Hotel SERHS Rivoli Rambla

This is a beautiful hotel, but we arrived to find construction covering the area in front of it on Las Ramblas as far as we could see. I hadn't seen this mentioned in other reviews. I think it will be going on at least for the rest of the year, with work from 8 AM to 7 PM. The noise comes with our lovely enclosed balcony, unfortunately. I wish the hotel had told us about the street construction. Our room also has stairs from the entrance and bath down to the bedroom. My friend, who has had knee surgery, can't manage that safely. The stairs are grey on grey and feel like an accident waiting to happen. They can't move us until tomorrow, so my review might change if they sort out the room. The construction noise won't.

The staff were lovely, especially Maria at check-in, but the facilities were a letdown. My room had a broken back door, dirty walls and furniture, and a tap that spun all the way around. The AC made a strange noise, and every night I heard very loud scraping overhead for about an hour, like tables being dragged. The thin walls let through everything, and it’s a busy place. The view wasn’t anything special either. I asked for an iron and waited 50 minutes. When it arrived, the plate was snapped in half and the bottom was heavily burned. I tried it on something unimportant and it ruined it straight away. For me, this is somewhere to sleep if you’re on a party trip, not a business hotel or a place to relax. In UK terms, I’d put it just above Premier Inn level.

We loved lounging and even napping on the covered balcony, which felt a bit like a sunroom and looked out over La Rambla. Our superior room was roomy and lovely, and the beds were comfortable, so we slept well. The bathroom was another favourite, especially the square Roca toilet. We don’t see those much in the US, and I wish I knew the model because I might get one! The location was ideal for transit, shopping and great places to eat. It was noisy outside, with construction, crowds, a protest at the Carrefour market across the street and the subway passing by. The wooden doors kept a lot of it out, and I slept with earplugs, so it didn’t bother me. Still, the hotel could provide earplugs and let guests know about the noise, as some people may not come prepared. We had a wonderful six-night stay and would love to return. Thank you!

For a stay right in the middle of things, the location is hard to beat, with public transport and Plaza Catalunya just steps away. The street is busy and loud, and there are renovation works in the area, but that’s life on La Rambla if you know what to expect. We had an issue with our room and the very professional staff sorted it out right away. We had an amazing experience.