Barcelo Atenea Mar Hotel Barcelona

I stayed here for a week in August 2007 with my boyfriend for our anniversary. We were VERY pleased with the hotel :D

Its modern and bright - lots of glass, wood and marble, very stylish. The room was great, large, very comfy and clean, with amazing sea views out over the beach.

The hotel staff were very helpful and friendly, also the majority of them speak English (to some degree at least). We did have a bit of a pantomine episode with a cleaning lady (she wanted to come in and clean, we wanted her to come back in half an hour) but we got there in the end, and it was quite funny :D

The buffet breakfast was very good (if *slightly* expensive) - but there was lots of choice (fruit, pastries, cereals, breads, eggs, cold meats and even dairy free options). It was very fresh and all-you-can-eat.

The hotel location was absolutely perfect for us. We wanted somewhere close to the beach but within easy travelling distance of the main attractions (La Rambla, Sagrada Familia, etc). The #41 bus stops just along the road from the hotel (literally about 30 secs away) and its about a 25 min ride to Placa de Catalunya. Its a good way to see some of the city you probably wouldn’t normally bother with, and its worth seeing.

There’s a great shopping area about a 5-10 min walk north up towards the Forum area called Diagonal Mar. It has 30+ places to get something to eat and drink, all reasonably priced with loads of choice. Plenty of shopping options too. Also, there’s a superb Chinese restaurant just across the road, along from the hotel (Orilla del Mar I think its called). Its open for lunch and evening meal. Its decently priced and really great food.

Overall, we were very pleased with all aspects of the hotel. We would definitely recommend it to others and would definitely stay there again :D