I'm traveling with a school trip in February. We're doing 2nts in Paris, 3nts in the Provence area, then 3nts in Barcelona. We're staying at the Hotel Catalonia Rubens in the Gracia neighborhood. Anyone familiar with the hotel? or the neighborhood? Tips appreciated. We'll be 9 HS kids and 5 adults, but we're traveling with a tour group - although evenings are on our own!

hi there SalaChic
dont know the hotel but it is situated right near Gaudi Park which is a must to see, its about 15/20mins walk to Placa Catalunia square and all the sites around there but your problem is if you are walking,its a steep hill all the way back, taxis are frequent and cheap or you could use the metro,try the touristica bus to see all the sites the city is far to big to try and walk to them all, theres plenty o restaurants and cafe bars to try on your travels so enjoy!

I would not say this is the best-located hotel, no.

As billy the man says, it's located very near the northerly Parc Güell so WALKING 9 H.S. kids FROM or TO there after a long day of sightseeing might be too much. Plus, it's all uphill from the Gothic Quarter to the hotel - albeit a gentle grade at first.

And according to Google Maps WALKING directions, it's 4.2 kilometers and would take about 50 minutes going from the hotel to the Plaça de Catalunya. YIKES!! That's too far to walk and probably too costly to take buses for all 14 persons.

I'm sure the hotel's rates are good - because of their location - and it's nice to be in a neighborhood setting as it's in Gràcia. But it seems the reservations have already been made so you'll have to deal with the distance. Their website looks nice enough.

Saludos, MadridMan/BarcelonaMan

Hola SalaChic,
I do not know the area either as I've only been to Parc Güell. But, I have a Moon guidebook that includes a description of the Gràcia neighborhood:

"Up until the 20th century, the working-class barrio of Gràcia was its own village. Home to factory workers and the poorly paid, it was a hotbed of Catalan nationalism. The famed Passeig de Gràcia is so named as it was the only road leading from Barcelona to Gràcia. In 1897, in the midst of its expansion north, Barcelona swalled Gràcia whole. However, it couldn't ingest the barrio's distinctive personality.

Sprawling north and east of the intersection of Avinguda Diagonal and Via Augusta, Gràcia is still headstrong and proud -- though many of the factory workers have been replaced by artists and fervent nationalist attitudes by a pervasive bohemian air. Gràcia is also extremely popular with expats, including Americans, Brits, Africans, and Middle Easterners. The result is a roiling cultural pot of Lebanese restaurants, English-language cinemas, traditional food markets, artist workshops, laid-back bars, jugglers on street corners, guitarists strumming in plazas, hip couples pushing expensive strollers, and lifelong residents soaking up the sun on benches.

The barrio is also home to one of Barcelona's most colorful and most traditional festivals -- Fiestas de Gràcia in August. As for actual sites with a monumental 'S,' Gràcia holds one of Barcelona's best-kept architectural secrets in its weathered streets -- Casa Vicens (C/Carolines 22), the first private residence deisgned and built by Gaudí. Completed in 1883, it demonstrates a restraint typical of his early works. Hints of his future floridity exist in the Moorish details along the roof, the rough brick walls, and the colored ceramic tiles in checkerboard and floral patterns.

The other sight to see is the barrio itself, particularly its lively squares. Plaça del Diamont was the setting for a famous Catalan novel named for the square, which documented life in Gràcia during the Spanish Civil War. Plaça del Sol is aptly named, for the sun pours into this open square by day. After nightfall, locals and expats rush in, filling the many surrouding bars until the wee hours of the morning."

This seems interesting! It is a bit of a walk to the more popular sites in Barcelona, but it sounds like a lively and colorful neighborhood. Let us know how it goes and have a great trip (it sounds like a wonderful itinerary)!

Thanks to all for the input. This is my first time accompanying HS kids on a trip (I'm an asst. chaperon - and was invited by the club advisor!!) My understanding is that if we are headed to the downtown sites, that they take us by bus! Yeah, i'm not one for marching HS kids 4 kms!! (Hey MM! Our itinerary had changed, but originally we were supposed to be in Madrid - we could have finally met up!! Maybe next time!)

Keep an eye on them! My first trip to Madrid and Spain was on a high school trip in 1973. I was 15. We would sneak out after bedtime and grab a cab and tell the driver "Jose Antonio" (what Gran Via was called back then). We had a heck of a time exploring the area around Sol in the wee hours of the night.

The good thing is, it fueled my love of Madrid and Spain that has lasted 36 years. The bad thing is I told my father about it later in life and he almost fainted!

The whole trip cost $259, including airfare, hotels, two meals a day and all tours and tips. I brought $100 in spending money and returned home with $10. We stayed at the hotel Zurbano (now a 4 Star business hotel) which is still open near the northern end of Paseo Castellana. We spent 10 days and went to Madrid, Segovia, Salamanca, Toledo, Granada and Malaga.

Good Luck!

Matt