May 29
I continue reviewing Barcelona hotels for all those interested in the subject.Senator Barcelona Spa Hotel is a 4-star Barcelona hotel located in the highest part of Barcelona, very near the Nou Camp football stadium, approx 600 metres up the road. Senator Barcelona Spa Hotel is easily reached from the Prat de Llobregat airport (15 minutes) and from Barcelona’s Sants train station (5 minutes). Senator Barcelona Spa Hotel is not a city center hotel, but the area surrounding the hotel is very pleasant and the metro station (Collblanc metro station), which is excellent value and reliable, is within walking distance from the hotel. Hotel guests can also use a bus to get to the city center – the bus stop is nearby.
A good acquaintance of mine stayed in this Barcelona hotel, he praised it a lot and recommended it for tourists looking for 4-star accommodations in Barcelona. In case you decide to settle in Barcelona Spa Hotel, book rooms in advance, because it is very difficult to find a room in Barcelona on a short notice. Almost all hotels have no vacancies during the weekends and peak seasons. There are 4 meeting rooms and a business center in Senator Barcelona Spa Hotel. People coming here for some business reasons will be able to combine work with pleasure. Acquaplaya Spa with its grotto-like fruit bath and eucalyptus sauna is at your disposal, as well as an outdoor swimming pool with good views over Barcelona.
My friend’s room wasn’t too spacious but included a good bathroom, large comfortable bed and air conditioner. Free mini-bar was a pleasant surprise. There also was a safe, satellite TV with more than 30 channel, hi-fi with CD player, coffee maker and ironing table.
Buffet breakfast was not included and my friend had his meals out of the hotel in the nearby cafes, so he can’t comment on the food served in Senator Barcelona Spa Hotel.
The hotel staff was very-very friendly and always ready to help, so don’t hesitate and choose this Barcelona to spend a wonderful weekend in Spain.
Tags: Accommodations in Barcelona, Barcelona Hotels, Hotel
May 27
In my previous post I was writing about how to plan your meals, where to eat and what to order if you are traveling on a tight budget in Barcelona. Let me continue now.Think of eating breakfasts in the Barcelona hotel where you settle. Most local hotels, even cheap Barcelona hotels, offer breakfasts in on-site dining rooms or restaurants. Breakfasts are either included in the room rate or available for some extra charge, which varies depending on the food choice and star rating of the hotel. However, if you still prefer eating outside, there are usually plenty of cafes and restaurants nearby most Barcelona hotels. You can also ask the hotel staff to recommend you cheap cafes with good food. Don’t hesitate to ask around – locals are very friendly and usually ready to help (and if you use some Catalan or Spanish phrases from your guidebook or a phrasebook, they will be extremely pleased).
There is one general tip to follow if you want to eat on the cheap in Barcelona: try to avoid “tourist trap” places – you will have to pay more for your food here compared to restaurants and cafes a block or so away from the heart of the action.
When in Barcelona cafe, bar or restaurant, eat tapas, which are small plates of food that are served with drinks (usually with sherry or cava). You can be full up with these small pieces of good food, which is affordable even for those who are on a very tight budget. Vegetarian food is also cheap, yet healthy and delicious. When passing restaurants, keep looking for so called “tourist menus” usually posted outside local restaurants. “Tourist menus” may include three- or four-course meals, which are much cheaper compared to “a la carte”.
Picnic is one another cheap alternative to restaurants and cafes. There is a wide choice of picnic food in local food markets. You can keep food in your hotel fridge and eat at least one or two meals a day without going to a restaurant.
These are just a few advices on how to eat on the cheap in Barcelona. I hope they will be helpful. Probably, you have other ideas, if you do, please share with us!
Tags: Barcelona Cafe and Restaurant, Cheap Barcelona Hotels, Eating
May 26
People, including some friends of mine, acquaintances and on-line pen pals, often ask me how to visit Barcelona on the cheap. They frequently ask questions like where to find cheap Barcelona hotels or budget accommodation in Barcelona, how to get about Barcelona if they are on a tight budget, where to eat on the cheap, which places of interest can be visited free of charge and so on. I am very glad that people ask such questions, because that makes me believe that I am on the right way providing people with useful information about the city I love. So, I am going to share my own experience and information from my local friends which often help me when I start feeling like a fish out of water (that often happened during my first visits of Barcelona). I decided to cover some of those frequently asked questions and hope that the information will help you to save your money but still enjoy one of the most beautiful cities in Spain.Let me start with the following topic: how to plan your meals, where to eat and what to order if you are traveling on a tight budget in Barcelona.
There are very many places to eat in Barcelona like in any big European city, but tourists consider that Barcelona’s Catalan restaurants can be very expensive. I would advise to buy a budget guidebook, which usually contain extensive lists of affordable restaurants and cafes in Barcelona. You can also view appropriate sites in the Internet while you are at home and print some useful pages in order to take them with you rather than carrying heavy guidebooks.
To be continued later on…
Tags: Barcelona, Cheap Barcelona Hotels, Restaurants