Location: Located on the northern section of Las Ramblas which is Barcelona's tourist district, I don't know if there could have been a better location. My friends and I took a taxi to the hotel from the port which cost about 30 Euro (after some buffoonery on the part of the taxi driver). In actuality if you're leaving from the seaport or the airport the price should be about 25 Euro. There is a bus that leaves directly from the airport to get to Catalonia Station which costs about 5.60 Euro which places you about .25NM away from the hotel; the bus is well worth it. If you're leaving from the seaport, there is also a bus that takes you to Las Ramblas but the bus places you at the southern end of the concourse which is about a 1 - 1.25 NM away from the hotel. I didn't want to make that walk with luggage so I wouldn't recommend it to you either. Catalonia Station is also a way to get to the area which is about .25NM away from the hotel as well if you're entering the city via train. There are a litany of restaurants right around the hotel whether you're looking for local Spanish/French cuisine or if you want a taste of US chain restaurants in terms of McDonald's, Burger King and the like. The hotel is also very conveniently located right along tons of shopping. Ranging from the average street peddler to Gucci and Louis Vitton, there are tons of options within a .25NM walk. Because of the proximity to Catalonia Station, all of the sites of the city are within about a 30 minute train ride or bus ride. Be advised that you're also in the gay district of the city so if that bothers you I would recommend not staying the Las Ramblas area. At night, the lower Ramblas turns into a clubbing district.
Staff: The staff was terrific. They are multi-lingual which makes the time for non-native speakers really easy. Unlike a few places that are very impatient with tourists who don't speak the language, the staff here walks you through everything in English and will even speak Spanish slowly to you so that you can follow.
Ambience: The ambience of the hotel is awesome and nothing less than minimalist chic. I loved the dark wood and cream textures throughout the hotel and appreciated the pictures of places outside and around the hotel because you can't see anything from your rooms due to the European-style building style of buildings on top of each other.
Bed: I had a double bed which was plenty for a single person or a couple. Keep in mind that there are some rooms that have less space than others even though they are in the same category. This means that while the rooms have the same bed-type, you may have a little less room around your bed to maneuver. In my friend's room, they were borderline in another cruise stateroom but my room had plenty of space around the bed, rivaling American standards of room space. Be advised that the lights and the air conditioner don't operate without a card in a little slot near the door. I just used my cruise ship card. It's basically a way to conserve energy.
Bathroom: My bathroom was definitely up to American standards. Full size tub and shower combo. Single vanity with large countertop and mirror. My friends had a smaller bathroom with a single shower stall and no tub. Again, same category of room but do to space, they got a smaller room in the luck of the draw.
Amenities
-Wifi: Wifi wasn't bad. They have two services; a free and a premium service. I used the free service and it wasn't TOO bad. I am internet bandwidth hog so my standards are pretty high. In all honesty I should have opted for the premium service because the free service was a little slow for my tastes. The premium service is 1 Euro for half an hour of use in a 30 min period, 3 Euro for one hour and then 7 Euro for 24 hours of use. The time resets at the end of each day.
-Lounge: The lounge was fantastic; it reminded me of being at home. There is not a bar it's just a huge 70" television with couches and tables set-up like a den in a home in the same dark wood and cream style as the remainder of the hotel. It has a view of Las Ramblas that is second to none.
-Dining: The hotel offers breakfast for adults at 15 Euros while children eat for 10 Euros. Though my friends and I did not partake in the breakfast it looked excellent. It's a bar of hot foods and colds. Basically anything you can expect for breakfast is served. It is pricier than what you can expect to pay with local shops but if you're looking for convenience it's not bad at all. But the icing on the cake is the restaurant partnered with the hotel, La Poma ... Magnificent. They serve lunch and dinner and cook the food for the breakfast at the hotel. See my review on the restaurant for further details. read more