Hotel Meson Castilla

Great value and location for the one night stay prior to catching a cruise.

My daughter and I stayed at Meson Castilla 2 nights pre-cruise and 1 night post-cruise in Nov. 2005 The rooms were small but they were very clean!! Pre-cruise our rooms were on the front, the street noise keep us awake even with a sleeping pill. Post-cruise we had a room in the back which was much quieter. The breakfast buffet had a good selection to choice from. One of the ladies that worked in the breakfast room helped my daughter practice her spanish. The staff was friendly and helpful. I would stay here again!!

We reserved a quadruple for four adults and our one year old. We stayed right above the front door was noisy for the front room (it was a two room suite). It was ten times louder in our room than the lobby. The rooms were super clean!! The staff was not very nice. They did not seem to want o go out of their way. I even noticed them being rude to other patrons. The rate was great and included breakfast. the breakfast was awesome - not just coffee and bread. If you want a good deal with a good location it works.

this hotel overall is in a good location (5 minute walk to catalunya plaza) and is relatively inexpensive. however, our room was quite small (we expected that) and our private bathroom was not connected to our room (we had to walk through the hallway), which we were not expecting! the walls are thin as other reviewers had mentioned, but we did not experience any loud noises to complain of. our room also had a cute veranda that opened up to some plants in a mini-patio. the buffet breakfast was more than adequate and was quite good!! the staff at the front desk were not the most helpful people i have ever encountered in the hotel industry (as far as suggestions, etc) but were pleasant nonetheless.

My family and I stayed at the Meson Castilla Hotel for four nights in August 05. I booked direct with the hotel and received a very good deal for a room for four (Family rooms are like gold dust in Barcelona). The location was excellent being only a short walk to the Ramblas and our favourite Hard Rock café (not very Spanish - but good value and good food). Many of the reviews have commented on the area being a little seedy but we had a three year old and a five year old and never felt threatened or uneasy. The university is very close by and the area was very "studenty" with lots of music shops and boutiques selling young fashion. The large amount of Graffiti has also been mentioned but we actually found it incredible and it has obviously been done by some very talented young artists. The room we stayed in was adequate, not as large as some family rooms we have stayed in but we spent very little time in there anyway. The hotel was spotlessly clean and the dining room and surrounding area was traditional Spanish which made a nice change from the sterile modern places we had stayed in previously. The breakfast was a typically continental affair consisting of cold meat, a variety of bread, yoghurt and fruit but it provided a good start for the day. I would definitely stay at the Meson Castilla again; Barcelona is a beautiful, fascinating city. If I had to give any negative comments it would be that the walls are very thin and everything can be heard in the next room - so take heed any honeymooners!!

I stayed here with my friend for 3 nights. The location is excellent and very close to pretty much everything you want to see, including the bus services to the airport and around Barcelona. When I opened the room door, I thought they had given me the key to the cupboard by mistake! There was no real natural light as the window was too small. However, the room was spotless, the bed very comfortable, the bathroom small but very adequate for one and it had a great shower. The breakfast room was lovely and I thought the breakfast selection very good, as I have experienced some terrible breakfasts in Europe. The staff were stern but efficient and proved more than helpful when pushed to answer a tricky question. Good value for money and I would recommend it to friends who were on a budget.

We stayed at the Meson Castilla for three nights with 2 children, ages 6 and 8. We had a large family room; actually 2 interconnecting rooms, each with two single beds, a wardrobe, desk and TV. The layout was superb, affording the children plenty of space and giving us a bit of privacy. The room was spotlessly clean and the beds were very comfortable. The bathroom was fine, with plenty of hot water and water pressure. The furniture was old and somewhat tired ... this is not luxury accommodation. The rate was €165 per night. The buffet breakfast was OK but nothing out of the ordinary (it was included in the room price). Cereals, some breakfast meat, very ordinary cheese, yougurt, soggy croissants and otherwise good bread. The coffee was good. The only drawback (and this is tiny) to the hotel was the service ... while some of the staff were very friendly, the woman who both checked us in and out was very stern and extremly slow. It took nearly 20 minutes to check in (not acceptable late at night with children) and 25 minutes to check out - with never a hint of a smile. While many people have commented on the 'dodgy' neighbourhood, we felt perfectly safe during the 5-10 minute walk to the Ramblas. There were always plenty of people about, even at 1.30am, and some of the smaller shops has some unique items. The location of the hotel is very good for tourists. In summary, the Meson Castilla is a fine place to stay if you are looking for basic accommodation, and it was great in our case because we had plenty of space for two lively children. But if you are looking for something special, you could do far better.

My best freind and I visited this hotel for 3 nights in June 2005 To get to the room, we took the elevator to the 5th floor and then walked the extra flight up. Our room was one of two on the 6th floor. It was very small and not as plush as their brochure shows. A bit on the shabby side, although clean enough. It felt as though the room had been an after thought. To quote a line from "Die Hard 2" the movie " Pack 'em, Rack 'em and Stack 'em." The breakfast room was fine, but one day they ran out of yoghurts which we felt was unacceptable. The reception staff were very helpful (apart from one young girl who could not speak English) 6 out of 10 Claire Oxfordshire

I stayed at the Hotel Meson Castilla with my brother (25 y.o.) and my mother (~55 y.o.). It was in an upbeat, university neighborhood (perfect for my brother) and just a couple blocks off the Rambla and Placa Cataluyna (perfect for my mother). I loved the old Spanish style and decoration of the hotel. The first room we stayed in was on the top floor and had a wonderful terrace. Yes, it overlooked an ugly office building, but we were high enough to see the palace in the distance and feel a nice breeze. The second room we stayed in was larger, on the second floor, and was quite dark because there was only one small ground-level window. We found the entire hotel very clean, including the bathrooms. The breakfast was great (especially for my brother) and included a variety of breads and pastries, sliced meat, orange juice, cereals and milk, espresso/coffee/tea, yogurt, and tortilla (like a potato quiche). The breakfast--indeed the entire experience--was very Spanish and quite different than your typical, sterile, overly cheery chain hotel experience. We paid more than this site is listing however -- you may want to check with the hotel's web site to confirm: ---------

my partner and i booked this hotel by phone having no idea about the outcome would be but i had absolutley no complaints what so ever. lots of character staff very friendly and helpful giving us maps to rambles also telling us to be aware of any undesirables in barcelona centre. location may have been a little unnerving at night but all cities are the same. rooms were clean and eating area was quaint. also had a lovely garden eating area. would return to this hotel again.