When trying to book a room at Grand Hotel Central once, the hotel was fully booked, but they recommended us a close by hotel called Hotel Barcelona Catedral. When deciding on where to stay in Barcelona during spring and summertime, the important criterias for me are location, design and a pool. Hotel Cathedral had all of that, and they also had connecting room for the five of us that were travelling this time.
The hotel is located ten steps away from the big cathedral in the Gothic area of Barcelona (Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia). This is also my favorite part of the town, and close to both great shopping and many good restaurants. The cathedral is the most popular tourist attraction in Barcelona, and there are markets and concerts in front of it.
The hotel is pretty new and has a clean and minimalistic design. The rooms are good looking with good-sized bathrooms. There is a sundeck on the roof with a small pool, but on hot summer days, it is perfect to chill down in for a minute between shopping, sightseeing and dining. The only thing I missed up there were somebody taking orders for drinks and snacks, but we were allowed to bring it up from the first floor café.
The café is located right behind the reception area. They serve beer, wine and drinks, but a rather small selection of snacks or small dishes. I guess the wide range of restaurants in all sizes just outside the hotel door limits the need for a restaurant in the hotel.
The staff was very helpful answering all of our questions and meeting our needs, and the price of the hotel was also good. It is not the most fancy hotel in town, but it is absolutely a great alternative.
