Affordable Luxury in the heart of Barcelona
I spent many evenings trawling through different hotel comparison websites on my hunt for an affordable, centrally located hotel that would be perfect for our short weekend break in Barcelona.
I don't know about you, but when it comes to holidays or trips away, I always like to spend a few hours/evenings doing my research and making sure I find the best deal possible.
I do love a little bit of luxury, even more so when I can get a luxury deal for less!
When starting out my search I had a couple of tick boxes to check when it came to finding a short 3-day city break to Barcelona...
Rooftop pool? Check!
Central location? Check!
Bars and restaurants local? Check!
Easy access to local attractions? Check!
Bars and restaurants local? Check!
Easy access to local attractions? Check!
I wouldn't usually be so fussy about finding a rooftop pool when choosing a hotel for a city break, but I had originally compromised on having a short beach break so the rooftop pool was that little something extra that would still allow me the pool/beach vibe downtime that I was searching for.
It's great because the hotel is very centrally placed, however, it's still in a very peaceful area and thankfully, a little removed from the hustle and bustle. It's perfectly located for access to bars, restaurants, and shops.
If you're a foodie and tapas lover, the hotel backs onto the district of El Born - a delightful little corner in Barcelona which has all of the beauty of Barri Gotic with its characteristic narrow streets and quaint cafes around every corner, but just far enough removed from the beaten track to maintain a vibe of sophisticated calm and class.
There are plenty of champagne bars dotted around in El Born serving up quality cava and plenty of tapas bars - too many to visit on a short weekend in-fact. My recommendation would be to embark on a tapas bar crawl one evening.
I will have more blog posts with recommendations on bars and restaurants to visit in Barcelona.
(*) Our room upgrade at NH Collection Barcelona Podium and breakfast board was provided on a complimentary basis in exchange for an honest review on my blog. The rest of the accommodation and travel costs were purchased through lastminute.com. All opinions expressed here are my own (*)
The Hotel - NH Collection Barcelona Podium
Which brought my search to the Hotel NH Collection Barcelona Podium - a luxury 4-star hotel housed in a restored 19th-century building which lies in the heart of Barcelona.
The hotel is bright and modern with a light and airy interior. The lobby opens out into the main reception area with access to both the hotel restaurant and bar.
The best feature about this hotel? Take the lift up to the top floor and you'll find a large outdoor terrace with lots of comfy, inviting seating areas, both open and undercover - plus there's a bar area where you can order cocktails and light bites. There's a great view across the Barcelona cityscape.
To add to this trendy rooftop vibe, there’s a sizeable pool available for all hotel guests to use, as well as a separate roof terrace area lined with plenty of sun loungers for guests.
The hotel is bright and modern with a light and airy interior. The lobby opens out into the main reception area with access to both the hotel restaurant and bar.
The best feature about this hotel? Take the lift up to the top floor and you'll find a large outdoor terrace with lots of comfy, inviting seating areas, both open and undercover - plus there's a bar area where you can order cocktails and light bites. There's a great view across the Barcelona cityscape.
To add to this trendy rooftop vibe, there’s a sizeable pool available for all hotel guests to use, as well as a separate roof terrace area lined with plenty of sun loungers for guests.
Upon arrival we were shown to our bedroom, kindly upgraded to an extra large superior room by NH Collection hotels. Again, the room was modern, light, bright and airy and decorated in muted, neutral colours. The floor-to-ceiling patio doors which opened out onto a small balcony immediately caught my eye - with the luxury white sheer curtains gently lapping in the wind.
Our room featured an open-plan bathroom with his and hers sinks, a large sliding wardrobe and a separate room for the bath/shower and toilet. The bedroom was of ample size with a large king-size bed, separate desk area, coffee machine and fridge.
NH Collection Barcelona Podium - Luxury in the City
The hotel is conveniently located near the Plaza de Cataluna, the city's main shopping, and cultural district. The Arc de Triomf and Parc de la Ciudadela are also very close by - with a zoo and boating lake!It's great because the hotel is very centrally placed, however, it's still in a very peaceful area and thankfully, a little removed from the hustle and bustle. It's perfectly located for access to bars, restaurants, and shops.
If you're a foodie and tapas lover, the hotel backs onto the district of El Born - a delightful little corner in Barcelona which has all of the beauty of Barri Gotic with its characteristic narrow streets and quaint cafes around every corner, but just far enough removed from the beaten track to maintain a vibe of sophisticated calm and class.
There are plenty of champagne bars dotted around in El Born serving up quality cava and plenty of tapas bars - too many to visit on a short weekend in-fact. My recommendation would be to embark on a tapas bar crawl one evening.
I will have more blog posts with recommendations on bars and restaurants to visit in Barcelona.
(*) Our room upgrade at NH Collection Barcelona Podium and breakfast board was provided on a complimentary basis in exchange for an honest review on my blog. The rest of the accommodation and travel costs were purchased through lastminute.com. All opinions expressed here are my own (*)
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