Melia Barcelona - Barcelona, Spain 

I stayed at Melia Barcelona on Av de Sarria on business. When traveling for leisure I prefer a central location, which this hotel is not. For my particular trip this was fine. Las Ramblas area would have been noisy as several celebrations took place this week--Saint John’s Day (fireworks and firecrackers throughout the night), Spain defeated Russia in a soccer playoff for the Euro 2008. Going on to win the championship for the first time in over 40 years! The front desk staff were fluent in English. To use the elevators, push the number(s) for your floor. The response will be what elevator car to use. If several floors are for the same car, the floor numbers will light inside the doorway. Press 0 to return to the lobby. From the hotel to the top of Las Ramblas a taxi cost 7EUR; airport 25EUR; cruise terminal (“puerto agua” was the best translation that got me there) 17EUR. I did not dine in the hotel but instead opted to stock the minibar fridge with my own juice, yogurt, and fruit purchased in the basement at El Corte Ingles. ECI is several blocks away. A few blocks further was a 24 hour Internet / shipping store. One hour of Internet time cost 5EUR. There may be some places closer to the hotel but I needed a one place shop since my checked luggage didn’t arrive with me. The superior room was pleasant with a king size bed and a very high thread count bedding. The mattress was firm (not hard) and pillows soft. The amenities had a masculine fragrance for my taste. There is a separate shower and whirlpool tub. A packet and map costs 3EUR per person for the Bus Turistic www.tmb.net, then pay 17EUR on board for the tour. Either way the tour is 20EUR pp, so why not give a small commission to the hotel? I had only a short amount of leisure time and was the best way to get in a lot of sights. The pick up point for either the blue (southern) or red route (northern) is an easy 10 minute walk. TIPS: Theft alert–I personally heard from 4 different passengers on cruise ships who were victims of pickpocketing. Even a local had her purse stolen off her shoulder from a passing motorbike. Wear a money belt with your passport, credit cards, and large amounts of cash inside. Anything else should be an amount you are willing to part with or have the credit card number written somewhere so you can report it missing. Never bring your money belt out in public, you can always go to a bathroom at McDonald’s to retrieve its contents. Ladies should keep purses on their laps, never on the back of a chair or on the floor. Cruise port to town–A taxi will cost 7EUR to town (Las Ramblas). A public bus round trip is 3EUR, but get there early or resign to sharing a taxi. The walk to town is probably over two miles. Bus Turistic–Pick up the red route near the hotel. The line went on forever when we tried to connect from the blue to the red route at Placa de Catalunya. All in all, I loved Barcelona. A long stay in the city would be desirable as Barcelona has so much to offer. It is easy to get around and a very walkable location. The people are warm, the food delicious, the weather was sunny and beautiful with some nice breezes.

I stayed at a hotel as i was attending a conference at the same hotel. In general the hotel was nice and clean, and with a wonderful breakfast buffet, not to mention the perfect freshly squeezed orange juice. I was staying on the 20th floor, and i could see the sea from my window (if you ignored the not-so-nice building which blocked part of the view). the room was quite small though - it was good for me alone but i am guessing that sometimes it is rented as a double, but for 2 it would be too small. But i know that other rooms were bigger, so i would not worry about this too much. What i appreciated the most was the sound-proof window. Really, hardly any noise came in and my sleep was perfect. The air conditioning was also working, but i could not really figure out how exactly it works at frst. what i was disappointed in was that breakfast staff did not speak english at all. I was looking for milk for my coffee but could not find it so i asked one of the waitresses. she was showing me this and that until i remembered the spanish word and only then she gave me that milk. Also, i was not 100% sure that the front desk understood all i asked them. Also, there was not stationary PC with internet available. I guess that most guests come with laptops and wireless was available, but what if i do not have laptop with me but i do need internet? apart from that, i am happy with my stay, the subway was nearby, the hotel was good (as far as room and breakfast is concerned), the neighbourhood ok, and i do not exclude the possibility of staying there again.