I have really mixed feelings about this place. The hotel is beautiful, but it's not a confidence inspiring location. The Plaza Duc de Medinaceli is a dubious area after dark. Once inside, the lobby is modern and well executed, the rooms are the same. The bed is comfortable, and there's space to move around, even with the addition of 2 large suitcases. The room does not come with a coffee pot, and the air conditioning didn't work. The windows open into a central open space, but it is roofed, so there really isn't any ventilation. Being a courtyard obviously improves security, which may be a consideration.
Looking at the location in the big picture - this is across the street from the beach in Barcelona Harbor, fronts the Barri Gotic, and is a very short walk from Las Ramblas. There are numerous places to eat in the immediate area, ranging from neighborhood bars to full restaurants. We never needed a taxi to go anywhere, everything we wanted was in easy walking distance. This is in the middle of several museums, the primary tourist area, and the beach attractions. It would be hard to find a better location to cover all of this.
Another negative here is that the internet is not included.
An oddity compared to what seems normal at home, there is main road toward the beach, but the alley behind the hotel is where the interesting shops and food is. It's a cleaner, more pleasant walk in the Carrer Ample than the Passaige Colom. We were the first customer of the day in a gift shop on Carrer Ample, and got some amazing bargains in shirts and other souvenirs. read more