Hotel Sercotel Ciutat de Montcada

For a MotoGP weekend, being close to the Catalunya Circuit made Sercotel Ciutat de Montcada work perfectly for us. It’s a clean, reliable base with a spotless room and bathroom, a very comfortable bed with quality cotton linens, and a shower with strong pressure and all the essentials. The hotel is well maintained, too. The location is about 25 minutes outside Barcelona, in a quieter, somewhat out-of-the-way neighborhood. There’s a small local market and a cozy coffee shop within walking distance, plus a nearby sushi restaurant and bar cafe, though dining choices overall are limited. If your trip is mainly for the main sights in Barcelona’s city center, I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

Getting into Barcelona took more effort than we expected. The nearby train line was under construction, so we had to take a bus first and ended up using taxis and Uber instead. The trips were around 30 minutes each way and added up in cost. We also weren’t told ahead of time that the rooftop pool would be closed outside peak season, which was disappointing since we’d looked forward to using it. The room was lovely, clean, and well kept, with comfortable beds, a great shower with strong pressure and reliably hot water, and daily housekeeping. There was a mini fridge for an extra charge, but beyond a hairdryer there weren’t many amenities. Staff were a mixed bag: the woman who checked us in seemed rude and unwelcoming, while the men at reception and the security staff were friendly, polite, and helpful. We had a good stay overall, though clearer information about the pool and transport would have helped.

The bed linen was dirty when we arrived, with brown stains on the duvet and sheets. We raised it with reception, but housekeeping didn’t properly replace the bedding during our stay and seemed to make the beds with the same soiled sheets. The hotel felt very basic and noisy, and despite its advertised 4-star rating, the quality felt below 2 stars to us. The location also made the stay difficult. It felt isolated in an industrial area, with warehouse views and little nearby apart from a supermarket. Restaurants and fast-food places such as KFC, McDonald’s, and Burger King were about a 30-minute walk away, and Barcelona was also around 30 minutes away. Driving through the neighborhood was concerning, and the large grey building looked dated from outside. On our first night, groups of local youths were gathered around the hotel, and we were advised not to go out after a certain time because the area could be unsafe. There was little service available: only one receptionist worked at night, and there was no late evening bar or food service. We also found a sharp object in the pool while our children were using it and had to remove it ourselves, which was worrying. Taxis were expensive, and several airport bookings were cancelled, making travel stressful. I’d strongly advise arranging airport transport well in advance. This was a very disappointing visit, and we wouldn’t stay again.

The area around the hotel could feel unsafe, especially at night when the streets were poorly lit. Apart from that, we had a positive six-night stay. The hotel was clean, bright, and well maintained inside and out, our room was cleaned every day, and the staff were consistently friendly and helpful. For the price, the location was decent: about 20 minutes by car from Barcelona, with a Lidl and Domino’s nearby and a bus station close by.