DCL's Barcelona Hotel options

[RedSox68]

So has anyone actually booked their hotel through Disney for pre-cruise stays in Barcelona? Was it cost effective?

We booked our hotels for London through Princess last year and got tremendous deals because of group rates and were able to stay in 4-5 star hotels that we otherwise could not have afforded. Just wondering what kind of options Disney offers.

Thanks.

 

[angelinaxox]

So has anyone actually booked their hotel through Disney for pre-cruise stays in Barcelona? Was it cost effective?

We booked our hotels for London through Princess last year and got tremendous deals because of group rates and were able to stay in 4-5 star hotels that we otherwise could not have afforded. Just wondering what kind of options Disney offers.

Thanks.

I booked my hotel in Barcelona through Disney in 2014. It was the Renaissance Hotel. It was very nice and included breakfast. It was just my husband and me and for just one night. I don't remember the price, but I didn't think the price was too bad.

Not sure if you could do better on your own, but I was pleased with the price and hotel. There was a Disney rep in the foyer when we arrived and we ended up booking a tour for the day.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I found DCL Hotels far out East of the city, and not in the hub, not the place to walk to tourist places. Our coaches did set down people there. We did a tour poet cruise with other cruisers.

Hotel Jazz is central, close to all facilities, you can walk to Placa Cataluna or Hard Rock, or La Rambala.

 

[keenercam]

We are staying at the Renaissance Barcelona Hotel, which is one of the hotels DCL is using. We saved money by booking it on hotels dot com, rather than DCL.

 

[RedSox68]

We are staying at the Renaissance Barcelona Hotel, which is one of the hotels DCL is using. We saved money by booking it on hotels dot com, rather than DCL.

Will Disney's shuttle pick you up there even if you didn't book it through them?

 

[Gilland18]

We booked through Disney in 2014 and again for the 2017 WBTA. We also stayed at the Renaissance and will be staying there again. We found the location to be very nice. One block from the Block of *******, just a few blocks from the north end of La Rambla, a few blocks from La Pedrera. As PP said, a nice breakfast is included. Price is higher than you could probably find other places. We are paying $716 for two nights pre-cruise. They have at least one other hotel that Disney will book that is farther away from the tourist areas. Hope that helps and we'll see you on the Magic in 2017!

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

Will Disney's shuttle pick you up there even if you didn't book it through them?

I can say for the NYC/Canada cruise this fall the answer is no and the same was true for the hotel in Copenhagen last summer. DCL said you must book the hotel with them (pay their pricing) in order to use the transfers from the hotel. YMMV.

Thanks,
Heather

 

[RedSox68]

I can say for the NYC/Canada cruise this fall the answer is no and the same was true for the hotel in Copenhagen last summer. DCL said you must book the hotel with them (pay their pricing) in order to use the transfers from the hotel. YMMV.

Thanks,
Heather

Thanks. I thought as much.

 

[kiford]

We did the 2010 Med cruise and stayed at Le Meridien booked through Disney. We loved the hotel and especially the restaurant. We liked the restaurant so much we went back there twice in 2013 for lunch. In 2013 we booked through Disney and stayed at the Diagonal Del Mar (pre-cruise) and the Renaissance (post-cruise). Both very nice hotels. We preferred the Diagonal Del Mar for the food, the room and the lobby and roof bar but the Renaissance for the location (although we both preferred the location and food of Le Meridien over both).

I guess it depends on what you consider cost-effective. None of them are inexpensive hotels but they are the grade of hotels we typically stay at so I trust Disney to pick hotels that will meet our needs. We booked our hotel in London through Disney last year and loved it - food, location, room, ambiance. So we'll probably continue to do so in the future.

 

[RedSox68]

We did the 2010 Med cruise and stayed at Le Meridien booked through Disney. We loved the hotel and especially the restaurant. We liked the restaurant so much we went back there twice in 2013 for lunch. In 2013 we booked through Disney and stayed at the Diagonal Del Mar (pre-cruise) and the Renaissance (post-cruise). Both very nice hotels. We preferred the Diagonal Del Mar for the food, the room and the lobby and roof bar but the Renaissance for the location (although we both preferred the location and food of Le Meridien over both).

I guess it depends on what you consider cost-effective. None of them are inexpensive hotels but they are the grade of hotels we typically stay at so I trust Disney to pick hotels that will meet our needs. We booked our hotel in London through Disney last year and loved it - food, location, room, ambiance. So we'll probably continue to do so in the future.

Where did you stay in London?

 

[Sarah O.]

I found it surprising that one of the hotels doesn't have any rooms that accommodate 4. We're definitely looking elsewhere in town/closer to port with rooms that can accommodate a family.

 

[RedSox68]

I found it surprising that one of the hotels doesn't have any rooms that accommodate 4. We're definitely looking elsewhere in town/closer to port with rooms that can accommodate a family.

We ran into that problem last year trying to find a London room. There are 3 of us and many rooms had no accommodations for the 3rd person! That's what made us finally book through Princess as they had the best selection of rooms and we were very pleased. Plus booking with them meant getting transportation -- which I'm sure Disney's does also.

 

[gemmybear83]

I can say for the NYC/Canada cruise this fall the answer is no and the same was true for the hotel in Copenhagen last summer. DCL said you must book the hotel with them (pay their pricing) in order to use the transfers from the hotel. YMMV.

Thanks,
Heather

Not entirely true.... You can get transfers from the hotel to port and vice versa just not to and from the airport. Did it last September and doing it again this September both times staying at the Hilton diagonal deal mar booked independently as it was half price and booked Disney transfers

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

Not entirely true.... You can get transfers from the hotel to port and vice versa just not to and from the airport. Did it last September and doing it again this September both times staying at the Hilton diagonal deal mar booked independently as it was half price and booked Disney transfers

Glad to hear that it worked for you What I posted above was specifically from the NY Marriott Marquis (at the Disney rate of $500+ per night) and their transfers to the Port, not the airport. The same was true, in my experience, from the hotel in Copenhagen to the port, not the airport. I called myself and was advised this, as were others. Definitely could be a case of YMMV but in my case (and many others) no way I'm paying $500 a night and then paying more for DCL transfers when we can just take a taxi.

Thanks,
Heather

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

Where did you stay in London?

I know you weren't asking me, however we stayed at the Premier Inn for the three of us last summer and had no issues at all - loved them by the way. Now the Hotel Jazz in Barcelona is what I've had written down for quite some time, but same, they don't allow three in a normal room so we'd have to upgrade to a suite which is quite a big price tag when we just need a room for three..sigh. We don't sail until next August so I have some time, but definitely researching as well

Heather

 

[kiford]

Where did you stay in London?

Grosvenor House Marriott. Not exactly cheap but what a great location. Right across from Hyde Park, close enough to walk to the British Museum, Westminster, the London Eye, and the Churchill War Museum if you're prepared to walk a bit. The JW Steakhouse attached to it wasn't cheap either but what fantastic food and superb service. I'd stay there again in a heartbeat. We got into a discussion with someone at the restaurant (manager, possibly?) on our last night and she kept telling us that we'd like their cheesecake for dessert. I don't like cheesecake and neither does DH so we ordered something else (which was fabulous). That last night was DH's birthday but we hadn't said anything about it. We went back to our room later and when I was getting our suitcase to pack up I suddenly realized that there was a plate on the table with a little birthday (cheese)cake on it. They must have seen his birthday in his passport when we checked in. I will say that the cake was actually delicious even though we don't generally like cheesecake. But it's just little things like that which made our stay really nice in addition to the location.

 

[gzmtlock]

Like a PP, my mother and I also stayed at Le Meridien in 2010, mostly for its location right on Las Ramblas. We were there 2 nights pre-cruise. Don't know whether DCL is still booking with them or not.

I remember it well, because I had the best shower of my life there. Rainfall shower head, out of ceiling, directly down onto my head, lots of water flow, in a beautifully appointed bathroom - after the long travel day and the overnight flight, I would have sworn right there and then that I was getting a little slice of heaven on earth. Six years later, and I'm still trying to find another hotel shower as awesome as that one. . .

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I know you weren't asking me, however we stayed at the Premier Inn for the three of us last summer and had no issues at all - loved them by the way. Now the Hotel Jazz in Barcelona is what I've had written down for quite some time, but same, they don't allow three in a normal room so we'd have to upgrade to a suite which is quite a big price tag when we just need a room for three..sigh. We don't sail until next August so I have some time, but definitely researching as well

Heather

Agree with this.

Premier inn at county hall near London eye.
Also Hotel Jazz as said before.

 

[kiford]

Like a PP, my mother and I also stayed at Le Meridien in 2010, mostly for its location right on Las Ramblas. We were there 2 nights pre-cruise. Don't know whether DCL is still booking with them or not.

I remember it well, because I had the best shower of my life there. Rainfall shower head, out of ceiling, directly down onto my head, lots of water flow, in a beautifully appointed bathroom - after the long travel day and the overnight flight, I would have sworn right there and then that I was getting a little slice of heaven on earth. Six years later, and I'm still trying to find another hotel shower as awesome as that one. . .

I don't believe that DCL has booked with them since and I suspect it's because they don't have as many rooms as some of the other hotels and more people now book.

I second the shower thing at Le Meridien. We knew that rooms in European hotels, especially older ones, are very small in comparison to what you see in North America but we were a bit shocked at how small. Then we walked into the bathroom and we just didn't care about the size of the room any more. Bathroom was half of the size of the room and the shower took up half the bathroom. Completely covered in beautiful slate tiles - floor, walls, ceiling, big enough for two, rain shower head on the ceiling and shower heads on the wall. Little slice of heaven totally describes it.

 

[Stinkerbell1973]

We stayed at the Novotel in Bareclona the night before embarkation and the night we got off the Magic in 2014. It's not too far from the port, very close to a cute shopping area (where the Disney Store is), and our cab to the port was only $8.