Just spent four nights here. First visit to Barcelona. Mixed feelings about this property (loved Barcelona though).
Liked the location, close to lots of good stuff, but immediate area is not overly touristy feeling. Hotel staff were 95% outstanding, particularly concierges, who provided excellent restaurant recommendations. Breakfast was great, very high quality. We were fine with the cold buffet, plenty of choices, did not get old.
Big issue was the room size. It was just too small for me. Booked the Madras (2nd category) was upgraded at check-in to Cotton (one category up) on the 5th floor. Asked if they had anything nicer, was offered Egyptian (highest category non-suite), but agent recommended the Cotton because (1) it faces the rear, whereas Egyptian fronts on very busy Gran Via des Corts Catalanes, and (2) Cotton has a balcony. We took the Cotton. It was (mostly) nice and quiet, with a pleasant rooftop view, and the best feature (along with the super nice cotton sheets) was indeed the balcony. But the room is very small, with no desk (nor space for a desk) which is an issue as my vacations are pretty much always working vacations. Also didn't care at all for the bath, which consists of two separate closet sized, windowless spaces, with no ventilation at all (and a deadly slippery floor in the bath/shower stall).
There were some definite indications of management cheapness, including threadbare towels, very sparingly doled out (two bath and one hand towel, for two guests). I had to specifically request fresh towels after housekeeping did not replace them the first day. Toiletries are in dispensers, nominally to save the environment, and yet the hotel provides two daily mini-bottles of water (the really small ones), which are if anything even more environmentally unsound than individual toiletry bottles.
Contemplated switching to the Alma for a larger room, but stuck it out and did not regret it. Would book elsewhere next time for a larger room though.