Hotel Condes de Barcelona ★★

A stylish hotel amid the Moderisme architectural masterpieces of the Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona

This late-19th-century villa (and its new, more modern wing) is one of Barcelona’s finest old-world hotels and is set within one of Barcelona’s architectural wonderlands—the Modernisme buildings of the Passeig de Gràcia.

The facade is neo-medieval, and the interior is a mix of high-tech and traditional opulence.

Rooms come with all the standard amenities, plus marble baths and reproduction Spanish paintings.

"Classic" rooms are in the original villa, a few with baclonies, while the flashier, slighty more expensive "Design" rooms (which look the name) are in the new Edificio Center wing.

Fot the best Passeo de Gracia views, book a "Condal" room (some of those in the new wing have terraces) or a larger and more amenity-laden "Executive" room (though some of those overlook the courtyard garden for quiet, so if you're keen on the street view be sure to specify it).

The Art-Deco piano bar off the lobby is a lovely place to wind down with a drink.

There's a tiny pool on the sun deck, free WiFi throughout the hotel, and all the trappings of a four-star hotel (fitness room, pair of restaurants, sauna, pillow menu, etc.)—not bad, when rates start just above €100.

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Tips & Links

Details

Passeig de Gràcia 73–75 (at Carrer de Mallorca)
[ Eixample ]

Tel. +34-934-450-000
www.condesdebarcelona.com

Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (L3)
Bus: 22, 24, 28, 7, 16, 17, N4, N5, N6

€€€–€€€€

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The star ratings

While every hotel on this site deserves to be here, some are more deserving than others.

The red stars (★ to ★★★) next to a hotel's name do not indicate the official, local ranking of the hotel, which can be from modest 1-star to luxurious 5-star and is based largely on a laundry list of (often pointless) in-room amenities and (often uneccessary) hotel services.

(I do try to include a mention of that official rating designation in the description of each hotel, since it affects the city tax you'll pay; see the tip below).

Rather, the red stars on this site are my own subjective indication of how great a particular hotel is. This is based party on location (proximity to the sights and neighborhoods you came to see is high on my list of hotel "amenities," so anything near Plaça de Catalunya or on La Rambla or Passeig de Gracia pretty much gets a star for location alone) but mostly on such intangibles as its overall value, sense of style, friendliness, etc.

So a fabulous, quirky, friendly, cheap hotel with a Modernisme touch right in the heart of the action that's (officially) rated as a "one-star" might actually get a ★★★ here (my equivalent of a standing ovation), while a fairly bland yet nevertheless decently-priced and well-located chain property that offically ranks four stars might only rate ★ in my book.

Hotels with no stars? They're still perfectly good options—and still recommended; they just don't stand out as much.

The price ranges

The € to €€€€€ price ranges indicate roughly how much you could expect to pay for a double room for one night.

Keep in mind that rates can vary wildly with the season and with room types, which is why you'll sometimes see a range, such as €€–€€€. (I try to stick to the rates for standard rooms only, but some hotels have upwards of eight room categories; teasing them apart gets tricky.)

The ranges are as follows:

€ :	less than €50
€€ :	€50–€100
€€€ :	€100–€150
€€€€ :	€150–€250
€€€€€ :	more than €250

Hotel taxes in Barcelona

There are two taxes which can be charged on hotel stays in Barcelona.

Spain's VAT tax of 10%, which is usually folded into the rates (though always ask, since—especially at expensive hotels—it is often left off).

City hotel tax, which was introduced in late 2012 and is on a per person, per night basis, rising with the hotel's star category rating:

€0.72 for three-star hotels
€1.21 for four-star hotels
€2.48 for five-star hotels

(Note: Kids under 16 do not pay this new city tax, and it is charged only for the first seven nights—though, frankly, if you are staying for more than a week, you really should rent an apartment; it will be far cheaper.)

Useful links & resources

SIGHTS

Barcelona tourist info: Barcelonaturisme.com (info office), Guiadelocio.com (events mag); Catalunya.com (regional info), Spain.info

Sightseeing passes: Barcelona Card (20+ sights; transport; discounts), Museum Pass (6 sights)

Tours & activities: Viator.com, ContextTravel.com, UrbanAdventures.com, City-Discovery.com, Intrepidtravel.com, Gadventures.com

LODGING

Hotels: Booking.com, Venere.com, Priceline.com, Hotels.com

B&Bs: Booking.com, Bedandbreakfast.com, Airbnb.com, Venere.com

Apartments: Rentalo.com, Vrbo.com, Booking.com, Airbnb.com, Interhomeusa.com, Homeaway.com

Hostels & campgrounds: Hostelbookers.com, Hostelworld.com, Hostelz.com, Booking.com

TRANSPORT

Airfares: