Baffled By Barcelona Hotel

[Florissouri]

I'll be arriving in Barcelona on the NCL Epic on May 1. This will be my third visit to Barcelona, so I was planning to spend only one night before I fly to Rome for three nights and then take a 7 night Eastern Med cruise.

 

So I just went to Hotwire and got a rate of $18 per night on supposedly a 3 star hotel with the amenities listed below. Anyone have any idea about this hotel? It certainly sounds too good to be true.

 

3-star Hotel in Montjuic - Barcelona Airport (BCN) This Hotel features the following amenities:

 

Free Internet

Property offers free internet access in all rooms

 

Indoor pool(s)

Property offers at least one indoor pool area; hours and dates of operation may vary.

 

Fitness Center

Guests have access to exercise equipment; an additional charge may apply.

 

Pool(s)

Property offers at least one pool area; hours and dates of operation may be seasonal.

 

Restaurant(s)

Property offers at least one restaurant on the premises; hours and days of operation may vary.

 

Business Center

Guests have access to business equipment and services; an additional charge may apply.

 

Laundry Facilities (self-service)

Guests have access to a coin-operated washer and dryer.

 

High-Speed Internet Access

Guestrooms are equipped with high-speed Internet access; an extra charge may apply.

 

Accessible path of travel

36 inch wide flat or ramped paths from the parking lot to the front desk and from the front desk to guest rooms

 

In-room accessibility

Accessible path from the room entrance to the window, the bed and the bathroom; accessible hardware and minimal resistance to open the door; accessible temperature controls and window coverings

 

Accessible bathroom

Raised toilet, hand-held shower and grab bars at the tub and toilet

 

Handicapped parking

Handicapped parking available

 

Roll-in shower

Bathroom has a roll-in shower

[6rugrats]

Maybe Aparthotel BCN Montjuic?

 

Three stars in Barcelona is not the same as three stars in the US.

[Florissouri]

Maybe Aparthotel BCN Montjuic?

 

Three stars in Barcelona is not the same as three stars in the US.

 

Apparently so.

 

It's up $5 to $23 now, but that doesn't help my confidence any.

[Florissouri]

We did a 3 star mystery on Hotwire last week and got what seems to be a decent Hotel. We did pay a little more though and book in a different part of town.

 

Hotwire booked us in Hotel u232.

 

http://www.u232hotel.com/default-en.html

 

Hope it helps. :)

 

At first I thought U232 was a u-boat. ;)

 

Nice hotel, though. I've booked 3 stars with Hotwire before at London Gatwick and got a very nice Ramada which was much nicer than the Ramada Inns in the US. It was no where near $18-$23 range, though.

 

I'll be traveling single and I am not a hotel snob, so if it's decent, clean and in a relatively safe area I would be happy. I thought being in the BCN area would be easier for my flight to Rome the next day, but I will probably take the Vueling flight at 1800 so it may not matter.

[English_in_Spain]

I am confused about the description of the hotel's location.

 

You say '3-star Hotel in Montjuic - Barcelona Airport (BCN)'. It is either on Montjuic or it is near the airport. It cannot be both as Montjuic is about 9 miles from the airport :confused:

 

As 6rugrats says, maybe it is Aparthotel BCN Montjuic and the company you are booking through assumed because it is called BCN (Barcelona's airport code) that it is near the airport. It is not.

 

If this is the property (apartments not really a hotel) then, even with special offer pricing, at the end of April a double room would be about €50 so $18 (€14) is an amazing price.

 

I would, however, be very wary of anywhere in Barcelona that was charging €14 a night. I believe in the saying "If it seems to be too good to be true, it probably is"

 

[penguinscott]

That's cheaper than the hotel I stayed in when in Thailand a few years ago. I don't know about that! Have you tried looking at other sites, like trip advisor dot com and the like?

 

Good luck. BCN is one of my favorite European cities.

[Florissouri]

I am confused about the description of the hotel's location.

 

You say '3-star Hotel in Montjuic - Barcelona Airport (BCN)'. It is either on Montjuic or it is near the airport. It cannot be both as Montjuic is about 9 miles from the airport :confused:

 

As 6rugrats says, maybe it is Aparthotel BCN Montjuic and the company you are booking through assumed because it is called BCN (Barcelona's airport code) that it is near the airport. It is not.

 

If this is the property (apartments not really a hotel) then, even with special offer pricing, at the end of April a double room would be about €50 so $18 (€14) is an amazing price.

 

I would, however, be very wary of anywhere in Barcelona that was charging €14 a night. I believe in the saying "If it seems to be too good to be true, it probably is"

 

 

I ran the search as a single so I don't know if that made much of a difference in price, but yes, that price appears awfully low (now $23).

 

Hotwire (http://www.hotwire.com/) has their own map and zones in which they classify hotels and you book an unnamed hotel by zone. I was hoping someone here would recognize the description and I could have my cake and eat it, too.

 

No one wants to stay in a scarey hotel in a far away place, but I've stayed in some pretty scarey motels in the US before. One in particular was in Jackson, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. They actually closed the chain link fence topped with razor wire at night. The room was very bad as well, but it was the only bed available within 150 miles (242 km) of the coast. And there were reasons that motel still had rooms available.

[Di Princess]

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/710127?number_of_guests=1&sort_by=0

 

I am staying in BCN for a week at the end of my Royal Princess Inaugural cruise for $51 a night, gourmet breakfast included, private en suite bath, and my own balcony. Take a look at Airbnb.

 

Big Room in the heart of Barcelona

-------------------------------------------

Enjoy of the city in our apartment, great BIG Room with double bed, wide closet, clean sheets and towels are included; the room has a COMPLETE PRIVATE BATHROOM; plus a private terrace where u can enjoy from a single cigarette or a morning coffee plus a great outside view; most important your privacy.

The apartment has all amenities to make your stay as pleasant as possible: kitchen with utensils, oven, microwave, coffee machine, iron, television, wireless internet complete, private bathroom, wash machine, comfortable livingroom, dining room, air conditioning and heat. The building has ELEVATOR and also a wide terrace in front.

Near the famous city attractions, just 3 minutes walking from La Rambla, Plaza Catalunya and Plaza Universitat, also the market La Boqueria, San Antoni, Passeig de Gracia with its museum, MACBA, Barri Gotic, close by the beach La Baceloneta, Plaza España, Mountjuic.

Sorrounded by resturants, bars, and Nightlife. Of course near transportation and Metro stations. (Aerobus, metros L1-L2) and more.

Feel free to ask anything else you need. Is a pleasure to have you home and make you feel like yours.!!

 

ABOUT MY HOSTS:

HOLA, my name is Eduardo, I am 26 years old and live with my fiance, Pedro, who i have been with for several years, and whom i plan on marrying soon. (Hope this April or May 2013). We are of hispanic origin. i am originally from mexico and Pedro is native of Cuba; we are recent residents of Spain and have thoroughly enjoyed our time here. Some of our hobbies include cooking, movies, attending the theater, literature, good music, going to the beach, gym, traveling, meeting NEW people and learning other cultures. We are both animal lovers and have little baby of our own, ¨trixus¨ our dog. It would be our pleasure to have you as a guest. Our goal is to make you feel at home.

[Florissouri]

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/710127?number_of_guests=1&sort_by=0

 

I am staying in BCN for a week at the end of my Royal Princess Inaugural cruise for $51 a night, gourmet breakfast included, private en suite bath, and my own balcony. Take a look at Airbnb.

 

Big Room in the heart of Barcelona

-------------------------------------------

Enjoy of the city in our apartment, great BIG Room with double bed, wide closet, clean sheets and towels are included; the room has a COMPLETE PRIVATE BATHROOM; plus a private terrace where u can enjoy from a single cigarette or a morning coffee plus a great outside view; most important your privacy.

The apartment has all amenities to make your stay as pleasant as possible: kitchen with utensils, oven, microwave, coffee machine, iron, television, wireless internet complete, private bathroom, wash machine, comfortable livingroom, dining room, air conditioning and heat. The building has ELEVATOR and also a wide terrace in front.

Near the famous city attractions, just 3 minutes walking from La Rambla, Plaza Catalunya and Plaza Universitat, also the market La Boqueria, San Antoni, Passeig de Gracia with its museum, MACBA, Barri Gotic, close by the beach La Baceloneta, Plaza España, Mountjuic.

Sorrounded by resturants, bars, and Nightlife. Of course near transportation and Metro stations. (Aerobus, metros L1-L2) and more.

Feel free to ask anything else you need. Is a pleasure to have you home and make you feel like yours.!!

 

ABOUT MY HOSTS:

HOLA, my name is Eduardo, I am 26 years old and live with my fiance, Pedro, who i have been with for several years, and whom i plan on marrying soon. (Hope this April or May 2013). We are of hispanic origin. i am originally from mexico and Pedro is native of Cuba; we are recent residents of Spain and have thoroughly enjoyed our time here. Some of our hobbies include cooking, movies, attending the theater, literature, good music, going to the beach, gym, traveling, meeting NEW people and learning other cultures. We are both animal lovers and have little baby of our own, ¨trixus¨ our dog. It would be our pleasure to have you as a guest. Our goal is to make you feel at home.

 

Thank you...

 

That sounds interesting so I will take a look. Maybe I'll stay two nights instead of one.

[ms.sunburn]

why don't you try asking for a hotel ID on betterbidding.com? They might be able to help you.

[vivian02]

I have booked many hotels over the years out of the country using Priceline and Hotwire and have always had a nice clean place to stay for the night. On Hotwire I usually try to stick to a 4 star hotel but have booked 3 stars with pretty good luck. I see the hotel in question on hot wire now going for $57 a night. I also see where Hotwire has the hotel rated as 100% recommened by hotwire customers according to the reviews. This means this place is most likely a good hotel to book. I am aware that there was a new hotel built close to the Barcelona airport several years ago and that this might be the hotel. I did check with betterbidding and was unable to find out what hotel it really is? If anyone does a booking on this hotel it would be nice to get some feed back. Tim

[Di Princess]

Thank you. That sounds interesting so I will take a look. Maybe I'll stay two nights instead of one.

 

Yes, Flo. Some Hosts do have a minimum stay. The nice thing about this website is:

1. No mystery as to the area you are staying in like on Hotwire and Priceline.

2. Through the Airbnb website, you can e-mail with the Hosts and ask any questions you may have, such as: How many blocks is it to Las Ramblas, how far is a grocery store, how much is a taxi to the airport (or to the port). The Hosts usually get back to you within 24 hours (time differences, you know). This way, you get to know something about them and they know about you.

3. Some places have rooms big enough for families. You can get private en suite bathrooms or balconies.

4. Very safe. Airbnb has lots of insurance to protect both the Hosts and the Guests.

5. You can get lots of information about the city you are staying in. All the Hosts I have stayed with have provided me with maps, tour books, and instructions for using buses and subways.

 

I really love using them and have always had a wonderful time and saved tons of money.

 

Maybe I should get a job with them. They are based in San Francisco

 

:eek::D:cool:;):D

[UKBayern]

The date is only less than 2 weeks away. Maybe the hotel had a large group booked who cancelled and are now faced with an almost empty hotel. I own a hotel and we sometimes do things like this. An empty room is a guaranteed loss, if there is somebody in the room they might spend some money on room service, restaurant, pay TV or whatever. This is why Hotwire can be a good idea, as the hotel does not expose itself with damaging low rates.

Also, the 1st of May is a national holiday (European Labour Day), and there will be no business travellers, this might just be a business hotel which has no customers.

 

If Hotwire says it is 3 stars and has all these amenities and 100% guest satisfaction, it cannot be that bad. Get back to us after your trip, I am curious!

[xxHadleyxx]

The date is only less than 2 weeks away. Maybe the hotel had a large group booked who cancelled and are now faced with an almost empty hotel. I own a hotel and we sometimes do things like this. An empty room is a guaranteed loss, if there is somebody in the room they might spend some money on room service, restaurant, pay TV or whatever. This is why Hotwire can be a good idea, as the hotel does not expose itself with damaging low rates.

Also, the 1st of May is a national holiday (European Labour Day), and there will be no business travellers, this might just be a business hotel which has no customers.

 

If Hotwire says it is 3 stars and has all these amenities and 100% guest satisfaction, it cannot be that bad. Get back to us after your trip, I am curious!

 

This is what I was thinking. My guess is you are just lucky and getting a bargain.

[Florissouri]

The date is only less than 2 weeks away. Maybe the hotel had a large group booked who cancelled and are now faced with an almost empty hotel. I own a hotel and we sometimes do things like this. An empty room is a guaranteed loss, if there is somebody in the room they might spend some money on room service, restaurant, pay TV or whatever. This is why Hotwire can be a good idea, as the hotel does not expose itself with damaging low rates.

Also, the 1st of May is a national holiday (European Labour Day), and there will be no business travellers, this might just be a business hotel which has no customers.

 

If Hotwire says it is 3 stars and has all these amenities and 100% guest satisfaction, it cannot be that bad. Get back to us after your trip, I am curious!

 

I absolutely understand all that since I have a degree from the University of Missouri in Hotel and Restaurant Management. An occupied room at $25 per night makes you more money than a $50 room that sits dark. It was just so..."foreign"...to me that it could be a decent hotel in a far away place at that price. Unfortunately, we will never know because I hesitated and it is now gone. Thanks for the heads up on the holiday, though.

 

Still looking...

[samavarcruiser]

I'll be arriving in Barcelona on the NCL Epic on May 1. This will be my third visit to Barcelona, so I was planning to spend only one night before I fly to Rome for three nights and then take a 7 night Eastern Med cruise.

 

So I just went to Hotwire and got a rate of $18 per night on supposedly a 3 star hotel with the amenities listed below. Anyone have any idea about this hotel? It certainly sounds too good to be true.

 

3-star Hotel in Montjuic - Barcelona Airport (BCN) This Hotel features the following amenities:

 

Free Internet

Property offers free internet access in all rooms

 

Indoor pool(s)

Property offers at least one indoor pool area; hours and dates of operation may vary.

 

Fitness Center

Guests have access to exercise equipment; an additional charge may apply.

 

Pool(s)

Property offers at least one pool area; hours and dates of operation may be seasonal.

 

Restaurant(s)

Property offers at least one restaurant on the premises; hours and days of operation may vary.

 

Business Center

Guests have access to business equipment and services; an additional charge may apply.

 

Laundry Facilities (self-service)

Guests have access to a coin-operated washer and dryer.

 

High-Speed Internet Access

Guestrooms are equipped with high-speed Internet access; an extra charge may apply.

 

Accessible path of travel

36 inch wide flat or ramped paths from the parking lot to the front desk and from the front desk to guest rooms

 

In-room accessibility

Accessible path from the room entrance to the window, the bed and the bathroom; accessible hardware and minimal resistance to open the door; accessible temperature controls and window coverings

 

Accessible bathroom

Raised toilet, hand-held shower and grab bars at the tub and toilet

 

Handicapped parking

Handicapped parking available

 

Roll-in shower

Bathroom has a roll-in shower

 

Too good to be true, but I have never heard about this hotel before :(