Acevi Villarroel

We visited Barcelona at the begining of October, for 4 days. The hotel proved to be a wise choice, since we wanted to visit the city as picture snapping tourists. Location: the neighbourhood is quite safe, enough restaurants and breakfast places (Dino Pan rules, just one street away from the hotel, going to Hospital Clinic). Easy access to Metro (2 stations within 10 minutes walk) and bus in front taking you to the harbour, beach, etc. Also, Aerobus (bus to airport) was around than 10min away from the hotel, if you did not feel like paying 20EUR to get there with a taxi (taxis seem quite cheap in Barcelona - compared to a glas of sangria for example). Hotel: the lobby looks bigger in pictures. The breakfast is too expensive considering the alternatives around the hotel. Otherwise, restaurant very nice (not expensive for main courses), staff very helpful (although their English is sometimes a challenge). The spa (sauna, jacuzzi, fitness) located in the basement were adequate, well maintained and not very busy. If you really want to sweat, you have to tell the reception beforehand to heat up the sauna more than 60degr Celsius. The pool from the second floor is tiny and flanked by other apartment blocks which stare at you while you sunbathe or try to swim.... Room: Clean, reasonably large, shampoos&co. provided daily. Minibar stocked, but with rather high prices. Our room was a standard double and featured bathtub and shower cabin. Our friends room, called the same, got only bathtub. A thing to consider maybe when checking in. Safe was present. Cleaning staff were very careful, nevertheless spoke nothing else but Spanish (bring your dictionary with you if you have no Latin friends, else you will end up ordering randomly in any restaurant). The neighbourhood of the hotel (about 3 blocks in any direction) is a gay paradise we assumed, since in the evenings, besides tourists (easily to spot), all the rest were paired accordingly and walking on the streets, going to the restaurants, etc.. No freaky stuff going on and no red light district feel or image in the area. Just that it looked to be a little different from this point of view, than other reviews pointed out (some might feel uneasy, especially in pubs or restaurants in the proximity of the hotel).... However, the location again of the hotel is VERY good, providing enough separation from the busy tourist center (worming with pocket thieves) and from the harbour-adjacent neighbourhoods, which are NOT suitable for returning late in the evenings, and yet offering easy access (i.e. either by walking 20 min to Gaudis houses or by using the metro for 20 min to get to Tibidabo Amusement Park) to any of the cities attractions. We would definitely go there again if we visit Barcelona in the future.

Stayed at the hotel for a week in September 2005. We wanted a hotel with a pool so that we could sightsee all day and then return and relax for a while at the pool side. The pool is small but it did the trick. Also the hotel did not charge for the towels for the sunbeds - that was a first! Staff were first class, both at reception and in the dining area. The breakfast was fantastic, fresh fruit ,coffee, bread, scrambled egg etc. The hotel was very clean and modern. The beds were huge and very comfortable and the bathroom was absolute luxury. We brought a few CDs with us and we found the whole experience very relaxing. The hotel is in a quieter area of Barcelona but only 15 minutes walk to Catalunia square. Strongly recommend eating at the Italian restaurant across the road from the hotel nicest pizzas I have ever tasted in my life. The 2 day tour on the sight seeing bus is worth every penny. I recommended the hotel to 2 other couples, who went at different times and they also had a great holiday. Also the airport bus stops not too far from the hotel and 7 euro for 2 one way it was great value.

I have booked this room through hotelopia website for my sister's hen weekend for a very very resonable price. To be honest at first we all feel bit out of place and far too casual for this hotel, but then we ignored our fear and enjoyed our holiday. Its defo not the place for you to walk around in towel with nothing underneath!! Not that we minded of course The rooms.... wow.. its so modern. luxury, massive! couldn't ask for a better room, this is definetely by far the best hotel i have ever stayed in! The bathroom is so clean, i fell in love with that huge mirror and wash basin! The bed itself was sooo comfortable, never had the best night sleep in my life!! the pillows, i have check is hypoallergy, you have got nothing to worry about! it got sauna, jacuzzi, swimming pool, gym etc... what more can you ask for?? They even got an internet access one computer on every floor of the hotel! even better, free of charge!! So i was really pleased with my booking and we were off ready to explore the city itself, the staff could've been bit more informative about the direction especially to find the darn metro!! the first two days trying to find the metro (mind you not the whole day, did explore some other areas) failed miserably even with the hotel staff's drawings of a map on the paper.. at the end i finally found it and it was completely different directions from what the staff have drawn... but other than that they have been really helpful and booked taxi for us quite often. Restuarant was beautiful and the food was really lovely... only little downside of this hotel, they don't provide tea or coffee even in the room our elsewhere apart from breakfast... but there's a cafe that opens until very late just two doors away from the hotel! also resonably priced... that cafe even make lovely crepe would recommend anyone who love them! Think i better stop waffling now, one last question.. would i go back again?? YES YES YES!!! without doubt! oh i forgot one little warning, they have a full lenght glass revolving door at the front, just be aware and try not to walk into it!! one of the girls in my group did! The staff wil help you if you did anyway! :)

The Acevi Villarroel is west of the old town and about 15-20 minutes walk from Las Ramblas. As soon as you pull up to this hotel you can see that it is ultra-modern even though it is terraced within the other buildings. The lobby is clean, fresh and bright and gives you the feeling that you have picked a good one. This is a business hotel and so check-in is efficient and easy. There are no racks of tourist information like you get in other hotels but you are given a good map at check-in. Our room was a rare triple but it looked more like a twin with an extra bed slotted in because it was placed across the wardrobe – but that was no real problem. The wooden floor was smooth and cool. There was a TV and a CD/DVD player ( DVDs could be hired from reception) and a free safe in the wardrobe. The bathroom was splendid with toilet, bidet, shower and separate bath. The only downside was that the wash-hand basin was in the bedroom, admittedly behind the wardrobe, but I have never liked this setup. However, I got used to it after a couple of days. The TV boasted BBC 1 on channel 23 and CNN on channel 24 but I never did find BBC 1. There were a few German channels, 1 French and the rest were either Spanish or Catalan. Just outside our door was a desk with two free internet PCs – privacy was maintained using translucent glass shields. You had contact with the world on-tap! The breakfast was nothing to write home about – an average business, continental affair – but again no big drawback. The staff were very friendly especially the barman who did not know that a scotch is not poured in the same quantity as a glass of wine!! Cheers mi amigo! There are lots of restaurants around the hotel if you do not want to go back into the heart of the city and they should cater for most person’s tastes – meat, fish, pasta, pizzas, vegetarian etc. Right next door on the left is the Salvi which is a good choice but not open on Sundays (speciality buckwheat filled pancakes). La Bella Napoli across the street is OK but the language barrier can get you the wrong meal. If you are arriving at Girona Airport by Ryanair, after picking up you luggage, exit the door into the passage way in the main terminal, turn right and you can purchase your bus ticket and timetable for the Barcelona Bus for 19 euros return. Exiting the airport, the bus is across the road towards the right. Make sure you get the one to Barcelona because they also go to Girona city and Barcelona Airport (our tickets were green if that helps). The bus drops you off at Estacio Del Nord in Barcelona and that’s where you get the return bus. The cost of a taxi from Estacio Del Nord to Acevi (pronounced A-THAY-VEE) Villarroel is less than 12 euros. I would certainly use this hotel again.

We stayed in the Acevi Villarroel from the 1st January for 3 nights & I have to say we were very disappointed. The first room we were given was tiny with a window that looked onto other guest rooms & virtually no natural light. The receptionist was helpful enough to find us another room and though this was slightly bigger it still had a small window & bore very little resemblance to the pictures of a room on the hotel's website. The bathroom was fine but the swinging door & complete lack of privacy was a bit off putting & the light was very dim & made getting ready to go out a bit difficult. The rooms are not soundproof & we were located on the main street above a bottle bank so ear plugs were a must. Barcelona is a beautiful city & we really didnt spend much time in the room but we would have preferred something slightly less minimalist & austere. There is a dvd player & cd player in the room but the surroundings aren't conducive to relaxing & having a glass of wine before you go out. All in all I wouldnt rate this hotel highly & will not be returning.

We stayed in the Acevi Villarroel Hotel Barcelona for a long weekend at the end of October 2005 and found it to be a great place to stay. Area: It is not in the tourist area but is only 15 minutes walk from Las Ramblas. It is quiet at night, it feels like a residential area but quite safe, we never felt threatened or intimidated and it means you get lovely nights sleep. The streets are well lit and a taxi will get you there cheap enough if you don't fancy walking. It cost €10 from the beachfront to the hotel at night. The metro line is also at the bottom of the street and gets you most places for a few Euro and the buses are quite close too. It’s a great spot to get wherever you need to be. Hotel: The hotel is quite new and has a bit of a business hotel feel to it, but that is not a complaint. There is lovely original paintings and sculptures around the place which are for sale so it feels a little like a gallery. The rooms are fantastic! We had a massive bathroom with his and her glass sinks, big shower and a large bath with a central tap so two could happily share :) and the whole bathroom was clad in green marble. The beds are comfortable and our room overlooked the outdoor pool. It was a great room for a couple, a few candles and it was very romantic. They even have a mini hifi system in each room so you can listen to the radio or play your cd’s. The décor is very sharp and modern and well thought out, but the bathroom doors are glass and are frameless so you can hear what’s going on inside a bit and see shadows so it may not be the best of place if you don’t know the preson you’re staying with that well. In reception there is a DVD library machine where you can rent DVD’s and watch them in your room, or you could bring your own to watch. Each floor has 2 computers where you can access the internet for free which is really handy for finding good restaurants and checking emails. The hotel provided a book on the area in the room which had details of restaurants and shopping as well as tourist attractions and maps. The air-conditioning in the room worked fine and was very quiet. The only downside was that although the rooms are advertised as soundproof we were woken early on Sunday morning by builders working on a nearby building. I don't think we heard much from the other people in the hotel, but we defiantly heard noise from outside. The hotel also has a bar and restaurant in it. We decided to treat ourselves that first night, but it turns out that the restaurant in the hotel is actually average price for a nice restaurant in Barcelona. We found the service and the food to be fantastic and the waitress more than happy to help us choose a wine or give some information on the city. The breakfast is fine, nothing spectacular the usual continental breakfast of bread, jam, cheese, ham, yoghurt etc. Fine for setting you up for a day if it's included with your stay but I wouldn't pay any extra for it. We didn't use the spa or swimming pool so I can't comment on them, but we could see the pool from our window and it isn't a huge pool. It's more of a watering hole type one for cooling off, don't think you'd manage many lengths in it but it looks like a nice place to splash about a cool down. The whole area is on the 2nd or 3rd floor and overlooked by apartment blocks a few stories higher so it's not very private. All in all, the service was great, the facilities fantastic and the city amazing. I’d happily stay there again next time I go to Barcelona providing I can get a good deal on it.

This is a lovely hotel, rooms were very nicely decorated, the bathroom luxurious. It was nice & quiet by night for sleeping and the beds were very comfortable. Rooms were well cleaned every day. Staff were friendly. I thought the restaurant was a bit pricey. It is wise to arrive earlyish for breakfast if you want hot tea & coffee! I dont think the hotel was tourist orientated though. There is no information regarding public transport or places of interest available in the hotel lobby as you might expect although we were given a street map. The staff at reception were approachable but I found their English difficult to understand. We were directed everywhere on foot. It is a long walk to the main streets like La Rambla. Being very pregnant, this was hard going.We were not informed about the bus service or the Metro. Overall I think this hotel is very reccomendable but do your homework regarding the modes of public transport available to you because if you find walking difficult this hotel is too far from the main attractions.

An excellent hotel. We found the staff very helpful. The only minor criticisms are that there were not enough coat hangers in the waredrobes considering two people were staying there. Extra hangers were supplied however the following day. The only complaint with regard to service is with breakfasts. The staff did not seem to be able to anticipate when there were going to be shortages. The food however was excellent- as was the coffee- not always the case in hotels. I wish that I had read all the reviews as we would have used the bus service instead of walking to the Metro- but the bar at the end by the station was worth the walk. There did not seem much evidence of being close to a gay area but BEWARE PICKPOCKETS particularly on the Metro. Every one seemed to have come in contact with them in one way or another. I would certainly use this hotel again

as i am writing this i am sitting in the internet corner of the hotel, as all barcelona is full of people i was luck to stay at this hotel which is almost perfect. however when you come here you have to take into account the staff who can be a bit terrible. they wont speak english that easily and might be problematic as into questions about there area, but just dont take it to hard as we say take it easy .

Acevi Villarroel 4 STARS . VILLARROEL 106 08011 BARCELONA ------ I have traveled extensively in Europe over the past several years and I have to say this hotel is by far my favorite. True, it has the feel of a business style hotel, but with class. It is well decorated with modern art. It sits on a typical Barcelona commercial street. I stayed at the Acevi Villarroel in September of 2005 for three nights. I had no problem with any of the staff at the Acevi Villarroel. They were business oriented but were patient with all my questions and took the time to go over locations to visit on maps they supplied. The staff's ability to speak English was adequate to very good. The rooms are large by European standards, all with individual air conditioning. They all have hardwood floors. The bathrooms are luxurious, modern, large, with full glass showers and tubs. The baths are all done in marble. They are by far the best bathrooms I have seen in a hotel in Europe. All rooms have televisions with radio/dvd players and if you wish you can get a movie at the front desk and watch it on your TV. The beds are firm and they have ample extra blankets in the closet if you need them. Outside street noise is almost non-existant. Each floor of the hotel has two modern desks side by side partioned by privacy glass with free high speed internet access on LCD monitors. There is a restaurant off the lobby. There are numerous good restaurants within a ten minute walk from the hotel. The breakfast buffet was good. It included cereals, fresh fruit, bakery items, coffee, tea, various juices, cold cuts, cheeses, and melons. The buffet also has hot scrambled eggs, bacon, and small hot sausages. The hotel is about a ten to fifteen minute walk to the Plaza Catatlunya. It is a short two minute walk to the metro/subway stop called Urgell. The bus stops are in front of the hotel. This hotel gives you an absolute pleasurable lodging experience.