Barcelona hotels pre-cruise

[Anal Annie]

Originally Posted by heatherbelle

I have just spent two months researching hotels for my DH's 50th birthday, so I have read loads of trippies.

This one looks lovely, if you look at the photo's on trip advisor, albeit outside of my budget.
http://www.colonhotelbarcelona.com/ so I didn't book it. Also it has no pool.

I can recommend this one as I have stayed here, but it is expensive. http://www.hoteles-catalonia.com/en/...blas/index.jsp. There may be other hotels in the goup that are cheaper.

This one is in a great place, but again I haven't stayed here. I thought it was expensive when adding kids to the room they wanted an additional ¬40 you are paying for location. http://www.b-hotel.com/default-en.html

I also seriously considered this one http://www.hotelicariabarcelona.com/ which came with breakfast and I very nearly booked it.

In the end I went with this one http://www.novotel.com/gb/hotel-5560...ty/index.shtml. s loads of people on my last cruise stayed here. For around $160 per night, we got breakfast for three of us in a room. Plus I got cash back through quidco, don't know if you have quidco in the US. I paid the non-cancellation rate to secure that rate. It has an underground station next door to it, plus a shopping centre with a food court and rooms can accommodate more than 2. Don't forget to sign up for the hotel's loyalty programme whichever one you choose, as a cheaper special offer may come along.

Both the Iciria and Novotel, are outside the main city centre. You can get a t10 card for the metro for sound ¬9 which you can share between your group by passing the ticket back through the turnstile, for each person to swipe. It's perfectly legit.

The Novotel is where we stayed pre-cruise last year and it was great for the money paid. I booked it like 7 months out and also paid the non-refundable rate that included the breakfast which was so totally worth it!! They had a really nice buffet breakfast with lots of choices. I would stay there again. For anybody from the US looking at this property I would compare it to say a Hampton Inn or a Holiday Inn type place. Nothing overly fancy but clean and decent and you really can't beat the price...their prices kept going UP tho as the cruise date approached...so book it early to get the best rate.

We went over to the shopping center across the street to get beer to bring on the ship. I emptied out a carry-on and rearranged the bags in order to fit it. Note that we didn't realize we'd need to bring our own shopping bags and the beers were all loose for whatever reason (they were priced individually but they were still super cheap) so we ended up buying 2 really large shopping bags to bring the beer back to the hotel. If we'd have KNOWN we could've just brought the suitcase over with us!

The one negative thing I will say about the Novotel is that their elevators SUCK. They are realllllly small and don't fit very many people or bags....so on the morning of your cruise when you're leaving START OUT EARLY because it's super hard to get one that's free and that has room for you AND your bags. We had to split up and basically commandeer one and then we had to leave our DS sitting on some bags in the lobby to wait for us while we went back up to get more bags. And we didn't really have that many bags....it was just that hard to get an elevator. But other than that the hotel was fine. We asked them for recommendations on a place to eat on our night pre-cruise and they directed us to a charming pedestrian area about a 10 minute walk away that was just full of restaurants to choose from.

[disneycrazy2004]

Originally Posted by misslissa

Stayed at Hotel Colon in October 2010 and had a wonderful time. The location was amazing, walking distance to Las Ramblas and we used only public transport to get around. Highly recommended!

Was this a pre-cruise stay? If so, how did you get to the port for the hotel? This is the hotel I have booked for our pre-cruise stay.

[MichaelH]

We are flying to London on June 6 pre-cruise. We have booked Novotel for London and Barcelona. We are looking at the same hotel for Paris. I was wondering if anyone could recommend a hotel close to the sites that may be cheaper. I am thinking Paris is just going to be expensive. The Novotel is not that expensive, but we were wondering if there was something cheaper.

Michael

[Anal Annie]

Originally Posted by MichaelH

We are flying to London on June 6 pre-cruise. We have booked Novotel for London and Barcelona. We are looking at the same hotel for Paris. I was wondering if anyone could recommend a hotel close to the sites that may be cheaper. I am thinking Paris is just going to be expensive. The Novotel is not that expensive, but we were wondering if there was something cheaper.

Michael

We went to Paris before we went to Barcelona when we did our Med cruise. While we used the Novotel and the Hotel Jazz in Barcelona there are SOOO many more hotels in Paris to pick from it was a hard decision. We ultimately loved our little hotel in Paris and I would stay there again. It is probably not cheaper than the Novotel though but it is in a GREAT area (Saint-Germain des Pres) and had a lot of character and charm. We were able to walk to so many places (Notre Dame and Luxembourg Gardens) and it was surrounded by some great cafes. It was a nice neighborhood and we felt completely safe walking around at night. We realllllly liked the neighborhood. One reason we booked it was because we needed a "triple" which is hard to find in Europe and they had a couple of rooms that slept 3.

http://www.hotelparisodeonsaintgermain.com

Here's a link to the reviews on Trip Advisor for the Hotel Odeon Saint-Germain. There are over 1,500 hotels in Paris and this one stays in the top 75 or so. (BTW it looks exactly like the pictures - very Parisian.)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...de_France.html

________________________
ETA: You probably won't find anything much cheaper than the Novotel (and I personally probably wouldn't be comfortable booking anything of lesser quality) but I just wanted to say a little more about staying ONLY in Novotel's while in Europe. Europe is very old and has a lot of character and charm in its old buildings...especially in Paris. The buildings and architecture are beautiful. While there really isn't a lot wrong with the Novotel's in general - they are a chain. They are like staying in a Holiday Inn or Hampton Inn. Clean but moderate and a decent value for your money. But there is nothing "special" or "unique" about them. I would suggest that at least in Paris that you look for a small independent boutique hotel similar to what I already suggested. Have at least 1 hotel that is charming and memorable. I understand your concerns about the expense - and it will be expensive all over Europe...this is not a cheap trip...but the bottom line is going to come down to how the USD / Euro is trading come time for your trip. It was 1.51 to 1 when we went. Croque Monsier sandwiches (essentially grilled cheese with ham) cost us like the equivalent of $17 USD. Be prepared for that and budget accordingly. But please consider trying out a special hotel for Paris. Don't try to stick to what you know as safe from home. Enjoy this beautiful city with its charming history.

[woody73]

Originally Posted by MichaelH

. . . We have booked Novotel for London and Barcelona. We are looking at the same hotel for Paris. I was wondering if anyone could recommend a hotel close to the sites that may be cheaper.

Paris is a city where each neighborhood has its own character. For our visits, we chose the area first, then a hotel that fits our budget.

Woody

[ruadisneyfan2]

Originally Posted by nzdisneymom

I know the pre-cruise hotel and air information won't be available for the 2013 Med cruises through DCL for a while, but I'm working on our budget and trying to figure out what we might do and where we might stay pre-cruise in Barcelona.

I was wondering what hotels DCL has used in the past for their pre-cruise hotels. We sailed in 2007 and booked with DCL but booked late and were put at the "overflow" hotel which was further away from where we would've liked to stay. I know they may not use the same hotels but we were trying to get an idea of where we might stay.

Or if you booked your pre-cruise hotel on your own, where did you stay? We are a family of four and we realize we'll likely have to have two rooms, but we have heard there are some that can accommodate four in a room. I'm working on compiling a list of possibilities so we'll be ready when it's time to decide if we want to book through DCL or on our own.

Thanks.

*** EDITING TO PUT THE LIST OF HOTELS THAT OTHER DISERS HAVE POSTED ABOUT HERE IN THE FRONT SO OTHERS MAY FIND IT EASIER ***
*** EDITTED ON 06-21-2012 TO INCLUDE DCL INFORMATION FOR SUMMER 2013 ***

Renaissance Barcelona (was AC Diplomatic (Marriott)) DCL IS USING THIS ONE. PARTY OF 4 IS $408/NIGHT (2 ROOMS)
Hilton Diagonal Mar DCL IS USING THIS ONE. PARTY OF 4 IS $416/NIGHT (2 ROOMS)

Hotel Diagonal
El Palace Hotel - this is the hotel ABD is using for pre-cruise stays
Hotel Rivoli Las Ramblas
Hotel Colon
Hotel Jazz
Le Meridien
Casp74 Apartments
W
Eurostars Grand Marina
TRYP Barcelona Aeropuerto (Wyndham)
Hispanos Suiza 7
Hotel Fira Palace
Novotel Barcelona City
Hotel Barcelona Catedral
APSIS Porta Marina
Hotel Continental

We are already booked for Hispanos 7 Suiza but in talking with a coworker who sailed from Barcelona in 2011 (non-DCL) she mentioned the Hotel Regina. They are also a family of 4 and could all stay in 1 room. They liked the hotel and its location though they only stayed 1 night. 20% discount if you pre-pay.
http://www.reginahotel.com/index.php?idioma=en

[tinkertaylor05]

Originally Posted by woody73

Paris is a city where each neighborhood has its own character. For our visits, we chose the area first, then a hotel that fits our budget.

Woody

I totally agree with this. I love Paris and personally enjoy being around Opera, you can walk to Louvre, the Tulleries and beyond depending on how much you like walking. I always recommend the hotel Daunou Opera it's down a little side street a few mins from the opera house, metro etc

[Doingitagain]

Does anyone know what level of rooms Disney is getting with the Renaissance Barcelona hotel prestay package? The executive level will have twin beds and more amenitites. If they just have the basic room. DD and DS would have to share a bed and that won't go over well.

[OurDogCisco]

Originally Posted by Doingitagain

Does anyone know what level of rooms Disney is getting with the Renaissance Barcelona hotel prestay package? The executive level will have twin beds and more amenitites. If they just have the basic room. DD and DS would have to share a bed and that won't go over well.

I know it was a long time ago but back in 2007 they brought in a rollaway bed for us. The room was huge. We had 4 in a room but one of our kids was 5 years old. It definitely had a king sized bed and we brought the rollaway for the 8 year old. We did not book through Disney though. We booked on Marriott points.

[MichaelH]

Originally Posted by Anal Annie

We went to Paris before we went to Barcelona when we did our Med cruise. While we used the Novotel and the Hotel Jazz in Barcelona there are SOOO many more hotels in Paris to pick from it was a hard decision. We ultimately loved our little hotel in Paris and I would stay there again. It is probably not cheaper than the Novotel though but it is in a GREAT area (Saint-Germain des Pres) and had a lot of character and charm. We were able to walk to so many places (Notre Dame and Luxembourg Gardens) and it was surrounded by some great cafes. It was a nice neighborhood and we felt completely safe walking around at night. We realllllly liked the neighborhood. One reason we booked it was because we needed a "triple" which is hard to find in Europe and they had a couple of rooms that slept 3.

http://www.hotelparisodeonsaintgermain.com

Here's a link to the reviews on Trip Advisor for the Hotel Odeon Saint-Germain. There are over 1,500 hotels in Paris and this one stays in the top 75 or so. (BTW it looks exactly like the pictures - very Parisian.)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...de_France.html

________________________
ETA: You probably won't find anything much cheaper than the Novotel (and I personally probably wouldn't be comfortable booking anything of lesser quality) but I just wanted to say a little more about staying ONLY in Novotel's while in Europe. Europe is very old and has a lot of character and charm in its old buildings...especially in Paris. The buildings and architecture are beautiful. While there really isn't a lot wrong with the Novotel's in general - they are a chain. They are like staying in a Holiday Inn or Hampton Inn. Clean but moderate and a decent value for your money. But there is nothing "special" or "unique" about them. I would suggest that at least in Paris that you look for a small independent boutique hotel similar to what I already suggested. Have at least 1 hotel that is charming and memorable. I understand your concerns about the expense - and it will be expensive all over Europe...this is not a cheap trip...but the bottom line is going to come down to how the USD / Euro is trading come time for your trip. It was 1.51 to 1 when we went. Croque Monsier sandwiches (essentially grilled cheese with ham) cost us like the equivalent of $17 USD. Be prepared for that and budget accordingly. But please consider trying out a special hotel for Paris. Don't try to stick to what you know as safe from home. Enjoy this beautiful city with its charming history.

Thanks for the hotel tip. My wife and I really like that one. We are not trying to decide if we need to get two rooms or if they will let all 4 of us stay in a triple. I showed my wife and when she say it had lots of cafe's she was sold.

[Anal Annie]

Originally Posted by MichaelH

Thanks for the hotel tip. My wife and I really like that one. We are not trying to decide if we need to get two rooms or if they will let all 4 of us stay in a triple. I showed my wife and when she say it had lots of cafe's she was sold.

Look into booking this one directly from their website. I think they have a non-refundable rate that is even cheaper than their internet rate. I am assuming your kids are smaller? Then they MAY allow it...but if not they have a way to put you into 2 adjacent rooms. Our triple was next door to another room and there was an outer door to both of those. If they don't allow all of you in one room I *THINK* what they can do is have you book 2 rooms but then you can leave the 2 inside doors open and just use the outer door. So they're not exactly "connecting" but they sort of are...maybe they call it a suite or something? Look on their website...you can change it to English...but I think they only offer prices in Euros there so you'd have to convert them to USD.

[canadakath]

Originally Posted by MichaelH

Thanks for the hotel tip. My wife and I really like that one. We are not trying to decide if we need to get two rooms or if they will let all 4 of us stay in a triple. I showed my wife and when she say it had lots of cafe's she was sold.

We just booked our post-cruise stay in Paris - Hotel Atmospheres. They have suites and deluxe suites that fit four.

The best way I found to look for rooms for four was to go through Booking.com. You can search for your dates with the number of people you need and the areas in Paris you want. They make it easy to look at the type of room and what beds there are (i.e. connecting rooms, sofa bed, etc). Then I would cross-refernce those hotels with the reviews on tripadvisor. It took me a while but I am an obsessive planner anyways so for me it was fun!

[slindamood]

We stayed at the Hotel Regencia Colon - it is behind the Hotel Colon on a quiet side street, just half block from Cathedral square and close to las ramblas. Rooms very clean and modern - large modern bathroom - everything nicer than the photos on the website. We had a view of the cathedral. it is a small european style hotel - nice breakfast room, small lobby/sitting area, and very friendly helpful staff.

The current website lists 106 euros per night for 2 people, prepaid. They do have triples. A bit more for a room with the usual cancellation policy.

[EdTreo]

Has anybody booked pre-cruise hotel for the 2014 season yet?