Castellarnau Holidays from £194

Loved our little apartment. It was cute, comfortable and the location was great. Easy walks to the metro, the bus, and a variety of dining options. Staff was helpful when I had questions about the microwave buttons, and they also stored our bags after check out until we needed them.

Apartments Sixtyfour was a fantastic option for our family of four! Located in the heart of Barcelona, in Gràcia, we were able to walk to all of the restaurants, stores, and sites we visited. Our booking was the penthouse apartment, which was spacious (although the bedrooms themselves are a little tight - no room to open your suitcases in them), and the TWO rooftop decks are amazing. We watched the city at night and popped up the umbrella to eat a shaded breakfast in the morning. We also used the washing machine and were able to hang our clothes up on the drying racks that are available on the roof deck. The only concern for us worth mentioning was the elevator. An old, tiny, hand-operated elevator, you can only fit four people at a time inside - without your luggage! When moving luggage, we sent three people in one lift, and one person with our bags after. However, the biggest issue is when other residents fail to close the doors! On multiple occasions, one of us needed to walk up many flights of steps to close the doors in order for the elevator to come down to retrieve the rest of us. That being said, the staff was great, and we really loved our stay here. I think we would stay again!

This hotel is so-so. It is dated and in need of renovation. The "spa" pool is really dated complete with mirrors from the late 70's/early 80's and a mural. The bathrooms in the pool area are unsightly. Our room had a great view and terrace, but the bed was uncomfortable, the linens were okay, but the decor was very dated. The massage staff, however, were excellent. Unfortunately, navigating the rest of the staff was very difficult unless you speak Catalan - which we do not (English, French, and a tiny bit of Spanish). Although the property advertises parking and valet, it was nonexistent. Same is true for "room service" which was a dicey proposition. The location was terrific and right in the heart of the shopping district and dining. The walk is about 2 blocks to Caldea.

The property is a lovely converted convent blending old and new; the location is midway between old town (uphill) and the beach (downhill), so plan on getting a good number of steps in, since parking is challenging in both locations. The gym is less than I would like by US hotel standards, but adequate. The breakfast offerings are modest but again adequate. Power options in the room are European standard; there are no USB or USB-C ports in the walls, so bring your converters.