Globexs-EN-barcelona

Barcelona has accommodation of every standard and at all price levels. Whether you are looking for a basic hostel to a 5* hotel you will find what you are looking for in Barcelona and throughout Catalonia. In Barcelona there are dozens of hostels and almost next-door 5* hotels that are on a par with the very best that Spain has to offer. All the main hotel search engines offer a huge range of places to stay ranging from the most basic hostel to these elegant hotels that are so much part of Barcelona life. TripAdvisor alone lists over 700 choices!

One thing that I would point out is that many of “Barcelona” hotels are a LONG way out of the centre, some of the more basic hotels are on industrial estates and are only really accessible if you have a car. So, when booking please ensure that you check just how far it is from where you need to be. A hotel near the centre and convenient for the metro may appear more expensive than one further out but if you are out near the airport and have to get a 30 euro taxi twice per day those fares soon add up.

So, let’s look at cheap Barcelona hotels. A favourite hotel of mine is the Medicis near the Hospital San Pau and the Sagrada Familia. When I say near, I mean walking distance and the hotel is also on the metro (5 mins) and bus (1 min) to the centre. It has a taxi rank opposite and a terrific bar/restaurant next door. The first time I stayed, I was amazed and delighted at the price/quality value of this hotel. I booked at the last moment and was more concerned about location than checking too much else. The price rather concerned me as I was expecting not much better than a hostel. WRONG! An excellent value hotel, 5 minutes easy walk from the metro and 10 minutes to the centre on regular spotless underground trains. The rooms are SMALL but quite adequate. There is a terrific bar/café next door and the hotel wifi reaches there!

The hostels also have some sites of their own and often you need to book direct with the hostel as they are on such tiny margins that they cannot afford the search engines commissions. The Hostel Bookers site should help for those on a budget. Perhaps you would like to stay in a spare room or similar. AirBNB is probably going to offer you the very cheapest way to overnight in Barcelona or indeed anywhere in Spain!

Yet another option is a university hall of residence and the Àgora campus near Mundet is now run as a mix of hall of residence/hotel and may be worth considering especially if you have a car or do not need to be in the very centre of Barcelona. This is NOT a hotel – it is a university hall of residence. That said, and with the reservations below, it is fine for a few nights stay. I would NOT recommend this “hotel” without a car. The nearest metro Mundet is a 10 minutes walk with 5 minutes up a fairly steep hill. It is therefore realistically 30 mins+ from the centre. It is clean, with nice grounds tucked away behind the Velodrome. The meals/vending are low-priced but there are not enough internet options – 2 workstations were not enough.

Another possibility for those staying for more than a few nights is to rent an apartment. Certainly if you are staying for more than a few nights or if you are not travelling solo you should consider the “home from home” charms that a rented apartment offers. ThisIsSpain recommends Globexs from personal experience and before booking any accommodation in Barcelona I would suggest you visit their web-site

It would be remiss of me not to mention the the Parador chain of hotels. The Paradores are generally buildings of historic or architectural interest and are usually famous for fine food and wine. They range from reformed manor houses, to castles to modern hotels by the beach. Each one is special and they are, in some ways, a part of the national heritage. Every year a popular holiday for Spaniards and non-Spaniards alike is a tour of a certain region of Spain staying only at paradors. Equally, it is possible to join a guided tour with a qualified guide where you will study a favourite subject or region and overnight at one or more paradors. Apart from being a standard reservation site, their web site is an excellent introduction to Spanish history, architecture, gastronomy etc. It is well worth an hour of anyone’s time, even if you have no intention in visiting the hotels.The nearest Paradores to Barcelona are in Cardona and Vic-Sau. The Parador at Cardona was a mediaeval castle and the one at Vic-Sau a former masía (Catalán country-house)!

Wherever you choose to stay, I hope it is to your satisfaction. ThisIsSpain is always happy to receive your reviews and will publish them on request. Please use the contact page of this site.