Hotel Barcelona Universal

My husband and I stayed here for a business trip and unfortunately, did not consult this site before arriving. As a result, we ended up in one of the dreaded interior (room 702) rooms with no natural light - just the weird opaque window facing an airshaft. The tiny room, coupled with the very hard bed was pretty upsetting. There were no other rooms available, so we settled for this dark little dungeon. Also, bring a clock as there was none in the room, which added to the dark/no natural light/no sense of time nightmare. That said, the staff was courteous, the location was good, and it was kept very clean. The bar, I agree, was blah and closed very early. Perhaps if we had another room, I could write a better review.

We was very pleased, when we stayed here this past weekend, that there was no indication that anyone had smoked in room 703, even though there was several ash trays in the room. A very nice place to stay, with the Metro entrance near the hotel's front door.

The Universal hotel certainly lives up to the good review previously posted; when we visited there last week. Apart from finding the bed very very hard! We were very please with our room and the hotel in general. Its very well presented and of a 3-4 star quality. The breakfasts (13euro) were definitely worth the fee for convenience and quality- we grazed! Thanks to the person who warned us about room 202, we were offered it and requested a room on a higher floor which was given immediately (8th floor) with no problem. The view was lovely- the rooftops of Barcelona. Overall a quality, modern hotel.

Just returned from 4 night trip to Barcelona Universal Hotel. Cannot recommend this hotel enough for anybody looking somewhere not too expensive but very comfortable in the city. Hotel rooms were spotless with great little extras in the bathroom and the staff were more than helpful at all times and spoke very good English and understood you. Advising on places to go, where to eat, even standing in the road to hail you a cab! The breakfast was more than enough. With regards to the area, the road the hotel is on is fine, crossing to La Rambla is Ok if you stick to the road that is one minute walk towards the port on the left which actually goes past a police station! Cannot vouch for very late night/early morning people returning to hotel but we had no trouble at 11.00pm. A taxi from the airport was 16 euros and returning was 26 euros maybe because we had overdone on the shopping! starting rate is always about 1.25 euros.

Stayed here for 4 days in September. The hotel was very modern, clean and ther staff were all very helpful and spoke good English. On arrival we were given a map and directions to les rambles, the receptionist also told us which streets close to the hotel to avoid. The hotel is close to all the major attractions. Our room was a good size, very nice and clean and having air conditioning was a major plus. Overall, we were very pleased with the hotel for the price we paid.

I spent 4 nights at the Unviversal last week and was more then happy. The place was clean and tidy, the staff were very helpful and most importantly the rooms were great. We (myself and the Mrs) didn't get chance to try the restaurant food out however as there are so many nice places to eat in Barcelona. I'm now planning to return to Barcelona and will be satying at the Universal again. If Barcelona is your destination you should make the Universal your base - you won't be dissapointed!

Not bad, but not great either. The hotel is right on top of a underground stop, which makes it easy to get to/from, but otherwise the location is nothing special: on a busy road and with nothing much immediately nearby. The rooms are clean and modern, and the facilities ok – the pool, though small, is pleasant; the bar lacks character and atmosphere and the breakfast doesn't really rise above standard Eurofare, though if you just need some fuel for the day ahead it'll do. Our major gripe is the room we were initially checked into: it was like a cell. There was no natural light at all, the only 'window' was a small opaque whitewashed panel, which opened onto a vertical shaft of concreted walls. Though it was on the 2nd floor (room 202 - avoid it) it might as well have been in the basement, even in the middle of the afternoon it was as dark as night in there. It was also tiny, with just enough room to get round the bed. We walked straight in and out again, and were moved onto the seventh floor and an altogether nicer room: with a window, natural light and good views over the city. Plus around twice the floorspace. Outrageous that the hotel could try to pass these two rooms off as being of comparable value. One is well worth staying in, the other I wouldn't spend a moment in there even if you paid me.

My husband and I spent the first 4 nights of our honeymoon at the Barcelona Universal Hotel, before moving onto a 5 star hotel in Madrid. This hotel was far superior to our hotel in Madrid. Our room, with private balcony was just fantastic. The pool, although busy, is great for cooling off after a day of sightseeing. The staff are lovely and extremely helpful. The location is superb, with a metro station right outside the hotel. This is just a wonderful hotel for spending a few days in this gorgeous city.

We stayed last week in this hotel and it was great! We will recomand this hotel to friends and family

Spent 5 nights here and couldn't have asked for more. Excellent location for the Metro and Montjuic Funicular. Great views from the roof and walking distance to the Port and La Rambla. Careful which road you take to La Rambla as once very dodgy one nearby but the reception staff were very helpful in pointing you in the right direction. Nothing starts in Barcelona unitl midnight so be weary of revellers coming in at all hours in your an early to bed kind of person!