Four Points Diagonal Barcelona 2011
For pictures:
http://travel.webshots.com/album/582089800GmELqY
Two months ago, during Christmas, I stayed one night in this new Starwood hotel in Barcelona. Four Points is not the Starwood brand I am attracted to, but I wanted to give it a try. Only once I have stayed in the Cologne Four Points, and did not like it.
The Four Points Diagonal was a different kind of hotel. This hotel is categorized to be a 4* hotel.
The location of the hotel is in a modern area with a lot of offices.
The metro is a 10 minute walk away and the bus stop is in front of the hotel. The tram stops very close to the hotel and it is a very modern and fast way of transportation. In 10 minutes you can have a ride to the beach. The tram stops near the The Ritz hotel.
Checkin was formal and efficient, no warm welcome. I had made reservations for the comfort room and according to the pictures on the SPG site this room should be very spacious. I had requested for a chair or couch since the room did not offer a seating.
When I entered the room, it was not as spacious as the picture on the site…. and no seating. Optical delusion…? When I phoned to the reception they told me this was the comfort room, and they did delivered a very comfy leather seat. It was great to have a comfy seat in this room.
The interior was warm and cosy with a wooden floor and warm colors. Besides a kingbed it offered a small desk and deskseat, a flatsquare tv and a modern A/|C.
The bathroom was simple but very stylish and modern and even offered a whirlpooltub. A wide range of bathamenities was offered, though I did not like the fragrance of it, with comfy fluffy bathtowels.
I did enjoy my bath here.
As a welcome present I was offered a cap of this brand and many lollypops…. It was a nice gesture but I do not like lollypops so much….
The room did not offer a refreshment center or watercooker. Once a day you could order a coffee, but had to pay 2 or 3 euros for service costs. So, not really a free coffee. I missed a coffeemaker, but the answer of the hotel was I could take the coffee offer in the room…
The kingbed appeared to be very soft and did not support my back. I did not like the quality of the bed and did not think this was a quality bed.
Though the A/C was modern, I was not able to have it below 19C. I can imagine it could be a problem when it gets hot outside.
The room offered a nice view, see my pictures.
Dining:
Well, it was in one word: terrible. The quality of the food is below Starwood standards. The beef tenderloin was tasteless and watery and of a low quality. The potatoes and veggies were tasteless. And what about the wine…… the range of wines on the menu was too limited, just as the quality of it.
I was lucky since I had a very friendly waiter who had worked in the WBarcelona. He saved my dinner when he offered me a quality wine, so I had some enjoyment during my dinner.
I ordered a cheesecake with coffee as my dessert….. the taste was terrible and it seemed it was just taken away from a cheap supermarket. It seemed old and I did not finish it. I told the waiter I did not want to pay for it.
Ambiance in the evening is not cozy, the lamps are too bright and no small candles are placed on the tables for some warm lights. The restaurant is not spacious and together with the bar it seems to be too cramped.
The waiter was very friendly and offered me a second glass of wine and some chips and nuts, since I was still hungry.
I enjoyed my bath but I did not have a comfy sleep, the matrass was too soft for me. I ordered the coffee and it was delivered in no time. Service was very friendly.
The breakfast was the same story as the dinner. Tasteless breakfast items of very low quality except for the fruits, fresh coffee and chorizo. The cold cut meat was of low quality. The scrambled eggs tasted like putty and the breads were tasteless.
The coffee from the machines is terrible but I enjoyed the coffee from the bar.
The range of breakfast items was very limited.
Though I am not used to stay in hotels of this brand, the overall quality of the breakfast seemed to be 1 or 2 stars. I guess even in a decent low category hotel the quality of the food and drinks could be much and much better.
Service during breakfast was very friendly though.
The location: just on the doorsteps is Ramblas de Los Noubles, a very nice street where you notice the locals. No tourism, hurray! In 10 – 15 minutes you can walk to the beach. Rest of the area: offices and flats.
The hotel has a different kind of guests than the other Starwood brands.
I did have a nice talk with the manager of the hotel. I told him my experiences. He is a very friendly man and recognized some of my experiences. Since this hotel only recently became a Starwood hotel, it still needed some changes for the better. The supervisor of the restaurant had worked for the WBarcelona and he also recognized my experiences. He explained the quality of the food and drinks had to be improved and the hotel needed to change the suppliers.
Well, in general I liked the friendliness of the personnel so much! The manager appears to be a warm personality who cares for this new Starwood hotel and I am sure he will make it a success.
However, I am not used to this kind of hotels. It is not a 4* star hotel, I experienced it as a 2-3 star hotel since the overall quality is so low.
I.m.o. the hotel should offer rooms or juniorsuites with more comfort, like a comfy bed, a refreshment center, more comfortable lights and a comfy seat, etc.
Would I return….. well if the hotel improves its quality. And it should, since the brandname is Four Points by Sheraton and it is a Starwood property.
I was rather pleased to go to my favorite WBarcelona after this stay. I took the tram and in 10 minutes I was near the Ritz. Depending on the luggage you have, it can take a half hour walk along the coast to the WBarcelona. The other option is to take the bus to plaza Cataluna and another bus to WBarcelona.
Well, if you are not into this….., you can always take a taxi!
For pictures:
http://travel.webshots.com/album/582089800GmELqY