Dorma Ramblas Boquería

The front desk service was the worst part. The guy was rude and unfriendly, and outright told me he didn’t like travelers. The rooms are tiny, with no shelf space in the bathroom, and the TV has only a few channels. Pigeons gather around the market below, so you might not be able to enjoy a nice balcony because of the birds and their mess. Las ramblas is torn up right now, and cabs can’t get close to the hotels. Once the construction is finished, the area will all be pedestrian. It’s hard to roll suitcases through it.

It was serviceable, and I didn’t pay for the stay, so I can’t say whether it was worth the price. The hotel is right in the middle of tourist central, which could be a plus or a minus depending on how you feel about that. There’s major, noisy construction throughout the area.

The location was the best part. Everyone at reception was nice, and they replied quickly to my emails. I’d give the hotel 2.5 stars, but the location and the staff brought me to 3. I wouldn’t stay here again if I came back to Barcelona. The place wasn’t nearly as nice inside as the online photos made it look. Even reception seemed old and messy, and our room was in poor shape. The maids cleaned well each day, but there’s more work to do than they can handle. Much of the furniture was worn, there was an ugly stain on the wall, and the table was scratched up. The wooden part of the balcony door was broken and wouldn’t close properly. On the windy night we arrived, it kept banging loudly, so we used my hair elastic to hold it shut and get some sleep. A light beside my bed didn’t work, and the hair dryer was super weak. We had a few drinks from the minibar, assuming they weren’t free, and that turned out to be right. But there was no note saying so. We later found that the prices were on a QR code, with no explanation of what it was for. We’d guessed the drinks cost money, but having no notice beyond the QR code still felt like a scam. There was no toilet brush in the bathroom, either.

The basic rooms are nice and very clean, and the location is great. It’s crowded, though, with lots of homeless people hanging around. Still, it felt safe enough to walk around.