181 / 344
ACCOMMODATION
|
175
G
Accommodation
Finding a hotel vacancy in Barcelona can be very difficult, especially at Easter,
in summer and during festivals or trade fairs. You’re advised to book in
advance – several weeks at peak times – especially if you want to stay at a
particular place.
Places to stay go under various names –
pension
,
residencia
,
hostal
,
hotel
– though
these are an anachronism and only
hotels and pensions
are recognized as official
categories.These are all star-rated (hotels, one- to five-star; pensions, one- or two-
star), but the rating is not necessarily a guide to cost or ambience. Some of the
smaller, boutique-style pensions and hotels have services and facilities that belie
their star rating; some four- and five-star hotels have disappointingly small rooms
and an impersonal feel.Meanwhile, the number of private “
bed-and-breakfast
”
establishments (advertised as such) is on the increase, and while some are simply
the traditional room in someone’s house, others are very stylish and pricey
home-from-homes.
Room rates
vary wildly. The absolute cheapest double/twin rooms in a
simple family-run pension, sharing a shower and toilet, cost around €50 (singles
from €30), though it’s more realistic to budget on a minimum of €70 a night.
If you want heating, air conditioning, soundproofing, a TV and a lift to your
room, there’s a fair amount of choice around the €100 mark, while up to €200
gets you the run of decent hotels in most city areas. For Barcelona’s most
fashionable and exclusive hotels, room rates are set at European capital norms –
from €250 to €400 a night. Right at the other end of the scale is the burgeoning
number of city
youth hostels
, where a dorm bed goes for between €20 and
€30, depending on the season. A youth hostel, incidentally, is an
albergue
;
hostal
is the word for a pension.
The
room rates
given at the end of the reviews reflect the official quoted cost
of a double/twin room in high season (basically Easter to the end of October,
plus major trade fairs, festivals and other events) – there’s also a seven-percent tax,
IVA
, that is added to all accommodation bills. Some places offer
discounts
in
January, February and November, or for longer stays, while larger hotels have
special rates in August (when business travel is scarce) or at weekends. Many
hotels also have special Internet rates, while if you don’t mind arriving without
a booking, same-day walk-in rates can offer substantial savings.
Breakfast
isn’t usually included in the price, unless specifically stated in our
reviews – and occasionally it is offered as part of a special deal. However, it’s
usually available for an extra charge and, in many hotels, breakfast can be the
most lavish of buffet spreads. These are not cheap though (around €10–15 per
person), so if all you want is coffee and a croissant it’s better to go out to a café.
Credit cards
are accepted almost everywhere, even in very modest places
(though American Express isn’t always) – pensions or hotels that don’t accept
cards are highlighted in the reviews.