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The Gallery Hotel Has So-So WiFi But Great Toiletries

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Rosselló 249, Barcelona, Spain, 08008

October 29, 2008 at 1:39 PM | 0 Comments

Last month when we hit up Barcelona we stayed in two hotels. The first was the crazy/sexy/cool Omm Hotel which we told you about last week. The second hotel was the less sexy and less cool Gallery Hotel. But we aren't trying to be dismissive here.

The Gallery was actually a wonderful, full-service hotel just across the street from the Omm with a helpful staff, spacious rooms, an abundance of toiletries and a pretty courtyard view--at least from the room we were in.

It's just that the Gallery is not design-forward like the Omm. Staying here is not an experience in itself but it's a perfectly good place to sleep for two nights.

Check-In: Check-in was fairly easy. At first, the desk clerk wasn't sure if our room was ready but then he "looked again" and found that it was. A bellman took our bags without any prompting and we headed up to the fourth floor.

Room Reaction: After coming from the Omm which was walled in white and had hardwood floors, entering a pretty staid hotel room with carpeting was a bit of a let down. On the bright side, we had a comfortable king-sized bed. Remember--the Omm stuck us with twin beds.

We also had a view out at the courtyard and the windows opened. This was necessary because housekeeping using a strong, perfumed scent that, while nice-smelling, was overwhelming and we needed fresh air.

Amenity Madness: Nothing too out of the ordinary here. There was a small-ish TV on a stand across from the bed, a mini-bar, and an iPod docking station. We also used the laundry services available in the hotel by giving housekeeping a bag of our dirty clothes and they were returned to us later that day. It was pricey though, probably about 20 euros.

The real star of the room in our opinion was the bathroom, mainly because there were so many goodies offered to us. The toiletries included all the standard offerings plus a comb, a mini-deoderant, sewing kit and two toothbrushes and pastes. Above and beyond the call of toiletries indeed.

Internet Connect: The internet here was frustrating. You had to get a code from front desk and then you were able to sign-on wirelessly for free. The only problem is that the connection is terrible. It would go in and out repeatedly and then just stop altogether.

The hotel does have a business center on its bottom floor which is free and the internet on the two PCs they have is only marginally better.

Construction: The hotel's main entrance is on Rosselló which is actually closed off to cars (the sidewalk is open) because they are building a new subway line underneath. While we were there, we did not hear any construction noise, partly because it was the weekend and partly because we had a room facing the opposite side. So request a room away from the construction if you stay here.

Location: Just like the Omm, this hotel is located off Passeig de Gracia in the Eixample district and it's within walking distance to a few Gaudi buildings, Catalunya Plaza and metro stations.

Bottom Line: The hotel has average room rates of about 140 Euros a night which includes breakfast. It's no Omm but it's a cheaper alternative in the same neighborhood. So you can stay here, and go to drink at the Omm.

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Author Photo: juliana by juliana

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