Icaria Hotel Barcelona

I had high expectations for this hotel as it is 4*, has flat screen TV's, free internet, green marble bathrooms etc. However, unfortunately it wasn't the case. First impressions are good, its all relatively new, clean etc. The first thing I noticed was that my bathroom door wouldn't close because water had obviously been on the floor in the bathroom and made the skirting swell. Secondly, my sink blocked and they could not fix it for about 14 hours, which was unacceptable. I had to clean my teeth over the bath! So much for having a DVD player. Mine was missing the volume knob and even the DVD drive! I therefore couldn't pipe music into the bathroom, which I thought would have been cool :-) The room did get a bit cold, and the climate control system was temperamental and tricky, I struggled with it, and I am a techie! The room was cleaned daily, and the towels were nice and fresh. The TV system only had one English channel, which was the National Geographic channel. The wireless internet didn't stretch up to the rooms, so I had to use the wired service. Take your own CAT5 UTP Network Cable if you intend to use it - I had to pay a 10 Euro deposit to borrow one for the week. The meals were pretty shabby and I wouldn't recommend eating at the restaurant. The breakfast was pretty good, with lots of choice, but it did run out quickly. The bar staff were very friendly to me (a lone traveler) but didn't have much time for the Americans on hotel tours. The best bit was the fish tanks in the bar! The pool is outside, so I didn't get a chance to use it as it was too cold! I found a few bars around the corner, but just jump on the bus and head into town. Taxi's are so cheap that they are worth using to get out and about. It was a 25 minute walk to the Congress Center and about a 15 minute walk to the Casino, which was a bit scary walking to at night. I'm afraid I wouldn't stay here again, the reception staff were not welcoming and I'd prefer to stay somewhere a bit more central.

My family and I spent 4 days in Barcelona. The hotel is located near the port and the beach. We walked home from the beach one day but would not have done so at night. A block north of the hotel is a prison. The hotel was clean and new. We asked for 2 rooms and were given a suite with an adjoining hall. It was perfect. One of the rooms had a faulty a/c and we requested assisstance twice and no one came to even look at it. Fortunately, the evenings were cool enough to keep the window open, so long as the traffic outside wasn't too loud. The staff was just adequate. They never offered to help with luggage, information or taxis. They worked from behind the desk and stayed there. The bar/lounge was alright. The breakfast was average. The best thing about the hotel was the cleanliness. I wouldn't stay here again because it was too much to pay for an average place.

We stayed at the Icaria for three nights for a short break, this is one of the best hotels we have stayed in, very modern, kept to a high standard. The staff were very helpful and friendly, the breakfasts accomodated every taste. This hotel is very close to the harbour, worth a walk around the all the restaurants - very friendly. A short walk to the metro, or bus stops. The transport system is excellent. Would recommend this hotel and would definately visit again.

The Hotel Icaria is located in a residential part of Barcelona beside Villa Olympica which, is about 5 minutes by taxi from the center of Barcelona. The Icaria is a business hotel catering to the local market & there is really nothing around the hotel in terms of restaurants or nightlife but. having said that, our room was excellent - clean, quite, luxurious, well air conditioned, computer provided with broadband access, CD player, flat screen TV, a free his n' hers wash kit and and speakers in the bathroom with volume control etc. We booked a junior suite which was very reasonably priced and we would stay the again - all together a very cool place to stay. The only complaint was the overpriced breakfast which cost us €20.00 per person (after tax) - give it a miss and find a coffee shop in the centre.

Overall we loved the Icaria from its ultra-modern rooms to its location and the price for a double room. Although it's advertised at around 120 British pounds for a room we got a deal through a popular website for 67 British pounds per room. While we really didn't have too much contact with the staff we found them to be helpful and polite. The non smoking floors are four and five and command decent views of the city and pool from the back of the hotel. Also, rooms at the back are a little quieter as they are away from the main road. Our rooms were spotlessly clean, had a modern theme with brown walls, floor to ceiling mirrors, unusual art work, a glass desk and falt-screen TVs as well as computer access and a DVD player. The bed was comfy with an abundance of pillows and the bathroom was finished with dark-green marble and a glass-bowl sink. Free internet access in the lobby was a bonus. The hotel itself is not directly in the city centre, it is in the Olympic Village and is quite a walk away - about 30 minutes - from Las Ramblas. However, we found it ideal as it was only a short metro hop away from all the main sites. Also, the Olympic port area has an abundance of great cafes and eating places, a superb beach and a lovely promenade which overlooks the marina. It was a nice area, across from a shopping arcade and cinema and one block from the beach. On the down side, and these are just a few little niggles, breakfast at 14 Euros was expensive and the minibar was outrageouse at 4 Euros for a small Coke. However, there is a little bakery just round the corner where you can pick up a croissant for breakfast and soft drinks for a fraction of the price. Overall we were delighted with the hotel, our rooms, the service and the area. The hotel is only a stones throw from the renowned Hotel Arts where a room will set you back four or five times as much as the Icaria. We would definitely stay at the Icaria again and feel it is well worthy of four stars if not five.

I stayed at the Icaria with my friends from 9-12 September. The rooms were fantastic, beds really comfy and the bathrooms were immaculate with lovely fluffy towels. The hotel is a really high standard and the food at breakfast excellent. Why I ask are the staff so MISERABLE?? The service is slow and they seem like they just don't want to be there! This hotel could get a top 5* rating as the location is excellent but they just need to bring in new staff. For this reason I probably wouldnt stay at the Icaria again.

Me and my husband stayed at the Icaria for 3 nights for our Honeymoon and it was brilliant. It was clean the staff were nice and the room was fantastic. I give 10 out of 10.

We spent 8 nights in the Icaria. It is well located in a quiet area close to the beaches and restaurants along the sea front. The centre of Barcelona was a quick ride away on the bus or Metro. Alternatively you could take a longish, but very pleasant, walk along the sea front or saunter through the park and narrow streets of the old town. The hotel is modern and well resourced for both business and leisure travellers. There is a pool and there are also good fitness facilities. In the lobby three computers provide free internet access. A shady patio area provides a relaxing place to sit during the day. All the rooms are well equipped, with good showers and efficient air conditioning. Rooms at the back have excellent views of Barcelona city and are shady for much of the day. Some of the rooms at the front are larger with separate showers or kitchen units. You may have to pay more for these rooms. However, they face the sun so can get hotter and also can suffer a little from traffic noise. There are non-smoking rooms available on the 4th and 5th floor. Kettles are not available in all rooms but staff were willing to provide them when asked. Don't assume that cups, milk, tea and coffee automatically come with the kettle. However, staff seem happy to provide them once they were requested. Staff were very helpful and friendly. They all spoke good English and responded well to our efforts to speak a few words in Catalan. The reception staff will happily book restaurants, provide travel advice and help in whatever way they can. Response to requests can be a little slow at times but whatever it is you want does arrive eventually! Breakfast was excellent with a good choice of fruit, fruit drinks, yoghurt, pastries, cheese, meat and a full range of cooked dishes. Snacks and evening meals were the weakest point of the hotel. They are a little pricey and did not provide the range of food available in local restaurants and tapas bars. The piano music in the evening did add a pleasant atmosphere to the restaurant and bar area. There are plenty of eating places a short walk away near the sea. We would recommend Agua in particular (close to the big metal fish). A little further away we found Set Portes (Barcaloneta) and Senyor Parellada (Carrer de Argentaria) to be particularly good. We will return to Barcelona and would be very happy to stay at the Icaria again.

had a great stay!! first night there were some water problems and we were transformed to another 4*hotel (they called and payed the taxi), which was not bad,but it didn't even come close to hotel icaria! It's a great neighbourhood, loved the swimmingpool and the beach, and a busstop right outside which brings you to placa catalunya in 20 minutes. Breakfast was superb. Very friendly staff. Loved it!!!

I am 25 and from Canada visiting Spain for pleasure and I found this hotel based on the reviews from this site and I couldn't have been happier. The price was so cheap 64 Euro a night and I was there from June 24 - 26 2005. The hotel though was not cheap at all. It has a fairly decent size pool. Decent sized workout facility. The rooms were elegantly styled, large television with media capabilities (hook up your camera or video camera) free internet in the main lobby and free internet in your room (with your own PC). Very clean and pretty friendly cleaning staff (very to little to no English though) The hotel staff was very friendly. The prices at the restaurant were a little expensive (10 Euro for a Burger). The location couldn't be better. Right near the beach (two blocks away) and right near the bar strip. Almost everything was walkable within 10-15 mins. When I go back I will certainly go there again. You will not be disappointed.