Hostal Portofino

For our work trip, this was a great choice for a one-night stop in Arenys de Mar. The room was spacious and clean, with a great bed, and good value for money. Parking at the port was a three-minute walk away and cost €10 for 24 hours, which seemed very reasonable. There’s no food on site, but a lovely bakery right outside is handy for breakfast. Check-in was very basic, and it took a while for someone to come let us into the building.

We’ve been here four nights and the stay hasn’t gone well. The location is convenient, but there are nearby places just as convenient and better value. For a basic hotel, this is poor value in summer high season compared with other places we stayed in Barcelona. Fairmont was much better value. A shorter visit might be tolerable, but a longer one is uncomfortable, and I can’t recommend it unless you have no choice. Getting basic information was difficult because reception speaks neither English, French, nor Chinese, three of the five languages of the UN Security Council’s permanent members. The included breakfast comes from the cafe next door and is limited to one drink and one pastry or bread. There’s no fruit, yogurt, or cereal. The cafe owner was very accommodating, unlike the receptionist, who smelled of cigarette smoke. Sleep has been a problem. The air conditioning can’t be adjusted, so it’s too cold when it’s on and too hot when it’s off, and we keep waking up to switch it. On the first floor, the electrical circuits kept tripping, cutting the air conditioning at night and turning on a bright emergency light above the door. Noise from upstairs woke me early Sunday and continued almost until noon, then came back intermittently on other mornings, making it impossible to sleep past 6 am. The walls don’t block sound either. I could hear music from the lower level and plenty of street noise with the windows closed. My window also won’t lock. The shower stall is extremely small, and it’s easy to burn yourself by slightly touching the hot side of the faucet. That’s a hazard for my children and me, since we can lean back and touch it by accident. The rooms are small, and the fridge makes a noise loud enough to bother me. There was no kettle for tea or coffee, even when we asked. The only bin was a pint-sized one in the bathroom. Each person got a bath towel and a hand towel, toiletries were limited, and we didn’t use the all-in-one shower and shampoo. Only three hangers were provided for a room for four people with two double beds, and there’s no room telephone. The floor was clean, though, and the IKEA bed was reasonably comfortable.

Portofino 1 was clean and had great beds, so our first night was perfect. On the second night we moved to Portofino 2, a three-minute walk from Portofino 1. That room was clean too, but much smaller, with a smaller bed, and it was very noisy. We’d already gone to sleep when other guests arrived on the same floor. We could hear them using their key, slamming the door, and even snoring. The last night at Portofino was disappointing.

The apartment is 70 m2, but be aware it isn’t inside the Portofino hotel. It’s about 300 m from the hotel, so you can’t get breakfast or any of the hotel’s other accommodations there. It’s also farther to the beach, since the railway crossing is near the hotel. It’s on the first floor of a three-floor building. The furniture is very old-fashioned, but it does the job. The terrace on the third floor is shared with the building’s five apartments. It was a bit noisy because of the old windows, walls, and insulation, and felt a little expensive for what we expected. Reception doesn’t speak English or French.