Barcelona Hotels Guide

 I haven’t written for quite a long time, but now I am back to continue reviewing my favorite city of Barcelona – its hotels, places of interest, culture, food, architecture, traditions and the way people live here. I love Barcelona for its dynamic way of life and style. And I am not the only one who fell in love with Barcelona. Judging by the increasing number of tourists and visitors, Barcelona seems to be one of the most desired destinations in Europe. And it’s no wonder that they prefer Barcelona to other Spanish cities: the amazing architecture, especially the unique architectural style of Gaudi’s masterpieces, will surround you and plunge you into wonderland; huge collections of works by Picasso and Miro will amaze you even if you are not an art admirer; beautiful beaches just minutes on foot from the city centre will attract sun worshippers; the creative spirit and generous hospitality of the local people will fascinate you; authentic Basque and Catalan cuisines heavily influenced by seafood available from the waters that surround the country will satisfy the most fastidious gourmets. For all these reasons more and more people come to Barcelona which, in turn, caused the growing number of Barcelona hotels being constructed all around the city. Since the 1992 Olympic Games held here, Barcelona has a wide range of accommodations, which include high-end Barcelona hotels, boutique Barcelona hotels, budget and cheap Barcelona hotels together with tourist apartments, youth hostels, campsites on the outskirts and halls of residence.

To be continued later on…

Tags: Barcelona, Barcelona Hotels, Budget and Cheap Barcelona Hotels

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

Hello!

Today I go on with the description of Barcelona hotels, one particular cheap Barcelona hotel, which is going to be reviewed is Aparthotel Atenea Calabria. This is a 3-star hotel in the heart of the Eixample of Barcelona. The first time I stayed there last year and it was mainly an overnight stop while traveling from Ibiza to France rather than a visit to the city. That’s why I had no time to explore the city’s places of interest, which are close to Aparthotel Atenea Barcelona: it was very central to Montjuic, Plaza de Espanya, Camp Nou, and La Rambla. There was one more advantage of this particular hotel over similar Barcelona accommodation options – the metro station, which was only a block and a half away from the hotel. Plus there was an easy access to the main transportation routes, which made it very easy to get around the city (the second stay in this hotel was a little longer than the first one and I was able to get acquainted with the hotel surroundings).

I booked an apartment in advance and got double room for single use, which cost EUR 85, comparatively cheap rate for city center accommodation in Barcelona. My room was rather spacious with all needed facilities. In addition to basic hotel facilities, there was a small kitchen with refrigerator, tea and coffee making facilities (which I did not use during my first stay, but enjoyed during the next one). I had a lounge area within my room. Sound proof windows left no worries about possible outdoor noise and I had a restful night.

As for meal plan in Aparthotel Atenea Calabria, buffet breakfast was included in the room rate. A huge choice of food for any taste was offered: bacon, beans, fried and scrambled eggs, breads, croissants and pastries, but not many cereals or fruit, which I usually prefer for breakfast.

The overall impression of the Aparthotel Atenea Calabria in Barcelona was very positive, that’s why I returned to the hotel.

That’s all for now. Bye!

Tags: 3-star Hotel, Barcelona, Barcelona Accommodation, Hotel