Spain trip reloaded: Barcelona hotels
Got back from Spain a day ago and am still overcoming the jet lag. I swear it hits me harder from Europe with just it’s nine-hour time change than it does with 16 hours in Asia. I’m falling asleep standing up at this point. Need caffiene – stat!
So now it’s time for a trip recap, picking up where I left off:
It’s the giant “tour every possible hotel and then, when you think it’s done, tour another one” walking tour day. Starting off at 8am, we hit the Sunotel Central, Century Park, Aston, Junior, Evenia Rosello and the Barcelona Centre. I would book clients into any of these, the rooms were nice, clean, and the properties were more modern than I had expected for a European city centre. The Barcelona Center was particularly impressive, all beautiful black and white marble mixed with super-luxurious furnishings (and this is not swayed at all by the free glass of champagne they gave us, because, as a non-drinker, it turned my cheeks embarassing flaming red and everyone asked me if I was okay). It would be the perfect place for a wedding reception, it would photograph so well.
By now our feet were starting to feel the mileage, so we stopped for a classic Spanish tapas lunch at the Cervesceria Catalana. The ambiance was cool, with wine and olive oil bottles lining the walls library-style, but tapas is not my thing. I don’t eat seafood and am not a huge meat fan in general, so I took one look at the menu and knew I was relegated to eating the smallest sandwich known to man while my coworkers passed around these giant bowls of octopus parts and deep fried heads-on shrimp. Can you say bill, please?
Then we were back pounding the pavement, seeing the incredible Casa Fuster (OMG, this hotel is spectacular. Seriously. Google it, it’s worth it), right on the Passage de Gracia. The Gods then intervened and brought a bus to take us to the beachfront to see the Front Maratim and H10 Marina, then finally Catalonia Princessa and Citidines Las Ramblas. Dinner was an interesting appitizer spread (seafood on sticks, deep fried veggie chips and gummy bears were amongst the options) at the H10 – this was designed as a snack, but I was ready to gnaw off a limb at this point, so I took advantage of the free food and went for it. I love gummy bears 
The work ended at 830, and I took one look at Las Ramblas and found a second wind. It was the lure of shopping. Finally crashed at midnight, exhausted, but with some great souvenirs!
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- Funky building dragon and umbrella (?) along Las Ramblas
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- Adorable Spanish side street
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- Placa Catalunya at dusk, steps from our hotel at the top of Las Ramblas
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- Colom de Columbus monument
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- Even random apartment buildings here are photogenic
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- The awesome view of the Passage de Gracia from the rooftop of the Casa Fauster
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- The arc de triumph, Spanish-style
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