Hotel Catalonia Park Guell

The red brick exterior of this hotel blends into its quiet, residential surroundings while granite steps lead to a simple, but borderline dated, lobby with granite floors, sagging leather furniture, and a small front desk. There's a lounge area at the back of the lobby with a business center and plenty of blocky leather chairs and couches. The lounge is not the most inviting place to relax, as there are no windows and it has some tacky motel holdovers, such as vending machines and digital scales. Rubens Snack Bar, the on-site restaurant and bar, is separated from the lobby by an undulating waterfall wall, which adds some energy to the space. This hotel sees mostly tourists, including families and traveling groups of college students, though business travelers do show up from time to time, too.

As the hotel's name indicates, Antoni Gaudi’s famous Park Guell is nearby, though it actually takes up to 20 minutes to reach on foot. Spread over 45 acres, the park includes winding paths and some of Barcelona’s most iconic Catalan Modernist sculptures, including the mosaic-tiled salamander, “El Drac,” found on souvenir trinkets sold throughout the city. The neighborhood around the hotel is mostly residential and quiet, though there are a few restaurants. Guests should keep in mind that this part of the city is hilly. The Vallcarca Metro stop is a 10-minute walk from the hotel and the train reaches Plaza Catalunya in 10 minutes, where most of Barcelona’s major landmarks are within a five to 10 minute walk. El Prat International Airport is about 25 minutes away by taxi, and can be reached by Aerobus from Plaza Catalunya in 40 minutes. 

The pleasant rooms have a brown-and-mauve color scheme that provides a bit of warmth amidst the otherwise neutral-toned decor. Light veneer desks and nightstands brighten up the rooms, which are spacious enough to include seating areas with contemporary white chairs and small tables. All rooms come with minibars, safes, and medium-size flat-screen TVs, while soft, impressionist prints hang on the walls. 

Single, Triple, and Family Rooms are available, as are Terrace Rooms, which feature large patios and have small tables and lounge chairs with excellent views of the surrounding neighborhood and hilltops. However, the terraces themselves need a fresh coat of paint. Mid-size marble bathrooms have shower/tub combos and large vanities. 

One of this hotel's most outstanding features is its chic rooftop terrace, which has great views of Barcelona and the Collserola Mountains and plenty of lounge chairs for relaxing around a small plunge pool. There is no poolside drink service, so guests will need to bring beverages from the bar inside the on-site Rubens Snack Bar, which also serves a decent breakfast buffet with hot and cold options (for a fee); lunch and dinner menus are also available. Rubens is bright and modern, with large photos of Park Guell on the dark, striped walls. Room service is provided during limited hours from an off-site catering company that offers both Japanese and Spanish specialties. There are two on-site meeting rooms as well as a small business center with PCs in the lobby. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.