Catalonia Plaza Cataluna

The Catalonia Plaza Cataluna is housed in two buildings: a 19th-century masterpiece designed by Emilia Salas y Cortés, one of Gaudi's teachers, and an unremarkable 20th-century edifice. The hotel's style is disjointed as a result. The lobby entrance is nothing short of spectacular, with a sweeping marble stairway, intricately carved wooden doors and ceiling, a tricolor marble floor, and etched glass windows. Once past the entrance, however, the decor becomes more modern, with square leather poufs, banquettes, and wooden columns from a completely different era.

Overall, the style is average, but perfectly adequate for a mid-range hotel (though perhaps not for a four-star hotel, which the Catalonia Plaza advertises itself as). The windowless breakfast buffet area is not terribly inviting, but there are plenty of tables and chairs. Contempo restaurant is modern if not stylish, with a lot of black, white, and chrome, and two beautiful painted steel columns that look original to the building. The small bar is attractive enough, with a deep gray couch and streamlined white armchairs. It's a perfectly serviceable home base given the exceptional location.

The Catalonia Plaza Cataluna is in Barcelona's Eixample district, very close to the Gothic Quarter, near Las Ramblas and just 50 yards from the Plaza Catalunya. In short: It has one of the best locations in the city for sightseeing. The immediate area is full of shops, restaurants, shopping centers, and nightlife, and the metro is just outside the entrance. Eixample is also considered a main financial district, making this an appealing location for business travelers.

Rooms at the Catalonia Plaza Cataluna are adequately sized by Barcelona standards. With hardwood floors, dark-brown accent walls, and warm wood furnishings, they are reasonably attractive, but some are showing slight wear, such as scuffs on the furniture and walls. Those with pretty wrought-iron balconies are much nicer, and feel larger because of the full-size windows. Soundproofing is good, but the Wi-Fi is spotty. Bathrooms are done in brown and white marble that feels a bit dated. Note that many rooms lack coffee/tea facilities.

The Catalonia Plaza Cataluna has a peaceful inner courtyard where lounge chairs encircle a lovely pool -- perfect for taking a quiet dip in the middle of the hot Spanish summer. Spa treatments are available at the nearby sister hotel, Catalonia Ramblas, and include massages and facials. The Contempo restaurant serves Catalan and Mediterranean cuisine with a seasonal focus (reservations are required). Room service, however, is Asian-focused, with a selection of healthy dishes. The hotel's buffet breakfast includes hot and cold food and local specialities, but it can get quite busy in the mornings. There are seven fully equipped meeting rooms for conferences or special events.