Hi! Thanks to everyone for all the informative discussions I've already read. I feel pretty good about my choices in Madrid. My problem is that I'm trying to find a place in Barcelona for a few days as well.

I wish there was a board as detailed for Barcelona as this one is for Madrid! So, my main question is - does anyone have any recommendations for Barcelona? A lot of places are already reserved for when I'll be there (mid October), so I need to look beyond many of the guidebook places. Additionally, we're looking for something near Les Rambles.

In particuliar, does anyone have any experience with Hosteria Grau? How was it?

thanks-
Quinn

Yep I was there in March this year.
It's just off the Ramblers.
The double rooms are fine.
If you take the train from the airport to the city centre you can walk to this hotel, across the square, in about 15 minutes.
But it can be difficult to find at first.
Head for the Ramblers and if you start at the top of the ramblers facing the sea its just on your right, a small lane.
I think there is a shoe shop on the corner.

Ask at the open air bar on the right the waiter speaks pritty good English.

Go down the lane and its on your left.

Be careful after 3am on returning merry I came across a few bad types.

Also be careful in general you will be a target. Bag snatching being the worse type.

Thanks for the reply, Steveaqui. Hosteria Grau sounds pretty good. Your reply made me think of another question - I remember hearing that there is an end of Les Rambles that isn't so good - maybe a bit unsafe at night. Given your remark about coming home at 3am (a likely possibility for me!) , is this at the "not as safe" end of Les Rambles?

Just curious - anyone else want to chime in?

quinn

The end of the Ramblas closest to the sea was the "bad" end - I believe it was known for prostitution etc. I think the whole waterfront including this part of the Ramblas was cleaned up for the Olympics and has been OK ever since. It was certainly fine in 1997 when I was there.

Thanks Brian! Good to know.

So - another question. How about the Hotel Caledonian in Barcelona? It looks fairly nice, and with what seems like a pretty good exchange rate right now it seems affordable.

So I have the normal sorts of questions - is it nice, what's it like, is it close to Les Rambles? I'm at work right now so I don't have access to a good map unfortunately. What do people think of/know of Hotel Caledonian?

I promise I'll try to summarize all this info and what I learn over there when I get back! Thanks to everyone!

Quinn

YEP, generally its the sea end thats the worse problem. A lot of drug problems around and quite a few of the people are not Spanish.
In general as long as your careful there won't be a problem and during the day its fine. Hand bags are the target.

You've probably found them already, but here are the websites for Hostería Grau & Hotel Caledonian in Barcelona. Both are in great locations, but Hotel Caledonian seems to be the closer of the two to Las Ramblas.

And please, if you stay at any of these hotels (or others), return to this/your thread and let us know how you found them.

Have a great time in Barcelona !!! We're SURE you will!!

Saludos, MadridMan

One important point I forgot about Grau and that is its within falling distance of a late bar, ~3am/4am called la oveja negra
(black sheep)and the beer is really cheap.