Spain
Been here so many times and never get bored of it. There is a maze of narrow streets - during the day you can shop at little independent outlets, eat tapas, enjoy a beer in a little square or just wander. At night, add more bars and all sorts of weird places - last time I visited I found an ice-cream and chocolate waffle shop at 2am in the morning after a night at a great little club. For the full effect it's best to book your hotel in the Gothic Quarter. I used this site for a list of hotels.
I booked a holiday apartment in the centre of Barcelona, just off Las Ramblas with this company. They picked us up at the airport and took us straight to our beautiful apartment, which was a great base for exploring Barcelona and really made our holiday.
Our family had a lovely time at their luxury apartment near the beach in Barcelona.
Centric Point has got to have the poshest address of, not just any hostel in Barcelona, but any hostel in the world! Slap-bang on the Paseo de Gracia alongside all the flash shops, but still a stone's throw from the Ramblas, it's amazing.
Inside things are no less grand, either. A beautiful spiral staircase leads up to a large and very lively bar, nice, clean rooms and a good time for all.
Passeig de Gracia 33,
Barcelona
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/spain/barcelona/8144/
My family and I stayed in an apartment last month with a company called BCN Rentals, and I wanted to recommend them. They were very easy to deal with over the phone (English staff) and email, the apartments were clean and central, and they also organised a minivan to collect us as we had a fair bit of luggage.
I rented an apartment with Pillowapartments on Paseo Joan De Borbón for four weeks in March 2008. The apartment was wonderful, everything first rate. Many things were within walking distance and the metro is the best for access to all other areas. I spent most of my time in the museums and wandering the beautiful neighborhoods around the museums.
A typical market is steps away from the apartment as are numerous fine cafes. The city’s best shopping areas are just blocks away. I found an Asian market within blocks for great vegetarian food. The internet place on the street was great since I left my laptop at home, even though the apartment is wired for access. I can't say enough about management, everyone was so nice to me and so helpful. I will not hesitate to stay again when I come to Barcelona and highly recommend pillowapartments to everyone.
I recently stayed in Barcelona and tried out a holiday rental apartment rather than a hotel. I used a company called Holiday Velvet and they were very efficient and offered excellent support.
Smart, clean stylish apartments in the heart of the El Born district. Friendly service. Very affordable (only 90 euros for a studio). We stayed in a studio next to Santa Maria Church which came with a balcony.
Tel. (+ 34) 93 268 28 68
Mov. (+ 34) 629 305 375
Fax (+ 34) 93 268 15 17
E-mail: dani.riera@inside-bcn.com
www.inside-bcn.com
Not only does this hotel have one of the best views and locations, away from the chaos, if you book the club floor you will have your every desire catered for at no cost.
This is a lovely, clean, airy apartment around 5-10 minutes from Las Ramblas.
It sleeps 2-4 people comfortably and has very good facilities and is also very secure.
The nearest Metro station is Liceu.
There are numerous places to eat in close proximity to the apartment, all of which are excellent and outstanding value.
Ramon, the owner of the property, was a lovely guy and a real pleasure to do business with.
I fully intend on staying at this apartment again when I next visit Barcelona and cannot think of a reason why I would want to stay anywhere else!
www.nicestay.net/ktht/public/pubUnitViewPage.asp?idTemplate=Te189&idEntity=De13
My sister who's been in Barcelona hundreds of times has not been as satisfied with another agency: the photos were much better than reality.
I think Pillow apartments was really good: the website is decent, they were quite fast answering emails, but the point is that the apartment was better than I expected. I'd been looking for an apartment accommodation for weeks before deciding to book with them.
Wife and I spent the New Year in Barcelona in an apartment for a few days which we booked through Pillow Apartments. It was amazingly furnished and really cool. They meet you personally to check you into the property, provide guides, tips. Really cool people. Five-star accommodation at cheaper prices! And so romantic...
My FH and I went to Barcelona over the summer and it was amazing! While it was expensive getting there, we stayed in a rental apartment which was much cheaper than a hotel (about 500 euros for the WHOLE week) and really made us feel like locals. It was also very clean and modern.
Another plus: we had a kitchen so if we felt like cooking or having a meal on the private patio, we could. We went through this company www.pillowapartments.com and it was very easy. I highly recommend it.
We chanced upon this gorgeous apartment in the central Born area. Initially we were looking for the boutique hotel experience, but found this to be a much more exclusive, original and affordable option.
Very nice shopping on the Paseo de Borne, we loved Custo Barcelona, and The Mix is a great cocktail lounge bar nearby!
The hotel is in a good location and newly opened in 2007. However, our room had bedbugs and even when we caught live ones to show the managers they were unconcerned - so much so that they didn't even have the good grace to apologise.
Calle Avinyo 16, Barcelona
Really nice two-bedroom apartment with sofabed and balcony, beside the Sant Antoni food market, a walk into Raval. Bars recommended on Joaquim Costa street for a hipster bar crawl - Benidorm, Betty Fords, etc.
This place is super central and the best price/quality of any apartment you'll find in Barcelona.
We have just completed the booking for our Barcelona trip. We used www.hostelbookers.com for our hostel and a great little service for airport transfers called www.justtransfers.com.
Both were really cheap and for two nights we have accommodation and transfers for just under £60 per person.
www.justtransfers.com/spain/costabrava/barcelona/ for Barcelona transfers
They rented us a great apartment and they were very helpful. Definitely worth it.
They rent out holiday and business apartments for short-term rental in Barcelona. Their service is excellent, friendly and personal. The flats are clean, homely and very nicely decorated. There are numerous flats to choose from depending on what you require.
Rda. Sant Pere, 39, 3er 2a,
08010 Barcelona,
Tel: (+34) 93 304 14 48
URL: www.aspasios.com
The 'hetro friendly' Axel Hotel in Barcelona has a great roof top bar. Relax by the spa in the day and start the evening with drinks on the roof before hitting the bars below.
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