Silver Aparthotel - Barcelona, Spain 

This is going to be such a positive review, people will think I must be the owner or a relative of the manager. Not true! Our family group of 11 people in 6 rooms stayed here twice in the summer of 2008, for one night upon arriving in Barcelona and then for two nights a week later. All our arrangements were made by email with the hotel and everything was friendly and professional; all was as we expected when we arrived. The location is terrific - in the Gracia neighborhood (sometimes called "the Greenwich Village of Barcelona"), one block from the Fontana station on the L3 Metro line. If you are new to Barcelona (as we were), let me tell you that being close to the L3 is ideal - it makes it easy to go everywhere that you want to visit while in the city. (Get a T-10 pass and figure out the system by which multiple people can use the same ticket.) All sorts of shops and services also are close at hand. The area felt safe and fun - we loved it. This is not a luxury hotel - and you won't pay luxury rates. Instead, it is a medium-size operation with clean, efficient, and quiet rooms at a very fair price. So don't stay here if you want the Ritz. But if you don't want to pay for the Ritz, this is the place for you - you won't be disappointed. Look at their very honest Web site; it gives you a perfect feel for what the hotel is like. If you like what you see online, then it's a good bet that you will be happy when you arrive. The beds mostly fill the rooms, but still they've fit in a desk, a kitchenette (fridge, microwave, cooktop), a closet, and a fold-down shelf. The beds are comfortable and the bathrooms are functional. Everything was clean and maintained well. There is a charming courtyard where you can enjoy breakfast or gather your group for cocktails in the evening. There's a computer with Internet available at no charge in the lobby (but you may have to wait your turn to use it), or you can pay for access to WiFi by the hour or by the day. If you get the concept that hotel rooms are where you sleep, then you will find Aparthotel Silver offers a great way to save some money and still have a solid and enjoyable base of operations while you visit an exciting and beautiful city (with, incidentally, perfect summer weather). Finally, I have to add a word about the staff. We have never met friendlier, more helpful people. Beyond being cheerful and friendly, they were knowledgeable and eager to help in any way. Thank you, Aparthotel Silver.

I stayed at the Aparthotel Silver for four nights last month (April 2008). I was travelling with my mother, who hadn't been to Barcelona since 1989, so I was hoping to find somewhere nice to stay - but not too expensive (we were on quite a tight budget). Unfortunately it seemed to be a very expensive time to book a hotel in Barcelona, possibly because of St George's Day, but we managed to find rooms at the Hotel Silver for a reasonable price. On each floor of the hotel there are 2 rooms facing onto an internal courtyard which is not open to the sky (there's a panel of small glass squares at the top) and because we opted for the cheapest rooms, these were the ones we got. I found it a bit strange not having any natural light in the room at all, and as it was quite warm and the air conditioning is not allowed to go below a certain temperature, it did get quite hot and stuffy. (There was an electric fan supplied in each room, but mine was slightly faulty and my mother's didn't work at all.) But it was a comfortable room, with a kitchenette (which we didn't use) and a fridge, and the bathroom - although small - was clean and had a good shower. The little box of chocolates left for us on the bed was a nice gesture. The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful and the breakfast, served partly in the bar and partly in a kind of marquee going out into the garden, was good - pastries, jam, cheese, ham, toast, fruit, cereal and typically strong Spanish coffee. The hotel is in the Gracia district of Barcelona which is a very nice neighbourhood, busy and attractive without being too touristy. I would definitely stay at the Hotel Silver again, although next time I would save up for an outside-facing room.