In spite of the efforts made to increase hotel capacity for
the 1992 Olympics, Barcelona is still the most problematic
place in Spain in terms of accommodation. This is true at
all levels, from budget pensions up to the 5-star hotels on
this page, which makes booking ahead essential. What is more,
Barcelona is a very popular conference centre and when a number
of conventions coincide, the "no vacancies" sign
can go up for virtually the whole city.
Comparing price-bands, Barcelona is quite well provided
with 4-star establishments, while 5-star places are
a little thinner on the ground. But Barcelona's 5-star
hotels are quite as magnificent as those elsewhere,
especially its gran luxe establishments, the Arts, Claris
and Ritz.
Practically all the hotels on these pages are bookable
either through Hotel Club or through the Venere reservation
service*, of which this site is a partner (see the bottom
of the page for more information). I do not wish to
list only Hotel Club/Venere hotels, however; if you
think your establishment should be included, drop me
an e-mail.
Full name, the Ritz-Carlton
Hotel Arts Barcelona. Perhaps the most luxurious
hotel in Barcelona, it is a modern (read "immensely
tall") building overlooking the Port Olympic
with what it claims, probably without exaggerating,
are "stunning views" over the city or
Mediterranean. The higher the floor your room or
suite is on, the more expensive it will be. Hotel
Club is not a serious option, this being a "price
on request" establishment
The Claris,
the Arts and the Ritz are the three Gran Luxe hotels
in Barcelona. The Claris is actually a relatively
new hotel in a former palace, and aims at high art
lovers, having a fabulous collection, much of which
is dotted around the hotel in the rooms and corridors.
As with the Arts, Hotel Net is not a real booking
possibility.
If I could afford this kind of price (not that
it is expensive for its category), the Grand Marina
would be my choice of place to stay in Barcelona
- a jewel of modern architecture and interior
design located in the renovated old port. You
may find it cheaper to book through the hotel's
own website
than through Venere, but compare.
I think Le
Meridien must have won its fifth star relatively
recently. It is perfectly located on the Ramblas,
next to the Gothic Quarter, and compared to the
Arts or the Claris is relatively accessible pricewise.
Hotel Club is not a real booking possibility, though.
A Ritz is a Ritz is a Ritz, so what
can I add, except that its location is perfect for
a tourist visit? The hotel's own website
is not very inspiring, and the online reservation
service uses the same engine as the Grand Marina,
above, except that it did not seem to be working
at the time I checked. Go on, book through Venere,
instead.
* Many of the hotels on these
pages belong to the Venere or Hotel Club online booking
services, of which this site is an affiliate, in which
case I link to the booking service. I have tried to
make fair comparisons, but I cannot check all the different
possibilities - season, number of rooms, room type -
so you should make your own. I do not want to give a
sales spiel, but in general Venere or Hotel Club present
advantages for you, especially the convenience of online
booking and, in many or most cases, a reduced rate.
For example, the price for a night in a double room
in the 4-star Hotel Mayorazgo in Madrid in September
as given on the hotel's
web page is €170 plus IVA (value-added tax),
whereas the rate advertised by Hotel
Club is €125, including tax. And I get a little
commission which helps towards the upkeep of this site.
If you have any complaints about the either the Hotel
Club or Venere booking service, I want to know about
them - e-mail me at complaints.
And if you have a gripe about your hotel, by all means
feel free to let me know, though I am not in a position
to do anything about it.
Hotels Hotel
Club
This booking service covers a very wide range of places in both
Spain
and Portugal.
Venere.com
An on-line booking service with great discounts.
Car
Hire Auto
Europe Car rental, motor homes, minibuses... And an interesting short-term
lease option.
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Except where otherwise specified, copyright for all content corresponds
to John Ross (that's me,
the good-looking chap at the top of the page). Use of this content
for educational or other personal, non-commercial purposes is specifically
authorised.
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