THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A HOTEL

There are so many different kinds of hotel accommodations, from luxury five star resorts to very affordable rooms that offer the basics and let you spend your money on other things. It all depends on what you are looking for, and what you are willing to pay for.

However there are some things you should look for, and scrimping on it can seriously hamper how pleasant your stay will be.

COMFORTABLE BEDS

For example, you need comfortable beds. They may not use Egyptian cotton sheets but they should at least be clean and soft. You don’t want to wake up with an aching back and the feeling that you slept on the floor! Otherwise you won’t have the energy to really tour the city, nor will you feel very relaxed when every muscle in your body aches. Luckily even the simplest and most rustic accommodations can at least offer decent beds.

CLEAN ROOMS

Another important factor is the cleanliness of the overall room. You should look for good housekeeping services, where the staff gives a thorough sweep every day, and makes sure that the room is well maintained even if it is not occupied. The room should look and smell fresh, no insects or stickiness or dust.

SAFETY AND SECURITY

There is nothing that can ruin a vacation more than losing valuables and spending precious hours filing a report of theft at the local police station. Your money, your credit cards, your jewelry, your camera—make sure that they’re safe. Either bring them with you or leave them at the hotel’s safety box. You should also make sure that the locks are secure and that the hotel has proper security measures to control who can walk in and out of the area.

ACCESSIBILITY

It’s pointless to “Save” money on a hotel and then spend an exorbitant amount on transportation just to get to the places of interest. Look for something that isn’t too isolated, especially if you plan to go around, or are traveling with young kids. Also ask the hotel if they have complimentary shuttle services, or if they are near public transportation. That can really affect how much of Barcelona you see, and what you spend.

EXTRA PERKS

These items aren’t necessary but they certainly do make a hotel stay memorable. If you can afford it, get it. Part of the vacation experience is feeling pampered. You only do this once a year so why not go all out and get the full deal? However, get what’s important to you. It is not wise to pay for a perk that you know you won’t really need. For example, you may not need WI FI if you are not a business traveler and don’t plan on contacting anyone during your five days in Barcelona.

• Room service. This is just one of the fun things about staying in a hotel. You can get a banana split at 3 am, or can opt to lounge in the room and drink champagne while soaking in a hot tub.
• Wi FI. This is very important for a business traveler. Ideally you shouldn’t have to pay for this service or go to specially appointed business areas. Ideally you should get this from your own hotel room. Do check any hotel that advertises Wi Fi if this is available, and what rooms it is available in. It could be you want to use it for work, keep up with the news or just to relax (playing poker online for example) - either way, it’s a great resource to have in your room!
• Free breakfast. You will save money on your breakfast and perhaps even your lunch. Many people who are busy touring will eat a heavy breakfast buffet and opt for a lighter lunch so they can see as much as they can of the city.
• Babysitting services. What a great deal this means to parents traveling with kids! You can have a romantic dinner out without worrying about what the kids are up to.
• Spa services. Who wouldn’t appreciate a facial, a massage, or even a relaxing foot spa after walking around the whole day?
• Entertainment - be it a show done by professionals or kareoke, especially if your travelling alone it’s great to have the opportunity to leave your hotel room and socialise a little

Frequent travelers say that planning is the secret to a good trip. As exciting as it may sound to just suddenly pack your bags and board the first plane to the country of your choice, the best thing to do is to plan the details. That way you know what to expect, you can negotiate for the best deals, and you can make the most of your stay.

The first thing you should do is to find as much information you can about Barcelona. Read about the culture, the sights, the food, the history. This will whet your appetite and give you a sense of anticipation. It can also give you an idea of what places you should see, or even what restaurants you should try. Reading about weather and climate can tell you what clothes to pack, while viewing objective reviews by fellow travelers (usually find this on the web) can help you separate marketing hype from the real thing.

Invest in a guidebook. Ideally this should have a map, key phrases in Spanish, and a summary of what you’ll find at the different tourist attractions. This will help you decide what attractions you want to see and how much time you may want to allocate to each. It can also help you figure out what area of Barcelona you want to book your hotel in, based on where the attractions are concentrated.

Next is to start making your travel plans. What airport do you want to use? What airline? Try to get the different prices and compare the best time of the day or the best day of the week to get a bargain ticket. You can identify these patterns by watching travel websites over several months. IF you’re flexible about your vacation dates then you can afford to wait for a good deal.

Are you planning to go during peak season? Beware: Barcelona hotel accommodations can get filled up weeks in advance. Try to book your flight at least 3 months ahead of time. Sign up for the alert service of websites that will inform you if there is a change in the price of air fare. And don’t forget to ask the hotels about their promos; sometimes they don’t update their websites.

One of the best ways to see Barcelona, or any city in Spain, is to go on a guided tour. Barcelona has a rich history and culture, and a tour guide can help give a dimension and depth to your understanding of the sites that you can’t glean from the brochures or even the website. After all, many of these tour guides have spent years studying those attractions. They are in one of the best positions to really explain each feature and answer your many questions about it.

Many travel agencies can arrange for a tour to be part of the travel package. You will save money and do away with the inconvenience of having to look for a guide at the last minute. These tours are also included in a very convenient itinerary so you really get to see as much as you can during your stay in Barcelona. There are one-day tours, three-day tours and the more extensive week-long tours. Many of these packages will include a visit to the more popular restaurants, so that even your lunch break can become an exploration of the city’s culture— culinary culture, that is.

There are tours that focus on the arts and architecture, for people who want to see the evolution of the country’s buildings, and be given (in the process) a small taste of the evolution of art history as well. These guides can show how certain features in a building were the mark of a particular ethnic group, or how this or that architect left his own style on the design. Art enthusiasts will also appreciate how the tour guide shows the effects of historical periods like Baroque, Renaissance, and other major art movements.

Food lovers will enjoy wine tasting tours. These are an introduction to the wines of Spain, and will give a description of the regions where the wines are made.

One can also arrange for Barcelona to be part of a larger bike tour of Spain. You can pass through the city while seeing other parts, including the countryside. You can also take a chauffer driven tour, if you’d rather travel in comfort.

The airport of Barcelona is called El Prat. It is one of Spain’s major gate ways and is often used as the entry point for anyone entering the Iberian Peninsula.

El Prat is conveniently located about 15 kilometers from the city center. You will take the C-246 freeway, which also winds towards out of the city proper and towards the seaside resort of Castadefells.

Unless you plan to walk out of the airport, you will need to find some form of transportation to bring you to your Barcelona hotel. You have many options. You can rent a car, get a taxi, ride the train, take a bus commute, or request for a shuttle. Which one is best for you?

The car rental is one of the most convenient ways of getting around the city. For business travelers, it can ensure that you get to your meetings and client calls on time, and give you enough mobility to squeeze in your shopping or personal tours between business errands. It is also a good option for those who are on vacation but want to see the areas around Barcelona. Big groups of travelers can also save money on car rentals, since you can split the cost of the car instead of buying individual tickets.

Taxis afford fast and convenient travel. It’s fast, and lets you relax as you get from one point to another. A taxi ride from the air port to the city will take about 15 minutes. You can find rows of taxis at all three airport terminals. The fare will cost about 16 Euros (very affordable) to travel from here to the city centre, the Plaza Catalunya. Heading towards Sagrada Familia? Fare is slightly higher at 19 Euros. But do bear in mind that you will have to pay an additional 90 cents for every item of luggage.

The train system runs through the airport terminal towards the Mataro Line, Sant station, Plaza Catalunya, and to Arc de Triomf. However you will have to adjust o the schedule of the trains, which start at about 6:00 a.m. and then close after 11 p.m.

There is much to discover and appreciate in the majestic city of Barcelona, Spain. The history and culture, the exciting night life, are an interesting contrast of old and new. Barcelona is one of the four regions in Catalunya. One of its main attractions is Park Guell, which is an outstanding example of Modern Art. The architect, Antonio Gaudi, is considered one of the greatest figures in that period in art history. The park showcases some walls, benches and buildings that are some of his best pieces.

Just a short walk from the Park is the church Sagradia Familia (which means “Sacred Family”). It was also designed by Gaudi. He started it in 1883 and it is still in the process of being completed. There were plans of finishing it before the start of the new millennium but locals like to joke about when the church will actually be completed.

Another famous attraction—very popular among kids and adults—is the Barcelona Zoo. It was established in 1892 at the Ciutadella Park, and is known today for its research efforts and success in captive breeding. The zoo has an amazing 7,500 kinds of animals, including rare species like a pygmy hippo, a red kangaroo, and a rare breed of anteater as well. In fact, the Barcelona Zoo has made great contributions in helping endangered animals. The primate collection is one of the best in the world. For marine life, visit the Aquarama Barcelona, which also has regular dolphin shows and exhibits of quite a number of sea creatures.

For those who love flowers and gardens, be sure to travel to old Barcelona, where the famous Las Ramblas awaits. This is a place that is filled with birds and gardens—quite an experience of gorgeous flowers and a chorus of bird song. Visitors can also buy fresh produce and meats at the Boqueria.

The 1992 Olympic Games, which were held in Barcelona. Today the Olympic Village is full of hotels and stores. Very near there are the Mapfre Tower, the Nova Icaria Square, and the Arts Hotel.

Are you planning a trip to Barcelona? Then one of your major concerns would be what hotel you can stay in, and how much it would cost. Since Barcelona is one of the most popular cities in Spain, seeing thousands of visitors a year, rest assured that you will find plenty of hotel accommodations. Just go on the Internet and you’ll see just how many choices you have.

There are many things to consider while choosing a hotel. Some of the most important factors are, of course, price, location, service and quality.

The price of a hotel fluctuates according to the kind of amenities it has. You do get what you pay for. However, you can find great discounts on hotels by going there during the off season, or finding websites that have a lot of promos and package rates. Remember that travel sties have preferred relationships with hotels because of the volume of tourists that they can bring to an establishment. You are more likely to negotiate for a discount if you course your transactions through an affiliated website rather than doing the search on your own. As for service, look for a hotel that has—at the very least—a warm and accommodating staff. Even if not all hotels offer personalized butler service, or have a full staff of spa therapists and personal shoppers at your disposal, they can at least be friendly and helpful. You can get an idea of how customer-service oriented a hotel is by how you are treated when you are inquiring about package rates. How they treat a potential customer is a good idea of how they treat an existing customer.

Some of the best known hotels in Barcelona is the Eurostars Grand Marina Hotel. This hotel is found in the centre of Port Vell and has a long tradition of excellence and grandeur. Others may enjoy staying in the Claris Hotel, a converted 19th century palace done in the neoclassical architectural style. For those who want a closer look at Barcelona culture, there is the Le Meridien Barcelona Hotel. It is located near major cultural attractions like the famous Liceo Opera House, The Gothic Quarter, and the Museo Picasso. But if you are more into shopping, consider the Intercontinental Princess Sofia Hotel, a stone’s throw away from the exclusive shopping district.

Barcelona has something to offer everyone. There is such a wide variety of attractions.

Are you looking for a beach holiday? Then head for Barcelona’s newly redeveloped seafront, which not only promise hours of sea, san and surf, but also boasts of several shops and restaurants conveniently located along the side of the shoreline.

Those who are interested in art history and culture will also enjoy seeing nearly 50 museums located in the city including the famous Museo Picasso and Fundacion Joan Miro. You’ll be able to see first hand thousands of famous sculptures, prints, and paintings.

History and architecture buffs will enjoy the city waking tours, which include visits to historical monuments like the Roman Wall and the Roan Aqueduct. For more recent historical milestones, you can also go to the Olympic Village site of the 1992 Summer games. The winners of those events are immortalized in the Placa dels Campions.

For those looking for an exciting night on the town, Barcelona offers a wide range of restaurants, cocktail lounges, karaoke bars, dance clubs and even theater. The restaurants offer authentic Spanish food, and often have options to dine al fresco. You’ll find diverse menus that reflect the regional differences in the way dishes are executed. There are also restaurants that have international menus or fusion menus. Don’t forget to sample the famous Spanish wine!

For those who like the outdoors, there are the Coastal Mountain Range and Catalonian Pyrenees. Discover new things about the wildlife at the Aquarium and Barcelona Zoo. There is also a Maritime Museum and a Museum of Barcelona Football Club.

Those who are looking for clothes and accessories would enjoy a trip to the Barcelona’s many different fashion boutiques.

No trip to Barcelona would be complete without dropping by the Old Town district, about north west from the harbor. Other places where you can see the unique culture of the city are the Gothic Quarter or Barrio Gotico. El Arco de Triunfo and the world famous Cathedral of Ciudad Condal. Don’t forget the Gothic Quarter, located within the Barrio de la Ribera. The area has strong medieval influences.

The Picasso Museum

This should be on the itinerary of anyone who visits Barcelona. The museum collection is housed in five medieval palaces. Picasso was a prodigious artist and the extensive collection show the progression of his work as he went throw one creative stage to another. It also gives a good idea of Picasso’s life, as the exhibits trace his roots from birth in Malaga, to the happy years he lived in Paris, to the very influential Moscow period (it was there that he made his famous series of paintings on the Russian Ballet), his return Barcelona, which he made his home.

The Picasso Museum also has the benefits of having very affordable entrance fees, easy accessibility (even from public transportation), and proximity to other tourist attractions. One can spend the morning at the museum and then head for the Ciutat Vella (which means Beautiful City).

The Ciutat Vella

This is one of the historical districts of Barcelona and dates back to the 14th Century. You’ll find several of the original neighborhoods. This includes the Gothic quarters, Las Ramblas (a promenade filled with flowers) La Ribera, and the Raval.

It is not difficult to navigate the Ciutat Vella. Tourists are guided by four famous landmarks. Begin your tour at the Catalunya Square and then amble towards the Las Ramblas. From here, head towards the Christopher Columbus Monument, which is located at the edge of the city near the port area. You can walk towards the Olympic Port, and by doing this, reach Ciutat Park. Amid the cobblestone streets and series of boutiques, you will have a great view of Arc of Triumph.

Nou Camp Football Stadium

You don’t have to be a soccer fan to enjoy an exciting game played by the Barca, Barcelona’s pride. The football season starts in September and ends in May. If you are in the city during that time be sure to get tickets! Hopefully the team will win and you will see how the entire city celebrates!

Costa Brava/Costa Dorada

Try to spend at least one day at the coastlines of Barcelona. You can find quite a number of hotels, from affordable youth hostels to five star hotels to very charming bed and breakfasts run by the locals.

Barcelona is one of the jewels of Europe: elegant, beautiful, full of romance and vitality. Many visitors feel that it is one of the best cities to see in the whole continent.

For example, it is impossible to talk about the Modern movement of art without mentioning Antonio Gaudi, the great Spanish artist who helped developed Barcelona’s Guell Park. He transformed the ordinary balconies, benches, walls and buildings into living works of art. You’ll take plenty of pictures here, and unlike traditional museums, these pieces are not hidden behind glass cases. You can touch it, sit on it, and see how they transform even the shadows cast by the sun into art.

Standing next to the park is the famous Sagrada Familia Church, another one of Gaudi’s masterpieces. Despite the way it looks like an ancient work, construction actually started in 1883, and new additions are still being made today. Locals joke about how it will never be finished, but perhaps no great work of art ever really is. This piece is a fine example of how architecture has evolved over the years.

Barcelona is also home to one of the biggest collections of exotic animal species, the Barcelona Zoo. Found near La Ciutat Vella (Beautiful City)’s port area, it boasts of a stunning number of 7,500 species. The Zoo is famous for its research efforts and has been very instrumental in protecting endangered animals. In fact, it has been successful in captive breeding thus helping to make sure that the next generation will still be able to see and appreciate these wondrous creatures. Some of the treasures of its collection are the small pygmy hippopotamus, an odd anteater, the red kangaroo, tortoises with colored shells, and one of the world’s best primate collections.

If you are staying in tourist accommodations that let you cook your meals in your own kitchen then be sure to go to the Bouqeria, Spain’s largest market. Here you’ll find fresh produce and local goods, as well as a dazzling array of fresh flowers. Bring your camera to capture both the beautiful bouquets and the local color.

You can find five star hotels in Barcelona, but if you are working on a strict budget then you probably want to stay away from those five star prices, too. Don’t worry. You can find many affordable accommodations that will let you spend your money on other things—like Barcelona’s fantastic fashion apparel, or the fine wines and food, or even extending your stay so you don’t have to rush through its many attractions.

For example, you can opt to stay in a three star hotel. A three star hotel can guarantee clean and comfortable beds and rooms, your own private bathroom, safety deposit boxes, and basic amenities like housekeeping services and room service. In other words, it’s a good hotel, but it doesn’t have any frills. For some people, that’s enough. They reason that they won’t be spending much time in the hotel anyway—especially if they plan to enjoy Barcelona’s night life—so the most important thing to them is that they can sleep comfortably and be reasonably nearby the transportation system and the major tourist attractions.

Another things you can do is to get an apartment. This is a good option for those who are traveling in groups. If you were to rent a hotel you would have to adhere to a strict headcount. Even an extra bed will incur a fee. But apartments will have more flexible headcounts. You can divide the cost between you and your travel buddies and work out among yourselves who has to sleep on the couch! You can also cook your own meals in an apartment. This can save a lot of money especially if you take advantage of the local fresh produce. This is also the best option for those who are planning to stay in Barcelona for a month or longer.

Some locals also rent out rooms to tourists, or run small bed and breakfasts. These are family run operations so don’t expect to get room service at 3 am! But they will often include meals (you can enjoy an authentic dish) and you often get very personalized service by people who will treat you like an honored guest.