Flights booked, now need somewhere to rest our heads.
We've had a look at a few spots but have not come to a decision as yet, thought i'd throw it open to you folks as well – so let us know where you have rested your head, and what you thought – hidden gem or avoid at all costs?
Ta
Mr&MrsMM

edit – referals for bars, tapas etc also greatly rec'd!!

Brilliant Pinxo bars on corner opposite Cathedral Santa Maria Del Mar in el Borne (a very cool Gothic area East of Ls Ramblas). Food is served Pays Basco Tapas style – standing around drinking cider/beer/wine eating (ie different recipes pinned with cocktail sticks to sliced baguettes) – when you come to pay they count up the cocktail sticks. Nice touch – very trusting (I wouldn't even consider trying to cheat the system). Food keeps coming out on bug trays – lots of different flavours. Highly rated.
Love the are too – Cathedral there in El Borne is amazing
Down side be very vigalent for pickpockets – you know the score – just be very present and very direct….sometimes difficult to do when so much amazing architecture around.
Enjoy

We stayed here – not too central, but a great price, huge rooms, piano bar.

Twas nice. CLICKY

I think we stayed in this one:
http://www.lovingbarcelona.com/Barcelona_apartment_7226.html

We stayed at Hotel Medinaceli, in one of the windowless rooms. Booked with Laterooms.com, very cheap, v.posh lovely hotel, perfect location.

Cal Pep is the must go to tapas bar, but closed in August.

The bike tours are really good, then hire a bike for a day yourselves. Really shrinks the city.

Food keeps coming out on bug trays

🙂
Hotdigger – i do hope you mean big trays 🙂
It is a cool system actually, experienced the same thing in Valencia and enjoyed it so, will look that up!

Mastiles – liking the look of that! (Advertised rate is cica £400 for the room, so the £83 on LastMinute could be a bit of a steal….) don't mind it being a bit of centre, sounds like the tourist bus is not too far away anyway if we don't want to walk… and TripAdvisor comments report good eating etc nearby…

Markus Horanus – cheers but it's booked out on our dates

BigJohn – ogg to look your up – none too sure about windowless rooms though…..

There's a window out onto the Atrium, so you can tell if it's night or day. But it is a really stylish hotel and as Mrs BJ & I never stay in the room, just use it for sleping & changing, it wasn't a problem.

We stayed in a modern hotel in the Vila Olimpica, a few streets away from Hotel Arts. Perhaps a bit new-town-ish but 5 minute walk to the beach or a 20 min walk or short tube journey to the centre.

yep that was big trays!!!
LOL!!

For my SO's fortieth we stayed here and were very, very happy. It's just round the corner from the Picasso museum and within walking distance of lots of lovely little ancient-seeming restaurants and bars.
It's a lovely city. Have a great time.

Cheers all!

danceswithcats – that looks a lovely spot!

I'm off out tonight, will be leaving MrsMM a few choice links to look at and make her mind up!

Chris

Hotel lloret.

Right at the top of las ramblas, at the place catalunya. We had the font de la canallettes right below our balcony (where the barca fans gather after a big victory).

Cheap as chips, right in the place you'd want to be, clean. Brill.

http://www.hlloret.com/

Barcelo Atenea Mar, right on the beach and a 5min walk to the metro at Selva de Mar. Within 5mins your in the middle of town, if your there for a few days buy the T10 ticket metro pass for about 10euro at the metro stations, normally each trip was around 1.60.

Get the train from the airport into town, around 5euro each IIRC. Just a 5min walk from the airport terminal.

http://www.HotelMiramarBarcelona.com

fantastic

Thanks again all – after much surfing – and cursing cos places were booked out – even when showing availability 👿 – we finally booked MF's suggestion – Fira Palace at just £75 a night!!
Fly at 3pm today from Manc, much looking forward to 4 days of sun, sightseeing and Sangria!! 8)

Given all we have heard of the light-fingered 'locals' Money etc all going in one of those 'bodybelt' things, an odd part of me wants to stuff an old wallet with newspaper and stick it in my pocket — see how long it takes to get lifted…….

Pickpockets really are a nightmare there. Been three times and twice had someone steal / try to steal stuff. That's the only two times in my life I've had anyone try to steal anything from me! For your information one time was a guy riding a bike into me to try and knock me down and steal my wallet, the other time was a guy approaching and being very friendly before trying to dip my pocket.

Also had a guy lift my mate's wallet out his pocket and legged it, I chased him and just got my fingers on him when he turned sharply, I tried to follow and lost balance and slid right through a pavement cafe taking out a pile of tables, chairs and a potted tree (and dislocating my finger).

Put your stuff in a bodybelt and then forget about it and enjoy the place would be my advice. There's a cool place near the bottom of the ramblas I think where they don't have an alcohol licence or something so sell tapas and give away free bottles of fizzy wine with each plate of tapas, can't remember the name but maybe you'll find it on the web? Other than that I've always wandered around the wee squares in the gothic quarter which are cool and there's a covered market there somewhere too which is really cool for food and drinks. (SOrry for the vagueness)

ENJOY!

I always have a "sacrificial wallet". An expired credit card and a 5 euro note. If somebody says give me your wallet, that's what they would get.

Real credit card in 1 pocket, cash in another and other credit card back in the hotel/rucksack

when you're there I highly recommend going to the MACBA:

I stayed in el Ravel when I went. Hired an apartment for a long weekend – was much better value than a hotel imo.

We stayed in a fab apartment on the street where Gaudi's houses are, and only about 5 mins from the top of Las Ramblas. I'll see if I can dig out the details.