A quick review following a stay at Sofitel Barcelona. I found the hotel OK, a bit overpriced as there were quite a few annoying issues.
I booked a luxury room with a garden view and received the same but with a sea view. The only difference is that the sea view rooms are on higher floors. Both are facing the pool area.
I arrived late and got in to my room quickly. A turndown service had already been done and a welcome gift, three apples, was waiting in the room. Speaking of which, one would think the hotel could be more creative with it. Apples are also available in the gym. Okay, there were also a few local biscuits and almonds.
The room itself was lovely and the balcony was very nice even in February. Bathroom was spacious and had two sinks and Diptyque bath amenities.
According to previous reports, rooms facing the street are noisy. Be aware that the pool side rooms can also be noisy as the hotel restaurant has a terrace next to the pool and is open late.
Breakfast was a nice mix of French and Spanish delicacies. The breakfast venue has a porch that was closed for the winter season but the staff were kind enough to let us sit there. The service was very good everywhere in the hotel expect at the bar (more on that later.)
There are two swimming pools at the hotel. In addition to the ground floor, there is another on the roof and is heated.
I found the location to be perfect for leisure. It only took 15 minutes from the airport by taxi and the city center could be reached in 15–20 minutes by metro or in 30–40 minutes by foot. Barceloneta’s beach is across the street.
Housekeeping was effective but inconsistent: they were forgetting things such refilling the empty shower gel dispenser, replacing used towels and adding decaffeinated capsules when I requested just normal coffee. One towel had blood stains and bathrobe had holes. Naturally, everything was corrected after a reminder but is annoying and shouldn’t happen.
Despite being a resort, Sofitel Barcelona felt a business hotel in my opinion and was a bit boring. I stayed over the Valentine’s Day and the hotel put zero effort to it.
On the last night I tried to use my welcome drink voucher. I sat at the terrace and I was forgotten there. The drink list and bar menu were brought after a request and I had to go inside to place my order. It took them almost an hour to serve a glass of wine and some snacks. Plus, they tried to charge for the wine.
The voucher could only be used for non-alcoholic drinks or wines that cost max 12 euros. The room rate was almost 400 euros per night in low season.
Luxury room
Luxury room
Bathroom
View from the balcony
Main pool
Rooftop pool
Breakfast
Bloody towel