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Review 4023: DestinationBCN, Paso Doble

www.destinationbcn.com

Recommended. Review by eliza3 from Spain

2bed/1bath apartment near Plaza Catalunya, Barcelona

When

February 2009, 1 week

Location

The apartment is very centrally located, close to Plaza Catalunya and Las Ramblas. The location is excellent for walking to all the central areas in Barcelona. The apartment is in a (maybe) five-story building (what I would call the ground floor was called the basement) and has a lift/elevator. We liked the area very much, especially for our first trip to Barcelona.

Nearby Amenities

Due to its central location there are cafes, restaurants and bars immediately you step outside the front door. The nearest large grocery shopping was Cortes Ingles, about a five minute walk, but smaller stores were closer.

The House/Apartment

The building is old, but has been lovingly restored. The apartment was not quiet as it faced the main road and even on the third floor (fourth European to me)with double glazing, noise could be heard. We knew this would be the case but preferred the lovely view over the main street and towards Plaza Catalunya and chose this over a quieter apartment. The same agency has several apartments in the same building.

There is central heating - which we didn´t need to use.

The layout - you enter a main door at the apartment level, and then the door to the actual apartment from a small lobby - due to one large apartment having been converted into two. The rear apartment would be quieter. There was a good sized kitchen behind which was a laundry. A separate dining area opened on to the living area, which in turn opened on to a lovely small enclosed balcony.

The bathroom led off the dining area and is split into two, with basin and mirror in one and the other the toilet and shower. The two bedrooms are either side of the living room, all those three rooms facing the main road.

I am not sure how many other apartments there were - as some are probably the original large size and at least one floor is a hostel of some sort, which in no way detracted from the ambiance. Being an old building and the fact that the front door of the apartment did not go directly onto the stairwell, we heard no noise from other apartments. We were aware when someone entered the apartment behind us, but that was all. The only noise comes from the street.

Garden

No outside sitting area as such, but the enclosed balcony was lovely. It was quite private, although I guess someone on the same level could have craned their necks to see us.

Furnishings/Cleanliness/Living Areas

Everything in the apartment was in excellent condition and of top quality. The sofa was not a sofa bed (that was part of our decision making process) and therefore comfortable - I assume they exist but am yet to find a sofa bed which is comfortable. Although the apartment would sleep four comfortably, there is only one sofa and while large(ish) would not seat four adults. There is a chair on the balcony and four dining chairs. The apartment was very clean and everything in pristine condition.

Bedrooms/Bathrooms

Both bedrooms are double sized. We slept in the slightly larger of the two, which had a king sized bed whereas the other had a queen size. The king size was two large singles joined together. The bed was extremely comfortable, plenty of pillows etc. The bedrooms were very pleasant rooms with lovely windows with shutters inside and out - hence waking one morning at 9.30! If there were two couples, the bedrooms being separated by the living room would add to the privacy.

The bathroom was fine. In two sections, as stated earlier - the first a small area with basin, mirror, shelf etc and then through a door to a slightly larger room with shower and toilet and many spare towels. So effectively one person could be in each space. Only one bathroom could be an issue with four people in the apartment, depending on the time each takes.

Kitchen

The kitchen was very usable. Excellent appliances. There were plenty of cups and glasses for all purposes and all matched. A coffee plunger (French press variety), and although we only cooked one full meal the kitchen was very adequate. Good stove, excellent knives, dishwasher, full size fridge. Oven was some sort of convection/microwave combo which my husband didn´t like much but it mattered not. I cannot imagine you would want to use an oven that often staying so close to so many wonderful Barcelona restaurants.

Everything was of excellent quality. All the utensils were great.

The laundry was great. Separate washer and dryer, easy to use, although instructions were provided. Cupboard with iron, ironing board, spare loo paper etc.

Problems or Bonuses

The only surprises were good. I had done my research and communicated with the agency so was not really surprised at the quality of the apartment. The photos on the website very accurately represent the apartment.

The very pleasant surprises - there was plenty of tea (different varieties), excellent coffee, sugar, oil etc as well as detergent for the washer and dishwasher, spare bin bags all provided as well as copious quantities of spare loo paper. In the fridge was a large bottle of water, a bottle of cava (Spanish champagne) and some delicious chocolates.

The attention to detail was superior to any other apartment we have ever rented. Admittedly we paid a little more than we usually do but there was absolutely nothing we could fault.

There is also a land line which we didn´t need to use but can be used to receive calls and is free for local calls.

Agency and Representatives (and price)

The agency was excellent to deal with from the very beginning. Highly responsive to e-mails and very helpful. At that time (and maybe still) there were no floor plans on the website but Anne kindly sent them through to me when I was trying to decide between several apartments.

During my research, most of the apartments I found were very spartan and, while some were cheaper, did not look especially comfortable. All the people we dealt with spoke excellent English. A representative of the apartment met us and explained everything to us and answered any questions.

We paid €1275, including 50 cleaning fee, for the week, which I think is quite reasonable for the quality and the location.

Do you recommend this vacation rental to others?

Yes, we would stay there again and we would recommend this apartment and the agency very highly. We live in Spain and are sure to visit Barcelona again so would probably stay a little away from the centre of things next time or in a slightly different area.

Things to do in this area

We ate at many restaurants - central Barcelona restaurants can be large and populated by tourists so we avoided the chain restaurants and tried to get off the main streets. We loved it all, probably El Born and Barrio Gotic over some of the other areas. All except Las Ramblas which is over run by tourists and people painted as statues etc.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

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