Hotel Espana

i went with my school to this hotel and it was gennarly ok because we had nice breakfst and i thought the lay out of the rooms was lovely and i thought it was very nice that some of the rooms had balconys and even one had a garden but they complained quite alot but thankyou for an enjoyable stay!

My husband and I stayed here four nights--all I can say is don´t do it. We had a tiny room next to an air shaft which smelled bad all day and night. The management refused to do anything about the shouting and screaming and running around at all hours of the night by students and drunken visitors. Yes - the breakfast is worth about $2. The hotel was overpriced and so what if it´s five minutes from the Ramblas. It´s still not worth half what it costs to stay there. One good thing - the people at the desk are polite.

We stayed at the Espana in December for one night and would not return. The public rooms (reception, breakfast room etc) are very attractive, but the room we were allocated was more like a cell. Although clean, the room itself was furnished with only a bed, small table and a chair. The closet was a cupboard in the wall in which the plaster was crumbling and the door to the room did not seem at all secure. The bathroom, whilst again generally clean, was very dated,had a mildewed shower curtain and was basically in need of an overhaul. Additionally, despite ceiling to floor curtains, the window was approx. 2 feet square, with no view, so the room was also rather dark and dingy-looking. Whilst the location is good (2 mins off Las Ramblas) I would sacrifice a slightly longer walk for a better room. We didn't like the look of breakfast so went to the famous Escriba bakery on Las Ramblas for breakfast and for a similar price received both good service and lovely food. Barcelona itself was great but look for a better hotel.

We stayed at the Espana in October with a group of friends. All our rooms were scattered on different floors across the hotel, so not suitable for families who need to be together. Our friends rooms were reasonable (though one of them found a small cockroach), ours however was terrible. The door appeared to be made out of a plank of wood with holes in, one good kick and anyone could have got into it. The bathroom door locked itself several times and the receptionists solution was to give my boyfriend a paperclip to try and unlock it himself. The rooms were fairly clean, however the walls were very thin and you could hear everything that was happening outside, people yelling, doors slamming etc. When we left the hotel the manager tried to charge me and my friends (10 of us) for breakfasts we never had! he insisited that all 10 of us had had breakfast in the hotel and that we had to pay for it, he even called a waitress over who apparantly agreed with him (she was speaking in spanish though so she could have been saying anything!) They also showed us lists of room numbers who had had breakfast and our numbers were scribbled at the bottom. I didn't understand how they convinently had all of our room numbers mistaken for having breakfast. I wouldnt stay there again, Barcelona however was great!

I stayed at this hotel with my family around New Year´s. It was nice enough at first, except the showers did not work in either of our two rooms. When you turned it on it would be scalding hot so you could only have it on cold and you´d have to wait about 10 minutes for the temperature to be ok only to have it suddenly turn freezing. Worst shower experience of my life. Then we found a cockroach in our room! After throwing the trashbin over it we went to the receptionist who was extremely rude and tried to blame us for somehow bringing it in off the street which makes no sense at all (especially since there was no food in the room). He then pulled out a can of bug killing spray, which he had ready behind the desk (does this happen often?), and gave it to us as his solution to the problem. Later that night we found a baby cockroach in the bathroom. I had a terrible experience at this hotel. Unless you want a rude staff and bug infested room, do not stay at this hotel!!

We stayed here for 3 nights at the beginning of December. The hotel was easy to find and was in a fantastic location - literally just off the Ramblas. Check in was no problem and our room was clean and tidy. Our main problem was that we had no cold water in our bathroom which meant that having a bath or shower was impossible without scalding yourself - it was literally piping hot! We ended up having to run half a bath of water, leaving it to cool down over night and then topping it up with hot water in the morning! We did tell the reception about this but nothing was done about it during our stay. The bathroom looked good but the quality of the fittings wasn't so great - the toilet flush was so lose that it looked like it could come off at any time and the same for the bath taps. Breakfast was adequate and all food appeared to be fresh. Would probable stay there again if they sorted the water situation out - not sure whether it was just our room or a general situation. Worth staying there if you have a strict budget.

First of all the location - it's down a small road (watch the motorcyclists whizzing down) just off La Rambla next to the Gran Teatre del Liceu. The trains from the airport come into Place de Catalunya. Walk down La Rambla for about 400 metres and the road is just on your right, adjacent to Liceu Metro. In 100 metres you're there, with the hotel to the left. The hotel website does some of the art justice. It really is a remarkable entrance, and the public rooms are equally ornate. In its pomp it must have been amazing. It is faded, but in a way that adds to the charm. Check in was easy. No real problems with the language. Safety deposit boxes cost 2.50 Euro a night with a 25 Euro deposit. Only one key per room which might be a problem for friends travelling together. There are two soft drinks machines (1.5 Euro for Coke etc, 1 Euro for a small bottle of water) and one dispensing beer for 1.5 Euro. All were in working order during our three night stay. There are four floors and the lift serves them all. It's a bit of a maze in some respects, but each area of the hotel has its own character. Still faded and in some respects clinical, but you're at this hotel for its location, not for luxury. We travelled as five couples. I didn't see anybody else's room, but ours was fine (Room 407). There were mixed reports about size and quality, but I also reckon that some people's expectations were a bit on the high side. The bathroom was very good, but the water temperature somewhat variable. Noise was variable, and I can imagine that if you get the wrong people staying it could well echo around a lot. I sleep like a log, so it made no difference to me. If you step to the left out of the hotel you're into a somewhat shady area. At eight o'clock in the morning there are quite a few undesirables wandering around. At any other time it's busy enough for this to be irrelevant. As ever, though, take extra care of possessions. It can get stupidly crowded on La Rambla. The breakfast? Coffee, tea, orange/pineapple juice, dry rolls, croissants, meat cheese and yoghurt. Not good, but not disastrous. Go onto La Rambla and have coffee and toasted sandwich for under 4 Euro (turn right when you get to the Rambla junction). The hotel is not without fault, but its location and character make the price well worth paying. As a base to explore the city it's got to be recommended.

I stayed here with my husband and we were not very impressed with this place. The room was small and smelled bad, we were very happy that we packed a candle. The hotel itself was very noisy and the staff was only so so. The only good part was that it was right off the Rambla so it was very convenient. I would rather pay a little more money and avoid the smell and noise.

What a beauty! The ground floor is stunning. Ascending the stairs brings more surprises, as the modernista details just go on and on. The internal courtyards are lovely too. Our room was spotless, with a big bathroom, comfy beds and the room was cleaned and the towels were changed daily. No tea making facilites, but who cares when the world is on your doorstep. The breakfast was fine considering the price we paid for the room, and the dining room at night was very Spanish (the roast suckling pig was gorgeous). Get a room with a window onto one of the internal courtyards, and the noise of the street disappears. The Ramblas is amazing, and one weekend is definitely not long enough.

Having read some of the reviews on this site before we went we were dreading what we would find. However we were so pleasantly suprised by this Hotel that I had to write this. The Hotel is so central to the Ramblas and all the restaurants and bars - 1 minute walk and you are in the thick of it. The staff were courteous and very efficient - could not fault our service at all. The breakfast was adequate and not stale - fresh croissants and rolls, meat, cheese, small caskes and fresh yogurts with a wide choice of beverages. Our room was immaculate and big - clean white sheets and clean towels daily. Did not see a bug. Did not find Hotel too noisy. The Hotel is worth a lot for its location. It is not 4 star but a clean central building with amazing decor (especially the dining area) in a wonderful vibrant city and we all will be returning there next year. Ace!!!