Duquesa de Cardona - Barcelona

View from the  Open Deck Terrace on 6th Floor ; W Hotel in the distance

       A fantastic value-for-money boutique hotel in Barcelona is the 4* (in my opinion 5*) Duquesa de Cardona hotel. Situated at the far end of the Passeig Colom (Column Street), it is easily accessible from the road and the front staff are 1st class in their service. 

      I requested for a quiet room in the back and we had a huge bedroom with great bathroom / toilet for the price we paid (EUR 151 including taxes). As winter is not the high season, the price was the cheapest amongst all the 3 major cities we stayed in. Plus points for the hotel :

a) Breakfast - fit for a king ; with Balotta Iberico cured ham, plentiful cheeses, salads, eggs

                      done in any style, omelette (with ingredients or not) ,sunny side up, nespresso

                      breads (multigrain,panini,ciabata, croissant the lot). I will remember the 

                      breakfast for a long time !   

Tapas Chicken Salsa and a Vermouth

b) Top Rated Front Service staff - Manuel was the first front desk staff who attended to us ;
     Friendly, polite and so efficient, we were really impressed by his professionalism. He       
    was knowledegable about everything from best tapas, to taxis to sights and an incredible 
    resource.

c) Location , View of Hotel - Overlooking the marina, the view of this hotel is absolutely 
    stunning ! I made the best of my time one early evening while my wife was out shopping 
   and went to  the Terrace Bar on the 6th Floor. You can see the entire Port Vell area, as 
   well as the 'W'  hotel in the distance, and a slight peek into Barcelonetta beach, the 
   sounds of the La Rambla, as well as the human traffic are not there, so its so pleasant. I 
   must say this was THE view of the city, in my opinion.  

                       Night comes early, around 6.30 and the pretty waterside is all lit up

    

d) Room - Huge ; at least 400 square feet, ours was at the back and the window facing     

   was  the courtyard, most preserved buildings have this kind of design.Very modern 

   amenities, and super clean. It was a very pleasant respite from the days walking and 

   exploring. But all in all, very quiet and clean.No residual smoke smell at all which is the 

   worst thing I most experience in hotels in China.

e) Accessibility -  From the airport, take the Metro to Placa de Catalunya, from there its a 
   short taxi ride (EU 10) to the hotel. Turn left and within 10 minutes, you are at Born district,    turn right, in 10 minutes you are at the start of La Rambla and the Metro. So convenient.

   Would I come back and stay here ? Certainly ! Amongst the 3 cities we visited, Barcelona is the most interesting in architecture, food and Mr. Antoni Gaudi's signature works like La Perdrera and Sagrada Familia.