In-house Baluard bakery with fresh bread and pastries
Pleasing, bright minimalist decor in rooms and throughout hotel
Sprawling breakfast room with outdoor patio and reasonably priced buffet
Reading room with two computers on-site
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Nearby parking available
Rooms are small
Many rooms have oddly placed bathrooms
Breakfast not included in room rates
Complaints of spotty Wi-Fi
Housed inside a new building inspired by the surrounding Gaudi architecture, the 74-room Hotel Praktik Bakery is a mid-range boutique property. The wafting aromas of the adjacent Baluard bakery means the lower floor and front desk area smell like pastries and freshly-baked bread. Rooms are spacious and modern but some have odd layouts, with bathrooms positioned right at the entryways. Travelers looking for a more dramatic and upscale experience could try the four-pearl Vincci Gala Barcelona.
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Scene
On-site bakery with an unusual and bustling morning scene
The hotel's in-house bakery gives it an unusual and cozy feel with the smell of fresh bread wafting through the lobby. The bright, glass-enclosed, plant-lined breakfast room has wood floors and exposed white brick that gives it the feel of a homey cafe inside an industrial loft. Here guests can sample fresh-baked bread and pastries from the on-site Baluard bakery while perusing the morning newspapers either inside or on the small outdoor patio. There's also a nearby reading room with two computers and plenty of seating space to relax and catch up on reading over a cup of coffee. The hotel attracts tourists, couples, and businesspeople who want a more unique experience than the typical hotel offers, but it may not be as suitable for families because the rooms are small and constricted.
Location
In the heart of the Eixample, near major landmarks
The hotel is housed inside a building of typical Gaudi architecture and one block from one of Gaudi's most famous buildings -- the Casa Mila. It sits in the midst of the Eixample neighborhood in Barcelona, a 20-minute walk to the Placa Catalunya, and a half-hour walk to La Rambla shopping district and the famous Sagrada Familia church, considered Gaudi's masterpiece. The hotel is a 20-minute drive from the Barcelona El-Prat Airport or a half-hour trip on the Airbus (A1 or A2) from the Placa Catalunya. Across the street from the hotel is a parking area for motor scooters, which may cause some noise when hotel windows are open.
Rooms
Small but charming rooms with a quirky bathroom setup
Guest rooms at the Hotel Praktik Bakery are mostly all white, giving them a clean, minimalist feel. The snow white of the bedspreads, pillows, drapes, and exposed brick and wood plank walls is only broken up by the black of the floorboards, the bedside hanging lamps, and the wall-mounted flatscreen TVs. The Double Rooms are small, with sink basins in the entry halls and separate blue-tiled toilet vestibules and walk-in rainfall showers directly across from the sinks. Double Economy Rooms have two single beds pushed together. Accessible rooms with queen-sized beds are also available. All rooms come with flat-screen TVs, hairdryers, and safes. There have been some noise complaints, so light sleepers may want to request a higher-level room located in the back of the property.
Features
On-site bakery, excellent breakfast spread, airport transfers, and free Wi-Fi
The hotel's star attraction is arguably its on-site bakery -- Baluard -- which offers freshly baked bread and pastries, local charcuterie, juice, coffee, and fruit, all of which ends up in the morning breakfast spread, but sadly it's not included in the room rate. The bakery is adjacent to the bright breakfast room, so guests can sit and watch the bread being made through the bakery's glass walls. A reading room with two computers for guests' use also gives another spot to linger. The hotel can also arrange airport transfers and tourist bus reservations or organize a sommelier for wine tastings and Gaudi tours. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.
