Buenos dias amigos! I just got back from Spain and in the coming days I'll adding reviews of hotels and restaurants to this awesome message board.

In Barcelona, we stayed at the Hotel Silken Gran Havana , which is a four-star hotel in a great location, just shy of the Plaza Catalunya and Las Ramblas. We got a great deal with a 2 for 3 special. (Pay for 2 nights, stay 3). It seems like the Silken chain, while pricey, typically offers specials to encourage short-term stays.

The hotel has been remodeled with no stone unturned. Maintaining its 19th century facade, the interior is very art nouveau/art deco, which makes you feel you are really in the city that so prizes design and architecture. The interior boasts a huge skylight that illuminates the lobby. Our room was on the first (well second) floor, right of the Gran Via Corts des Catalanes, but thanks to double windows, the traffic noise was no bother. In the bathroom we found fabulous toiletry items that were so fragrant (lavanda puig), I brought home a batch!

The surrounding area is relatively residential. You need to walk a little to hit the main stretch of Paseo Gracia to find restaurants. There's a store known locally as the 7-11 (ask the clerk) where you can buy foodstuffs just around the corner.

This is my very first posting. This message board is very informative and a lot of fun to read.
Our group of 8 will go on a cruise of the mediterranean on Sep 2. We plan to spend a day before the cruise and 2 days after in Barcelona. Would you or anyone else please help us with the following questions:
1. Should we book hotel now or it is still too early?
2. Is "Name a Price" on Priceline.com a good place to start?
3. Is it still hot in Barcelona the first week of Sep.?
4. Do you recommend the tour bus to do sightseeing?
5. Do we get more favorable exchange rate if we exchange our US dollars in Barcelona?

Thank you.