Hotel Catalonia Catedral — Hotel in Barcelona

Ah, the Catalonia Cathedral Hotel in Barcelona - where dreams go to die on a rock-hard bed with a stunning view of... a wall.

Step into this time capsule of interior design, where everything is so charmingly outdated, you'll wonder if you've accidentally booked a stay in 1985. But fear not, the future is here! You'll experience the thrill of repeatedly swiping your room key, praying to the hotel gods that this time, just maybe, it'll work. The staff's explanation? Your mobile phone is to blame. Apparently, smartphones have developed a taste for sabotage.

Navigate the hotel's labyrinth with not one, but TWO weird elevator systems. It's like a budget version of Willy Wonka's glass elevator, minus the chocolate and plus a hefty dose of confusion.

Feeling lonely? Don't worry! The TV is your new clingy friend, refusing to stay off no matter how many times you hit the power button. Pro tip: remove the batteries from the remote.

Prepare for a digital detox you never asked for! The WiFi password they give you is as reliable as a chocolate teapot. It's like a fun guessing game - will you crack the code before your vacation ends? Place your bets!

Speaking of water features, the lobby offers a unique 'indoor rain' experience. Watch in amazement as water drips onto the sofa, creating a thrilling 'will-I-or-won't-I get wet' scenario every time you sit down. It's not a bug, it's a feature!

Now, let's talk price. The hotel thinks it's a solid 4-star experience, but honey, that's as much of a stretch as calling a squirrel a majestic stallion. It's firmly in 3-star territory, with a 5-star price tag.

But wait! There's a silver lining! The location is fantastic. So while you're tossing and turning on your medieval torture device (aka the bed), you can comfort yourself with the knowledge that you're centrally located in one of Europe's most beautiful cities.

In conclusion, if you enjoy playing 'Escape Room: Hotel Edition,' have a passion for wall-gazing, and don't mind paying through the nose for the privilege, then boy oh boy, is this the place for you! Just remember to pack a sense of humor... and maybe an...

I really wanted to like this hotel because the staff were super nice and the location was very convenient. Those were definitely the highlights of our stay.

Unfortunately, there were several issues that made our experience disappointing. For starters, the bed sheets were dirty and felt uncomfortable against the skin. Every day, the sheets felt damp, which made it hard to get a good night’s sleep.

We also had a water outage during our stay with no warning or any sort of compensation offered. We slept with shampoo and conditioner on our head. One night, even past the supposed quiet hours (around 11:30 PM), we could still hear music coming from a neighboring room. There were no reminders about quiet hours anywhere, which added to the noise problem.

Basic supplies weren’t replenished. Our paper tissues ran out, and when we asked the front desk for more, they had none in stock. It felt like housekeeping didn’t check on these things at all.

The elevator definitely needs maintenance — sometimes the button didn’t work at all, and several times the doors wouldn’t close even after we got in.

It was also clear the hotel was understaffed. We kept seeing the same person working the front desk, fixing things around the hotel, and even serving in the restaurant (hopefully they’re getting paid triple for doing three jobs!). That said, it made the overall management feel chaotic.

One particularly frustrating situation was when we asked the front desk to help us call a taxi to the airport. When the cab arrived, it had already been claimed by another group at the entrance. Even though the front desk tried to tell the driver it was for us, it didn’t work out — and no one gave us any explanation or helped us figure out when the next one might arrive. We were just left standing there.

Lastly, housekeeping removed some of our personal items by mistake. Thankfully, we got them back after asking the front desk, but it still felt like a serious breach of trust.

This place has potential, and I truly appreciated the kindness of the staff, but there are too many operational and cleanliness issues for me to recommend...

Wow! This hotel is one for the record books! We stayed for 4 nights after a transatlantic cruise and couldn't be happier with our choice of hotels.

First, the staff was very friendly, multilingual, and seemed to genuinely care for our comfort and well-being. They were fantastic and helpful in all the right ways.

We stayed in a superior king room at the back of the property. Other than the pedestrian noise in this mostly car-free area, there was no other significant noise from the outside. That's impressive considering how big and busy Barcelona is! We opted for a reservation that included breakfast and that was the right call. Breakfast was simply wonderful, with delightful and thoughtful touches everywhere. We ate so well, we skipped lunch each day. The onsite restaurant had an impressive menu and our 1 dinner there was equally phenomenal.

We enjoyed the thoughtful artistic decor throughout the property, the rooftop pool was a good size for an urban setting, and our room itself was huge for Europe. (Bed was giant, too, and very comfortable.)

You can't beat the location if you're interested in staying in the Gothic Quarter. It's just out of the way enough to be peaceful, yet close enough to walk to most of the sights in the area.

They weren't able to manage an early check-in when we arrived at 11am, but other than that we had no complaints. We've traveled far and wide, and this was one of the best hotels we've ever stayed in. Will...