Review Catalonia Ramblas Hotel
 |
| Catalonia Ramblas Hotel |
Catalonia Ramblas Hotel is located at the heart of Barcelona's tourist area. It sits between two major squares- Plaza de Catalunya and Plaza de la Universitat. Its location is impressive for those who wish to be immersed in Barcelona's tourist attractions.
The hotel was previously the home of the Headquarters for Spain's La Vanguardia newspaper and has maintained its air of bustle and business. The lobby area is large and busy, with plasma screens sporting adverts and hotel information. In total, there are 221 rooms, housed across two large buildings. The hotel caters largely for business groups and conferences. The incessant action, traffic and noise in the hotel may not appeal to those who prefer a more personal or relaxed approach.
Despite the hotel's overall sense of bustle, it does provide surprising oasis's of calm. There is a small and well-equipped spa and gym area plus a terrace area on the ground floor of the hotel, between its two buildings. This section is impressively quiet and serene, considering its close vicinity to one of Barcelona's busiest streets.
Hotel Facilities:
Catalonia Ramblas Hotel offers a terrace on its ground floor. The terrace comprises a bar, seating area and pool. The terrace is open all year round, however its amenities are opened when the hotel judges that the weather is sufficiently warm - normally from Spring until Autumn. During these periods the bar area provides cocktails and tapas and is open from 11:00-00:00 midnight. The pool is 12 metres long by 4 metres wide. It is unheated and is available to all customers of the hotel.
In the basement of the pool there is a small spa and fitness centre. This is open from 11:00-21:00 during the week and from 09:00-18:00 at weekends. The spa offers a sauna, an aromatic shower (a shower that releases essence of eucalyptus), a cyclonic shower (all over body massage) and a large jacuzzi. The gym is very small and contains a running machine and two cycling machines.
The hotel offers various eating options. Buffet breakfast is available in the basement restaurant, which is otherwise used for business banquets and conventions. Hot and cold food is on offer and costs €12.00 - €15.00.
There is also a snack bar in the lobby of the restaurant. This is open from 10:00-02:00 and serves snacks such as omelettes (€4.60) and steak sandwiches (€10.00). Alcohol and soft drinks are also served here. The hotel's main restaurant is called Ristorante Pelai. It serves Catalan and Mediterranean style food and offers both a la carte and three-course set menus. There are two 'Menu del Dia's' on offer, one at €22.00 and the other at €28.00. The restaurant has a capacity of 52 people.
No pets are allowed in the hotel.
Business Facilities:
The hotel caters largely to businesses and has many facilities on offer. The basement area of the hotel houses an area with a capacity of 400 people. This area can be panelled off into a maximum of 8 smaller areas. There is also a dining area that can be rented for private functions and seats 600 people for dinner or 700 people for cocktails.
There is also free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. Next to the lobby area there is a small business centre containing two computers with internet access. These are coin operated and cost €2.00 for ten minutes.
Facilities for the Disabled:
There are 6 rooms that have been adapted for wheelchair use. Each of these rooms had widened doors and a special shower fitted. There are lifts to all floors.
Unfortunately, the hotel pool does not have a special lift for wheelchair users.
Rooms:
There are a total of 221 rooms in the hotel across 4 and 6 floors (the hotel is spread across two buildings). Rooms on offer are Standard, Superior, Superior with terrace, Suite or Junior Suite. The Standard rooms are either Double or twin beds, although 8 of them include single beds.
The windows are double-glazed, however, the hotel is located on a street housing numerous bars and restaurants. Therefore, those who are hoping for a very peaceful night's sleep should request an interior room.
There are various views available from the different rooms. Some of the rooms face the large Carrer del Pelai and some face the smaller and pedestrianised Calle Tallers. Other rooms face the pool and terrace area. In some of the Standard rooms and all of the superior rooms it is possible for families to stay. They offer a living room area with a sofa bed.
All of the Suites offer a terrace with a small pool. Some of the Superior rooms also offer a terrace, approximately 9 metres squared in size.
Generally, smoking is permitted throughout the hotel, except for in the meeting rooms and restaurant.
Check-in time at the hotel is 12:00 noon and check-out time is 12:00 noon for individuals staying at the hotel. For larger group bookings the times change: check-in time is 14:00 and check-out time is 12:00 noon.
There is no option for short stay rooms in the hotel. However, the hotel state that they do all that they can to deal with individual requests. This could, therefore, be an option, subject to availability.
 |
| El Triangle |
Hotel Location and Facilities:
Catalonia Ramblas Hotel is located on a street that connects two of Barcelona's major squares- Plaza de Catalunya and Plaza del Universitat. It is located directly opposite the 'Triangle' shopping centre, where, amongst others, there is a FNAC, a Habitat, a Sephora cosmetics shop and a Haagen Daaz café.
Plaza de Catalunya, to the right of the hotel, is a hive of activity, situated at the top of the Ramblas. It is the home of Barcelona's popular department store, El Corte Ingles, with its distinctive, art-deco style building. It is also a nice place to go and sit on one of the benches around its pedestrianised centre to watch the world go by, or feed the birds.
 |
| Plaza de Catalunya |
The hotel is located within two minutes walking distance of the Ramblas. This is where you will find necessary amenities such as banks, pharmacies, internet cafés and a supermarket.
How to travel from the airport to the hotel
Private transfer service - Barcelona airport to your hotel or hotel to Barcelona airportIf you don't speak Spanish and you are unfamiliar with Barcelona booking a private airport transfer is a good option to consider. Once booked, you will have someone waiting to meet you at Barcelona airport to take you to your hotel. They will be holding a sign with your name on it. You need to book this service online before you leave by following the links below.
Private airport transfer service
Mini Van Shuttle Transfer To And From Barcelona Airport
If you wish to reserve a shared mini-van transfer from Barcelona Airport to your hotel or vice versa click on the link below. Note that this service is not a private service for you own group but the mini van will be shared with other passengers.
Shared minivan transfer from Barcelona Airport to hotel or hotel to Barcelona Airport
Public transport transfer options
Via Taxi: A taxi from the airport should take about 25 minutes and cost around €25.00 - €30.00 depending on traffic and luggage.
Via Train: The RENFE train leaves the airport every half an hour and
will take you to Passeig de Gracia in 25 minutes. You can either use the
T10 transport ticket from the airport (T10 costs
€9.25 for 10
separate journeys on Barcelona public transport) or you can buy a single
fare ticket for€3.60. You then change at Passeig de Gracia onto
the Green Line metro and travel one stop to Drassanes. Your hotel is
then a few minutes walk from the metro.
Via Bus: Take the 'Aerobus ' to Plaza de Catalunya from directly outside the airport. The Aerobus generally runs every 10 - 15 minutes and the journey time is 30 minutes. The hotel is less 5 minutes walk from Plaza de Catalunya.
In a Nutshell:
Catalonia Ramblas Hotel provides its own busy hub, adjacent to Barcelona's busy hub - Plaza de Catalunya. It caters largely for businesses, which may lessen its appeal for tourists. However, it provides impressive amenities in a setting that places much of Barcelona within easy reach.
Catalonia Ramblas Hotel - 4 Star
Carrer del Pelai, 28
08001 Barcelona, España
Metro: Catalunya (Green Line, L3) / (Red Line, L1)
