Hotel Balmoral was my home base while in Barcelona for three nights, and I can honestly say it was a pleasant stay.
The hotel itself is very central to many tourist attractions, some of those including Gaudi houses, Los Ramblas, and Placa De Catalunya. Yes, some attractions may not be as close, but hard to find a hotel in this city where all attractions are very close by. One key selling point for me was the affordable price and most importantly, the distance to the metro station (Diagonal). I am a metro type guy when traveling or tram I guess if they have one and having such easy access made it quite simple to see this wonderful city. I cannot comment on nearby restaurants as I usually was eating quite a distance away, but there were ample amount of choices nearby. I did partake in their breakfast buffet, which was quite large and offered several tasty treats, both healthy and unhealthy (Of course I ate more of the latter). One last note before I move onto the interior of the hotel and rooms was the the staff running the whole thing. I'd rate them if that is fair, a 5/10 as some were helpful but most of the time they were unable to assist and did not bother to.
Fast forward to the interior of the hotel, it is a little dated, but very clean. Some parts are very dark which can make it hard to navigate at night, but that is just a minor complaint honestly. The room itself was a fairly decent size for the price point, but one major complaint was the fact they had no AC! According to the front desk, they said it was some type of system they use all around Spain in where it gauges the temperature outside and adjusts according (Automatic room temp control). With that said, we were left opening a window that did not really do much for us and having to deal with noisy neighbors nearby playing their guitar most of the night. As mentioned above, the room was spacious, yet clean, and the bathroom was quite nice. Don't expect much from the media side as you are usually stuck with CNN and BBC, but hey who spends time watching TV on vacation, get out there and explore!
All and all a pleasant stay, but I may look elsewhere on my next journey through Barcelona, one with AC or heating during the winter months when needed. read more