My family and I planned a trip to Barcelona from 1/17 - 1/20, then 1/22 - 1/23. I found Room Mate Anna, and compared it to a few other hotels I was considering. The rooms were cheap because its off peak season, but what got me to book was their portable wifi! We booked 2 standard rooms for 1/17 - 1/20 and then 2 basic rooms 1/22 - 1/23.
I know - Portable Wifi doesn't seem like a big deal, especially if you have an international plan but I didn't have one. As someone who consistently checks her emails and social media and iMessages, those wifi sticks were LIFE-CHANGING!
Most places in BCN have private wifi and complicated passwords - and it's even more complicated if you don't understand the language.
Check in is normally around 2/3 pm, but I told the hotel we would be coming in around 7/8am on 1/16 and would be hoping to check in early if possible.Ivana knew who we were before we said hello! While she was checking us into one room (the only one available at that moment) we helped ourselves to some infused water (lemon, or mint or regular water).
We got to our room, and it was pretty cramped, but we were 4 people who were dying to take naps. The room actually had the sink outside and didn't have windows, so it was really dull compared to the pictures.
When my parents got to check in to their room, our jaws dropped. They had massive windows with tons of natural light, and a generally bigger room too. We asked if they had any other similar rooms to my parents and they were so kind - they helped us switch into a nicer, more well-lit room. My parents thought the original room we had may have been basic, but we didn't ask once they switched us!
Everyday at Room Mate Anna, you would be greeted by anyone working there - whether it was housekeeping or the concierge. They're all so pleasant and kind, and really helped us find our way through Barcelona (Cabs were on strike, so someone actually mapped out the destinations we wanted to go to, and told us what trains/buses to take, plus a way to save money - a ten trip ~10eu instead of paying 2.20eu one way!)
When we came back from Sevilla to spend one last night at Room Mate Anna for ~6 hours, we asked if the larger rooms were available since we were staying for 6 hours. Sergi was SO kind and patient and made it happen.
The hotel itself is a 3 second walk from Passeig De Gracia (which is a huge train station) with access to the metro as well as the train that goes to the airport. It's perpendicular to the Fifth Ave of Barcelona. It's next door to a Starbucks and Burberry store. Across the street there's a wonderful tapas restaurant called Madrid-Barcelona and Cocovail Beer Hall which specializes in flights of beers. It's also 2 metro stops from La Rambla (walking distance too) and walking distance from Gran Via. 7 minutes away from the hotel is a Brunch and Cake which is really popular in Barcelona.
There's so much to do around the hotel - you'll never be bored. There's also a convenience store across the street which sells minis, wine, beer, water, snacks etc.
When booking, I had no idea how central Room Mate Anna would be to everything. We actually got SO lucky with the staff, location and rooms itself. Thank you so much Room Mate Anna - looking forward to coming back and staying with you guys again!
PS: It's across the street from Casa Batllo and like a 6 minute walk from Casa Milà read more