The Rough Guide to Barcelona 8 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

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Finally, don’t be afraid to ask to see the room before you part with any
money – even the swankiest places won’t balk at showing you around. Standards
vary greatly between places in the same category and it does no harm to check
that you’re not being stuck at the back in an airless box.
Making a reservation
You can book accommodation at the city tourist offices, but only in person
and on the day. However, you can book online through the tourist office
website, or contact one of the other reservation agencies listed below.
Some agencies specialize in apartment rentals , available by the night, week
or month. Prices for these compare well with mid-range hotels (starting at
around €100 a night for a two-person studio), but make sure you’re happy
with the location (some are out in the more mundane suburbs) and under-
stand all the costs – seasonal premiums, cleaning charges, utility bills and taxes
can all push up the attractive quoted figure.
When booking directly at hotels and pensions, you may be asked for a credit
card number to secure a room. At most hotels, the price won’t be charged
against your card until your stay, though some smaller pensions may take a
deposit or charge you in advance.
Balconies, views and noise
Almost all hotels and pensions in Barcelona have at least some rooms with a
balcony over the street or square. These tend to be the brightest rooms in the
building and, because of the obvious inherent attraction, they sometimes cost a little
more than the other rooms. However, it can’t be stressed enough that rooms facing
onto Barcelona’s streets are often noisy. Traffic is a constant presence (including the
dawn street-cleaners) and, in a city where people are just getting ready to go out at
10pm, you can be assured of a fair amount of pedestrian noise too, particularly in
the old town, and especially at weekends. Soundproofed windows and double-
glazing deal partly with the problem, but you tend not to have this luxury in cheaper
pensions – where throwing open the windows may be the only way to get some air
in the height of summer anyway. Bring earplugs if you’re at all concerned about
having a sleepless night.
Alternatively, ask for an internal room (habitación interior). It’s true that most
buildings are built around a central air or lift shaft, and your view could simply be a
lime-green wall 1m away and someone’s washing line. However, some places are
built instead around an internal patio, so your room might overlook a pot-plant
terrace or garden – and you shouldn’t get any street noise.
Reservation agencies
Barcelona Apartment Rentals UK T0117/907
5060, W . A
small range of quality apartments, mainly in
the Eixample (some near the Sagrada Família)
and Gràcia. Friendly, English-speaking service
and advice from a born-and-bred barcelo-
nina; airport pick-ups available.
Barcelona On-Line Barcelona T 902 887 017 or
933 437 993, W .
Commission-free reservations for hotels,
pensions and apartments in Barcelona and
the surrounding area. Call or use the online
database.
Inside-BCN Barcelona T932 682 868 or 699
840 808, W Small
selection of stylishly renovated apartments
(sleeping two to six) available in the Born or
on Plaça Reial.
My Favourite Things Barcelona T 637 265 405,
W Barcelona-based agency
ACCOMMODATION
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Making a reservation