal de l'Angel for our 2014 tour, and the extra night was 140 euros. Nice hotel, and great location, just a few minutes from the bus stop for the ride in from the airport. Also close to Las Ramblas.
Posted by
Seattle
287 posts
I'm on the late October Spain My Way tour this year and the tour info lists the NH Centro as the Barcelona hotel. I'll be arriving a few days early and have booked to stay there pre-tour.