Barcelona Pre-Cruise Hotel Reommendations

[tamh620]

Hello! My friends and I are very excited to hit the Mediterranean this June! We start and end our cruise in Barcelona and will be coming in a day early to see the city (and deal with the jet lag)! We'd like to stay near things so that we don't waste a lot of money taking taxis back and forth to a hotel near the airport or way on the outskirts of town for example.

 

Any ideas on Barcelona hotels that are safe and near the touristy area? We don't need high end since it's just one night, but definitely don't want anything "scary" either! I hear Las Ramblas is the best area to stay in, but I'm finding such a wide array of hotels I'm not even sure where to start. I also know I can call Royal Caribbean and book one of their pre-cruise options, but I know I'll over pay so I'm trying to avoid that when I know I can book it myself. I appreciate the help!

[badtwin]

For port specific questions, the "Ports of Call" section is excellent - go to "Europe", then Spain and there were several helpful sections in this topic when we planned our cruise.

[taglovestocruise]

We stayed at the Hotel 1894, it's on Las Ramblas , across from a subway entrance, and also easy walking to most sites..happy cruising

[eandbnorton]

We booked Hotel Paral lel as recommended by a previous cruiser, but won't enjoy until May.

Visit Tripadvisor.com for reviews.

[t60]

This might be a useful read for you, http://moneysaverspain.com/budget-best-of-barcelona/

 

Sandy in Spain

[kadey]

NOT hotel Continental! On Las Ramblas,Don't be lured in with the 24 hour buffet.There were flies on everything.Even little bugs flying around the dispensers of anything liquid.The milk was watered down. We couldn't even eat a continental breakfast there it was so disgusting.The furniture in our room was al plastic. Just generally a strange place. The location was great. Since I started on CC a few years ago I have posted over 700 times. I don't really post negative comments,but feel so strongly about this hotel.

[Corby114]

Best Western Hotel Dante is a nice hotel in the area not too far away from the Las Ramblas area. It's located on Calle De Mallorca. We stayed at the hotel three days pre cruise and three days post cruise on our seven day Norwegian Gem seven day cruise. There's a supermarket right next door to the hotel if you need any last minute items. It was approximately ten minutes away from the touristy areas and a nice walk. If you are looking for a great Tapas restaurant, Cerveccirera Catalina is located a few blocks down the street from the hotel. The restaurant is frequented by locals and has a great assortment of popular Tapas items. It also has really good homemade sangria and a large selection of great Spanish wines. We ate three four times within the six days that we were there. The grilled octopus and fried calamari were excellent.

[Texas Tillie]

We stayed at the Hotel 1894, it's on Las Ramblas , across from a subway entrance, and also easy walking to most sites..happy cruising

 

It's the Hotel 1898 (but what are a few years?:D) and I agree that it's very nice and in a fabulous location.

[CasaM]

We've sailed out of Barcelona for the last 7 years, and we love the city. We like to stay around Placa Catalunya, not right on Las Ramblas. Hotel Jazz is one of our favorites, but it's gotten quite popular in recent years and the prices have gone up.

 

Staying around Placa Catalunya, it's an easy walk to the Ramblas, and you can shop at El Cortes Ingles for bottled water, cheese and Iberico ham and bread for a picnic, or anything else you need. We usually get the picnic stuff and eat a lunch or dinner in our room, because we get into Barcelona several days before our cruise.

 

You can easily search one of the discount sites for hotels around Placa Catalunya.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Try the Ports of Call" site

[slidergirl]

NOT hotel Continental! On Las Ramblas,Don't be lured in with the 24 hour buffet.There were flies on everything.Even little bugs flying around the dispensers of anything liquid.The milk was watered down. We couldn't even eat a continental breakfast there it was so disgusting.The furniture in our room was al plastic. Just generally a strange place. The location was great. Since I started on CC a few years ago I have posted over 700 times. I don't really post negative comments,but feel so strongly about this hotel.

 

Finally! Someone who agrees with my opinion of the Continental. I stayed there with friends who booked it. "Pink bordello" was all I could think of (although I used a more descriptive term for bordello…). Yes, plastic (think Rubbermaid or WalMart) containers for your dresser. The buffet was definitely not appetizing. Never find anything worth eating. Things would sit there for a LONG time. We'd run across the street to the market or down to La Boqueria to buy food and then just use the dining room to eat our food. If I only had to spend 1 night and didn't look at the buffet, I could probably suck it up. Unfortunately, I was stuck in there for 4 nights...

[kadey]

Finally! Someone who agrees with my opinion of the Continental. I stayed there with friends who booked it. "Pink bordello" was all I could think of (although I used a more descriptive term for bordello…). Yes, plastic (think Rubbermaid or WalMart) containers for your dresser. The buffet was definitely not appetizing. Never find anything worth eating. Things would sit there for a LONG time. We'd run across the street to the market or down to La Boqueria to buy food and then just use the dining room to eat our food. If I only had to spend 1 night and didn't look at the buffet, I could probably suck it up. Unfortunately, I was stuck in there for 4 nights...

 

I think you you're right with rubbermaid! We slept in our clothes. Four nights?... I'm sorry!

[euro cruiser]

We enjoyed the Duquesa de Cardona, facing the marina. It was close enough without being in the middle of the craziness ... we loved the rooms (we had four of them) and especially the rooftop bar/lounge and pool.

 

http://www.hduquesadecardona.com/

[pris993]

We have visited Barcelona a few times, stayed in different hotels depending on price, Hilton has two they are not in the area you are mentioning, Best Western and Marriott have properties around the city, we prefer to stay out at the airport and take the airporter to the city, unless we find a great deal on a "western" hotel.

 

We also like to picnic when we travel, generally find a local supermarket or go to St Joseph's market on the Le Rambles and eat fish at a cafe counter there. They fix it fresh right in front of you.

 

Our next visit is over EAster so hotel prices are high. We are out at the airport. Barcelona is a easy city to get around.

[sharden]

We have stayed in Barcelona before three different cruises and were only there one night. Two of our stays were at the Hotel Jazz and one was at Hotel Continental. Jazz is about a block from Plaza Catalunya and Las Ramblas while the Continental is right on Las Ramblas.

The comments on Continental about the décor as well as the buffet are all correct BUT if you are there for only one night before your cruise it is OK. The price difference between Continental and others is quite substantial but the location can't be beat for one night.

[TN Vol Fan]

We stayed at the Hotel Jazz in 2011 for several nights both pre and post cruise, very convenient. Buses just around the corner. Good prices and very accommodating. Would go back the next trip to Barcelona.

[travelbug11]

Finally! Someone who agrees with my opinion of the Continental. I stayed there with friends who booked it. "Pink bordello" was all I could think of (although I used a more descriptive term for bordello…). Yes, plastic (think Rubbermaid or WalMart) containers for your dresser. The buffet was definitely not appetizing. Never find anything worth eating. Things would sit there for a LONG time. We'd run across the street to the market or down to La Boqueria to buy food and then just use the dining room to eat our food. If I only had to spend 1 night and didn't look at the buffet, I could probably suck it up. Unfortunately, I was stuck in there for 4 nights...

Now, now.......I stayed 2 nights at the Hotel Continental Barcelona in October and loved it. It is a really funky hotel right on the Ramblas. Go to Trip Advisor and check it out. The location is the best.

[slidergirl]

Now, now.......I stayed 2 nights at the Hotel Continental Barcelona in October and loved it. It is a really funky hotel right on the Ramblas. Go to Trip Advisor and check it out. The location is the best.

 

don't need TA - I DID stay there 4 nights. Yes, the location is excellent, but that didn't make up for the creepy vibe I got in the hotel. If I had been alone, I would have left and gone somewhere better. Some people are comfortable in "basic" hotels, I'm not. Like I said, I could suck it up for one night, but I felt uncomfortable with more days. I did chuckle when I saw the Continental shares the building with a hostel and a 2* little hotel. Got an interesting mix of people in the lifts and staircases - that's why there are so many locked doors you have to go through to get inside the Continental part.

[cruisemom42]

don't need TA - I DID stay there 4 nights. Yes, the location is excellent, but that didn't make up for the creepy vibe I got in the hotel. If I had been alone, I would have left and gone somewhere better. Some people are comfortable in "basic" hotels, I'm not. Like I said, I could suck it up for one night, but I felt uncomfortable with more days. I did chuckle when I saw the Continental shares the building with a hostel and a 2* little hotel. Got an interesting mix of people in the lifts and staircases - that's why there are so many locked doors you have to go through to get inside the Continental part.

 

I haven't stayed there (the reviews did nothing to inspire me) but my sister and BIL did. They are great travelers who don't have an issue with a "basic" hotel if it is safe, relatively clean and good value. Even they said they would never go back to the Continental!

[Ay2282]

Last year we stayed 5 nights pre-cruise at the Olivia. It is at placa de catalunya, 100 feet from La Ramblas and the metro. We took the Aerobus from the airport which stopped half block from the hotel. The central location was easy to navigate by foot and metro.

 

 

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[Boingoz]

I have stayed at Hotel Lleo, it is a 3 star hotel half a block from Plaza Catalunya & around the corner from Las Ramblas. It has a small rooftop pool and a buffet breakfast if that interests you, we didn't eat there so I really cant comment on the food. We were very pleased with the hotel, it was by far the best value I could find in the best spot for sight seeing. You definitely should eat at Cerveceria Catalana as was previously recommended. With your limited time you should buy a 2 day pass on the government run HOHO bus from Plaza Catalunya. There are 3 routes & the commentary is fantastic, we took the red route 1st & stayed on for the whole route. It is difficult to get a seat on top again when you get off. There was a bus stop near Cerveceria Catalana on the blue route, if you don't want a long wait to eat you will need to go early. It is a nice walk back to Hotel Lleo from there. I hope this helps, Barcelona is a beautiful city, I hope to return one day.

http://www.hotel-lleo.com

[4x4bob]

If you can work it into your schedule I would recommend that you stay 2-3 days in Barcelona.

 

We stayed 5 days and felt that we did not have enough time.

 

The Hop On-Hop Off buses cover the city with three different routes that over lap and the ride does not cost very much for the entire day. The bus crew will give a set if ear phones that plug into the seat in front of you and you can select the language you want to listen to. They tell you what is coming up at the next stop and how to walk there.

 

Just one word of caution. The Pick Pockets in Barcelona are some of the best in the world. Just be careful walking around and stopping to watch a street show. If you go out leave your valuables in the hotel safe.

 

Bob