Catalonia Albinoni

We really liked this hotel. Close to everything. Clean. Friendly, helpful staff. Accesible internet which was also not over-priced. From our room we had a balcony overlooking the shopping areas, and we were just one block away from Las Ramblas where there is all the shopping, resteraunts, etc. The plaza is also the main stop for the Bus Turistica which is a great setup for tourists in Barcelona. We bought a 2-day pass for a mere 21 Euros each and this allowed us to ride any one of the buses at any time for those two days. The greatest part is you can get on and off these buses at any stop and reboard the next bus, which run about every 5 to 10 mintues. very convenient. And there is a lot to see in Barcelona!

We've just returned from a four night stay at this hotel and while agreeing with the positive comments on the quality of the hotel that others have made we did end up in a room at the front of the hotel overlooking the pedestrianised Portal de l'Angel. The note of caution is that if you are a light sleeper then you may find the noise from the midnight cleaning trucks and the deliveries to the neighbouring stores to be a bit of a trial. Well, it is the city etc. Other than that we thoroughly recommend this hotel for the rooms, staff and breakfast buffet. And what a truly worderful city Barcelona is. Go!

We stayed three nights at the Catalonia Albinoni, and we couldn't have been happier. Yes, a double means you have two single beds pushed together, but that's pretty standard in Europe. And I like a firm bed, so I was slept incredibly well. We had two double rooms for four people, all on the backside of the hotel. The bonus was that both rooms had balconies! It was wonderful to sit on the balcony after a long day of sightseeing and share a bottle of wine while discussing the events of the day. The view from the balcony looked out onto a central square and you could see into the rooms across the way. Very interesting. We named the people -- there was the Reader (tons of books on shelves), the Insomniac, the Couch Potato, etc. The hotel staff (with the exception of one grumpy young lady who worked on the Monday morning we left) were all extremely friendly and helpful, very willing to give us a lot of information about the area. One of the night clerks even looked up a special location for us on the internet and drew a map so we could find it. Parking is a nightmare anywhere in Barcelona, so I recommend that you rent a vehicle on your way OUT of the city. Public transportation and a little shoe leather got us everywhere we wanted to be. Breakfast at the Albinoni is on the pricey side (13 euros), so we opted to take our breakfast from any of a number of delightful shops walking distance from the hotel. Last but not least, the bathroom was wonderful. The deep tub was perfect for soaking after a long day. The only thing I wondered about was the slight smell of sewage in the central atrium. I never asked, but it was a little disquieting. The rooms had no odor, though, so all was well!

Perfect location, short distance from major tourist attractions and main shopping area, but not directly on the noisy ramblas. Will provide you with a great base to explore the city. Very attractive, very clean and well-run hotel. Staff were very helpful. Buffet breakfast was excellent.

This hotel is a beautiful hotel. We stayed there in September 2001, and found it by chance. We had been booked into a horrible hostel in a bad area and wanted to get the hell out. We walked around looking for a hotel that was open in the main area, and we found this one. Unfortunately they couldn't put us up for that first night, but could accomodate us the next night. And what a treat it was. It was like walking into a palace compared to where we were (typical "budget" accomodation). I couldn't believe it was only three stars, as the service and hotel itself were top class. The desk staff were very friendly, perfect English and very helpful. The lobby bar staff were the same; I sat for an hour and had a drink while my wife went shopping and I was literally fawned over by the waiter. The lobby is lovely and nice to sit in. The hotel is a recently restored listed building, so is stunning inside. There is a large marble open staircase which is much more fun to take than the elevator. The rooms were large, comfortable, immaculate and had a nice big TV. The bathroom was sparkling marble throughout and a joy to bathe in! Location couldn't be better - parallel to the Ramblas, so you have everything around you. One criticism I read here was the price of breakfast - forget that, go out to one of the many cafes and get breakfast there. We had ours outside on the pavement in the late morning, with fresh cakes and coffee. Great! Price was it was OK, certainly worth every penny. I recommend this place to anyone who is staying in Barcelona, and I recommend it to all readers here. I will be staying here again next time I go to Barcelona, I wouldn't even consider another hotel!

Stayed at Hotel Catalonia for 5 nights at the start of Jan. Our room was at the back of the hotel, which made it very quiet but the view was terrible but i suppose you can't have everything!!. You really couldn't get a better location - 1 minute walk from the areobus stop, la rambla and the cathedral. The hotel was very basic but clean. The bad points being if you book a double you actually get 2 twin beds pushed together - This is why im writing this review as i booked my stay because of the reviews on this website, if i had known this i wouldn't have booked as there is nothing worse than having a bad nights sleep after a hard days sight seeing!. I mentioned this to the receptionist as i thought there has been a mistake, but she said all rooms had twin beds that were pushed together to make doubles!. Other bits: there is no tea making facilities (always a bad point in my eyes!) and food was overpriced, We got breakfast and snacks from the local Champion supermkt and eat them in our room.

Perfect location, right on pedestrian shopping street. Minutes from major tourist attractions, but not directly on the noisy ramblas or placa gracia. Wonderful staff, attentive, helpful, and gracious. Not a ritzy place but clean, quiet, and well-run. Buffet breakfast overpriced. Might as well buy food at the close corte ingles (supermarket) and eat in the room. Make sure to book a room with a terrace! Beautiful scenery and direct sunlight.

Returned from Barcelona yesterday (13th January 2005). Excellent city. Arrived at airport only to find taxis on strike! However took bus into Plaza Catalunya for just 3 euro 45 cents per person. Journey took about 35 mins. Stayed at the Albinoni for three days. Absolutely brilliant location shopping and sightseeing. Walk out from hotel to main shopping pedestrian area and very central to museums etc. Rooms are simple but adequate - building is lovely. We booked with Hotel Connect and got a good deal which included a buffet breakfast which was excellent. Eat as much as you want! Staff friendly. We walked to the Gaudi's Temple de la Sagrada Familia - fascinating structure which is still being built! Can take tourist bus from plaza catalunya for sightseeing which is approx. 500 yds walking from hotel. A day trip costs 17 euros but better value to get two day pass at 21 euros. Barcelona is a big city so there is lots to see and do. A visit to the fish and vegetable market just off Las Ramblas is a definite must! Try the little fish bar at the back of the market - they serve an excellent fresh fish platter! For all football enthusiasts - my husband and friend took a trip to the Noucamp football stadium and olympic village - excellent. There are lots of shops, expensive but different. The staff in some shops are unfriendly and unhelpful especially in the bigger stores! They will not make any effort to speak english! Restaurants are cheaper away from main tourist area and food is very good especially tapas bars! We will definitely go back to Barcelona for another visit and stay at the Catalunya Albinoni - would definitely recommend it!

Stayed in this hotel for 4 nights during the last week of November. Hotel was excellent in a superb location with the ramblas, plaza catalunya, the cathedral all within a couple of minutes and the shops outside the door. The metro and the main tourist information centre were less then 2 minutes walk. The hotel itself was clean, comfortable and all the staff were very helpful and spoke English. We had a room facing an inner courtyard and although it had no views it was quiet, as a good nights sleep was essential after such a busy day touring the city! I would imagine the rooms on the front could be quiet noisy into the early hours. Only 2 small criticisms, the breakfast at €14 each was over priced, but it was included in our package, secondly, our shower was not working properly and although we mentioned it twice, it was not fixed during our stay although the bath was fine. Would certainly recommend this hotel as a very good 3* establishment. The city was great, as a football fan particularly enjoyed the tour of the Nou Camp, also the Sagrada Familia was awesome particularly late in the day as the sun cast shadows around the spires. Wil definitely return to the city and the hotel.

Great location. Helpful and friendly staff especially the night bartender(her name escapes me). Nice clean, modern rooms. A little pricey but anything worth while in a good location in Barcelona is pricey. Only drawback was the breakfast buffet. Not worth the 13 Euro charge. Stayed there from 10/15 to 10/18.