Grand Hotel Central

I just spent two nights to the Grand Hotel Central and from the moment we stepted in the door we were let down. The service was terrible and it took about 30 minutes to get checked in, our room wasnt ready till 4pm and the room not made up till 7.30pm on our second day! Very unhelpful staff, room was ok and clean but as a travel agent one of the worst hotel experiences ever!

After reading reviews on most hotels in the area (because I'm like that!) we settled on Grand Hotel Central despite a few negative reviews and would highly recommend it: Location - perfect - close to the metro system and walkable distance to all the major sites. We had a lovely time exploring the Born area (kind of behind the hotel) discovering cool bars, restaurants and shops with all the charm of the Gotic Quarter without all the tourist hoards and hassle. Service - Good although a little confused at times. We got everything we asked for but sometimes had to ask a few people a few times because of the language barrier. However, service was always courteous and on several occasions they went out of their way to help us. Rooms - We had a standard 3rd floor room and found it to be perfectly spacious for our needs. I loved the decor, we found it to be cool and funky but it might not be to everyone's taste. Moulton Brown toiletries, flip flops, robes and the free minibar were great touches. Hairdryer good and powerful. The only thing we would criticise was that there was no iron or ironing board in the room and a fairly costly overnight ironing service was the only alternative. Bring a travel iron OR, because we're very generous souls, ask for room 322 (it is a smoking room) we hid our travel iron behind the mini bar! Oh and one other criticism - the bed was two singles stuck together. I get the impression this is the standard in European hotels but, well, let's just say it can make having a romantic evening a little difficult at times...and sometimes amusing ;) Pool - gorgeous and fantastic in the heat. However it got very crowded on the sundeck (with some charming lounger reserving with towels of the kind that always makes me want to SCREAM) so either get their earlier or be prepared to wait for a lounger. It was a shame there was not a bar or waiter service up there - they would make a killing selling cool drinks and snacks during the day and as the sun sets as the view is fantastic. Restaurant - We had dinner in the restaurant on the first night and found it to be fantastic I would highly recommend a visit even if you weren't staying at the hotel. Breakfast was good with a good range of choices but no hot food other than eggs cooked to order. I would definitely recommend this hotel at up to £175 per night for a standard room (we paid less than this but I saw prices went up after we booked so use this as a guide!). Have a great time in Barcelona wherever you stay - it is a magical city.

I have never wrote a review but I feel that I need to do for this hotel because of previous bad reviews. My husband and I stayed at Grand hotel central for 2 nights before our cruise. The room was IMMACULATE and spacious for a european hotel. The room was on the 5th floor and very quiet. The free minibar was usefull after a full day of sightseeing at 36 C ! Don't forget to leave a card in the unit on the wall to be sure that the electricity is always "ON" and the room is not too hot and the bottles in the minibar are cold, when you come back. The location is perfect, near the cathedral and the gothic quarter, in the center of town within walking distance (or a short metro ride) from placa Cataluna and everything we wanted to see. The is a bus turistic stop at 50 feet of the hotel door. The price (140 euros) was also very reasonable for the quality. Everyone at the front desk was courteous and helpful. They help the taxi driver to find the route to the ship before we leave the hotel. The breakfast buffet was included in the room price , and the food was great. The pool is small and lack of chairs and towels.

We stayed at Grand Central at the end of July 2006. We paid around £100 per night for each of our two rooms, and overall enjoyed our stay. The breakfast buffet was excellent, as were the rooms, with their modern bathrooms and nice range of toiletries. The library downstairs, stocked with the latest design and travel books, is also a nice touch. The feel of the hotel is that of a designer, boutique hotel. However, there are a few things we weren't particularly happy about: The standard of service can be a little poor, from the slightly frosty reception you get at the front desk, to the laid back attitude of the staff at the poolside. There is a small pool on the roof, which is a little too inadequate given the number of guests staying at the hotel, and when we arrived there early in the evening, we found there to be no pool towels to use. I asked if we could get some, and the attendant basically refused our request. I had to call reception myself and get some! Another tip, if possible get rooms facing away from the road (Via Laietana) because the traffic noise can get a little loud. We would probably stay at Hotel Grand Central again, but maybe not at such a busy time.

Hotel was really nice, rooms were modern decorate and pool was really nice during night time. I really recommend stay there. It was value for money!

We booked an Executive room at this hotel for two nights in June. The booking was made about 7 weeks earlier, directly with the website for the hotel's owner company (Epoque Hotels). It was made after 3 evenings' worth of research on hotels in Barcelona, and we were excited to stay there.... Imagine our surprise and disappointment arriving at the hotel after our flight from the UK, to be told - with no apologies - that due to 'reservation office problems,' the hotel was overbooked by ten rooms. We were then sent to a nearby hotel (one block away) which was not in the least comparable, and without a pool. We ended up going back and making a scene. There was no manager available, but finally the hotel called up the manager and booked us into another hotel across town (which turned out to be absolutely lovely). This whole process ruined the first two hours of our vacation, and was stressful and terrible. The hotel offered us no compensation, apart from paying for the taxi to the other hotel. Their staff did not have any training in how to handle this type of mess up. My advice. DON'T take your chances... Or, if you do, book a back-up hotel...

Myself and my wife booked a city break to Barcelona staying at the Grand Hotel Central, and reading some of the reviews on this site had me worrying about what we'd find. However, now I'm back, I feel that a lot of what was said is not wholly justified. There was a safe in our room, there was a small selection of cold, free drinks in the mini-bar. There was a selection of dvd films available from reception. The service was attentive and considerate. (When I rang reception to change the time we had booked for dinner, I mentioned I had a problem with the black-out blinds whcih they were able to help me resolve. However, now aware that we were having a siesta, they didn't call back to confirm the time change, but wrote a letter which was posted under the door. No fuss, no bother - just attentive, low-key and appreciated). Some have mentioned the low light levels in the corridors, and the soviet-style minimalism. All I can say, is that the lighting levels are low-ish but meant to be discrete, and whoever suggested soviet levels of minimalism obviously never stayed in a soviet hotel! There certainly wouldn't have been a big bunch of flowers in reception if they had. However, I think the key thing with this hotel, is that it isn't the Hilton or any other global corporate hotel. It is different, and myself and my wife thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The roof-top swimming pool is fantastic, and you almost feel like you're about to swim off the edge of the hotel (which, of course, you're not). I'd also like to be the person who owns the apartment/house at the top of the building - they have a truly fantastic garden with orange trees and everything growing up there.

Great hotel for the price. Having researched pratically every hotel in Barcelona. We ended up with the this hotel mainly do the the price and the reported view from the rooftop pool. We were pleasantly surprised with the rest. The hotel is modern with a sleek look. The rooms are very simple and clean. Small but enough room for 2 people traveling for 12 days and their luggage. View from our room was ok. Nothing special but roof top has an excellent view of the gotic quarter. The service was a little slow sometimes but the staff was very nice. The restaurant attached was probably some of the best dishes I have every had. Try the pumpkin ravioli or the monk fish. Nice boutique hotel. Would definately stay again. Great for anyone who does not want to pay top dollar. Location is excellent. Walking distance to almost everything.

Location was absolutely superb! The best of Barcelona’s shops are just on the doorstep and do not forget to ask for shopping recommendations at reception. The room was very clean, lots of light and spacious. The black out blinds were fantastic for sleeping! We had a very enjoyable meal in the restaurant, very good value for money.

Barcelona, Grand Hotel Central May, 25-28 2006 We have spent three nights at the hotel: it was simply a lucky shot. Location is ideal, just walking distance to most of the Barcelona historical and cultural actractions. Few steps and you are in the dazling barriogotico environment. Tunr the left corner and you'll be in the relaxed and highbrow atmosphere of the el-born ready for a visit to Picasso Museum ar the marvellous Palau de la Musica Catalana.. Rooms have a minimalist decoration and space is enough for resting after a ....though day of strolling around. Our room was on the back side, therefore was quite silent. Swimming pool on the roof it might be a very good facility for resting: we did not had spare time for it. Breakfast was included: to us was an excellent breakfast with a quite good variety of food ranging from spanish charquterie to fresh fruits and home made cakes. In case of caming to Barcelona in future, we will strongly consider Grand Hotel Central.