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Community Forums => The Lounge => Topic started by: craigbetts on February 02, 2013, 07:02:58 PM



Title: Hotels in Barcelona
Post by: craigbetts on February 02, 2013, 07:02:58 PM
Can anyone recommend a hotel or an area to stay in Barcelona. Only going for 2 nights and I would like to be central.

Suggestions??


Title: Re: Hotels in Barcelona
Post by: jackinbeat on February 03, 2013, 05:53:25 PM
Lived there for 2 years, depends what you're there for really?

In before Tikay warns of the dangers of Barcelona and it's streets, which in fact is a decent bit of advice, but I say just don't make yourself a target you'll be ok. Safer than London by a long way.

Let me know i'll happily advise.


Title: Re: Hotels in Barcelona
Post by: craigbetts on February 03, 2013, 06:21:10 PM
Heading there for the champions league game v AC Milan. Wouldn't mind being close to do the tourist bits, any recommendations gratefully received. I have heard of the numbers of pickpockets doing the rounds, although matey boy who is going is a gym monster! They may just leave us alone, if they don't I am the biggest nit ever and only ever carry around shrapnel.


Title: Re: Hotels in Barcelona
Post by: jackinbeat on February 03, 2013, 06:42:23 PM
I'd look at hotels around Gothic, Passage De Gracia or Poble Nou, pretty much in the middle for all tourist stuff  (Sagrada Familia (inside a must), Park Guell, my fav, but a bit cold, and really a summer thing, all the Gaudi houses, Dali museum). You can walk to the Nou camp, but metro is best and easy.

The Hotel Booking sites are are pretty good, look at choose some, post and I'll give you my view on the are, probably the easiest way to do it.

The casino is a ten euro max cab far, a good thing to do is ask the driver for a printed receipt, recibo in spanish, this will stop them ripping you off as it's got a tracking number that can check the journey, pretty cool imo. Lots of mainstream clubs round the casino, but as Tikay will rightly state that area and down to the beach is the worst for muggings. Having a lump with you should help though, they are a bunch of cowards, i'm 5'8 and can scare them off, lol.

Tibidabo is also cool but a bit of a trek.





Title: Re: Hotels in Barcelona
Post by: titaniumbean on February 03, 2013, 08:30:55 PM
Lived there for 2 years, depends what you're there for really?

In before Tikay warns of the dangers of Barcelona and it's streets, which in fact is a decent bit of advice, but I say just don't make yourself a target you'll be ok. Safer than London by a long way.

Let me know i'll happily advise.

Are you comparing Barcelonas non touristy posh area to the worst area in London?

Barca is awful for petty crime, pickpocketing/muggings etc


Title: Re: Hotels in Barcelona
Post by: jackinbeat on February 03, 2013, 08:53:12 PM
Lived there for 2 years, depends what you're there for really?

In before Tikay warns of the dangers of Barcelona and it's streets, which in fact is a decent bit of advice, but I say just don't make yourself a target you'll be ok. Safer than London by a long way.

Let me know i'll happily advise.

Are you comparing Barcelonas non touristy posh area to the worst area in London?

Barca is awful for petty crime, pickpocketing/muggings etc

No, but this discussion been done to death, like every big city it has good and bad areas. We're trying to find a hotel for someone here :)


Title: Re: Hotels in Barcelona
Post by: Woodsey on February 03, 2013, 09:01:53 PM
Is it really that bad? I've been 5 or 6 times and never once felt it was that bad.

Hotelswise, only one I can remember is the hotel arts which is top notch but stupidly expensive.


Title: Re: Hotels in Barcelona
Post by: titaniumbean on February 03, 2013, 09:06:19 PM
Lived there for 2 years, depends what you're there for really?

In before Tikay warns of the dangers of Barcelona and it's streets, which in fact is a decent bit of advice, but I say just don't make yourself a target you'll be ok. Safer than London by a long way.

Let me know i'll happily advise.

Are you comparing Barcelonas non touristy posh area to the worst area in London?

Barca is awful for petty crime, pickpocketing/muggings etc

No, but this discussion been done to death, like every big city it has good and bad areas. We're trying to find a hotel for someone here :)


just deffo think it's alot worse, my friends all v sensible/aware and yet we had knives pulled on us and multiple pick pocketing attempts.


don't know enough about accommodation to give any help so just leaving that to you lol. :)up


Title: Re: Hotels in Barcelona
Post by: jackinbeat on February 03, 2013, 10:46:13 PM
Lived there for 2 years, depends what you're there for really?

In before Tikay warns of the dangers of Barcelona and it's streets, which in fact is a decent bit of advice, but I say just don't make yourself a target you'll be ok. Safer than London by a long way.

Let me know i'll happily advise.

Are you comparing Barcelonas non touristy posh area to the worst area in London?

Barca is awful for petty crime, pickpocketing/muggings etc

No, but this discussion been done to death, like every big city it has good and bad areas. We're trying to find a hotel for someone here :)


just deffo think it's alot worse, my friends all v sensible/aware and yet we had knives pulled on us and multiple pick pocketing attempts.


don't know enough about accommodation to give any help so just leaving that to you lol. :)up

Maybe not as aware as you think, I run club nights in the summer, and there's always a reason people get targeted, and although i understand being aware is much more difficult in a city you don't know, i've not seen or heard of anywhere near the amount of knives pulled or muggings that occur other places.

Sample size issues aside, it's safer than most other major cities i've been too.



Title: Re: Hotels in Barcelona
Post by: Yian on February 04, 2013, 05:50:46 AM
I went to Barcelona last January for el Classico and I believe I got really lucky with choosing a hotel; I stayed at the Rey Juan Carlos, it's a 5 star hotel and being named after the King of Spain I thought it would be a safe bet. It ended up being a really nice hotel and only €100 for the night between 2 of us and it just so happened that the Real Madrid players were staying there so caught a glimpse of Mourinho and some of the players hanging around the hotel. We walked to the stadium, it's very close and I wouldn't be surprised if the Milan players will be stopping there too.

I may go again in a few weeks for the 2nd leg of the copa del rey.


Title: Re: Hotels in Barcelona
Post by: Amatay on February 04, 2013, 07:21:32 AM
I'm going to a game end of April and was told La Rambla or something was the place to stay?


Title: Re: Hotels in Barcelona
Post by: jackinbeat on February 04, 2013, 02:09:22 PM
I'm going to a game end of April and was told La Rambla or something was the place to stay?

100% wrong, DO NOT STAY ON LA RAMBLA. I say this as it's where all the crime occurs, well most of it, and more pickpockets there than anywhere, plus hookerds, just generally a good place to avoid at night, lovely to stroll down in the day, but Barca has so much more. Best areas I've already posted above. :)



Title: Re: Hotels in Barcelona
Post by: craigbetts on February 04, 2013, 06:39:18 PM
These are what I had earmarked the other day....

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g187497-d228653-Reviews-Hotel_America-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g187497-d238594-Reviews-Hotel_Montecarlo_Barcelona-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g187497-d506158-Reviews-Hotel_1898-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

any thoughts Jackinbeat?


Title: Re: Hotels in Barcelona
Post by: jackinbeat on February 04, 2013, 10:49:01 PM
These are what I had earmarked the other day....

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g187497-d228653-Reviews-Hotel_America-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

Area ok, on the Sant Antoni side, will have to walk through the ghetto to get to la Rambla.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g187497-d238594-Reviews-Hotel_Montecarlo_Barcelona-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

Top end of la rambla, the best place if any, funny a friend has reviewed this, he travels a lot so would trust his thumbs up. Will get hassled by nigerian hookers if coming back late at night though. Cental so perfect for all tourist stuff.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g187497-d506158-Reviews-Hotel_1898-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

Same as above, a different friend is showing to have reviewed this (how did they link to my friends, FB or must have clicked the auto log in)




any thoughts Jackinbeat?

Contradicting my previous advice to avoid la rambla, both these look great, the rooftop on the third one might swing it for me.

Don't think you have to worry as you've got the muscle to handle any issues (which I hope you don't have, and i never had in my 2 years there), I'd go for wither of the two on the top end of rambla's, the others not far away, I just think you'll get a better Barca experience from and the mates who reviewed give them both excellent write ups.

Good choices imo. :)


Title: Re: Hotels in Barcelona
Post by: craigbetts on March 16, 2013, 11:07:47 AM
Pretty thin I know, but it has to be said. The hotel location was spot on, the attractions were very spiritual and the magic of messi was an absolute wonder.

Not for this thread, but my intention of watching what is IMO the best footballing side in history was fulfilled, I went, they produced and I now have those memories. Next stop Munich.