[Stay] Spain, Barcelona- Hotel Actual

After considering among a few hotels around the city area, we decided to make our booking with Hotel Actual. Even though it is a 3-star hotel but the reviews and rooms seem pretty nice and comfortable. We stay in this hotel for a total of 5 days 3 nights.  When we first reached Barcelona, for 2 days 1 night and after 11 days, we were back to stay for 3 days 2 nights.

Hotel Actual

A 3-star Boutique hotel which situated right at the city center of Barcelona, where it is only a few meters from Paseo de Gracia the shopping and busy business district. A short walk to the metro, train and bus connections, which is an ideal place to discover and enjoy the vibrant city of Barcelona.

(Photo: Booking.com)

Where?

Cost:

Standard Room

75 EUR- 166EUR

Tips:

Reserve your room from their official website, if you are staying for more than one night. (**Free breakfast on the first night)

For a one-night stay, book the room from Agoda. 

Standard Room without view

Simple and comfortable

Bathroom

View from room:

Standard Room with View

We had a change of room upon 2nd check in with better and newer room.

Larger walking space:

Bedroom

Bathroom

Balcony view from our room:

Overall:

The room was comfortable and clean, even though it is a 3-star hotel. On the first 2 days at the hotel room, we stayed the walking space was a little cramped. But it is larger than some Japanese business hotel.

The lady service staff in the morning upon our check-in is nice, friendly and polite. Although she is alone at the counter and had to deal with a lot of check-in at a time.

However, we were disappointed by the service by the night shift staff, who was unable to help us when we were caught up in the sticky situation upon check-out.

Our story:

We met something unpleasant when we were leaving to the airport early in the morning. When we book the hotel we had made an add -on of transportation to and fro the airport. When we touch down in Barcelona and was pickup by the driver to the hotel, however, before check out we confirm our booking with the concierge. To our surprise, it was not captured on their system and we thought that we would have to grab a cab that day.

On the day of our check out, we decided to check again with the concierge staff. We went ahead to flag a cab outside our hotel because the staff on duty told us the same answer.

A group of cab driver approached us to give us a lift and we agreed, however, when we were about to move to their car, a mini van came and the driver shows us his phone with our reservation indicated in the system. Seems like it is a miscommunication between the hotel and the cab company. We did not want to reject the mini van driver, who came all the way down and decide to reject the cab drivers and explain our reason.

However, the cab drivers were unhappy that we did not choose to go with them and shouted at our mini van driver, and they even prevented him from bringing our luggage to the van and hit him. We went in to ask the concierge staff on duty to come out to help us to explain in Spanish, to the drivers. But he just shook his head and said, he cannot help us.

Since he cannot help us, we decided to take things into our own hands and uses English with hand language to tell them that we have a plane to catch. We tell them that we are not going with them and went off with our Mini Van driver.

We were thankful to our driver that we got to the airport on time, but at the same time felt bad for him as he got hit for nothing.