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Prime Spot on La Rambla at Hotel 1898

Where: La Rambla 109, Barcelona, Spain, 08002

If you're staying in Barcelona, you've gotta be close to that frenetic pedestrian mall that is La Rambla. So from a location point of view, the year-old Hotel 1898 fits the bill. Before you ask, the name comes from the year that Spain lost the Philippines to America during the Spanish-American war. Oops. Hopefully the link is mostly just due to the building, which is the old headquarters of Philippines Tobacco, and not some kind of vengeful thinking.

The NY Times checked it out recently and seemed pretty impressed. Big plus points, apart from the location, include a good atmosphere and well-evoked style of 1800s Spain, soundproof rooms (especially important on La Rambla), a decadent rooftop lap pool and a second pool in the basement for bad weather.

On the down side, room service won't feed you after 11pm, and that's a big surprise for Spain, where many people would still just be starting their evening. Many aspects of the hotel are (necessarily, perhaps) small--the gym, the bathrooms, the windows, and so on. But the summary goes like this: "a quiet slice of empire-era luxury in a prime location", so it doesn't sound bad at all.

[Photo: parsey]

Related Stories:
· Barcelona: Hotel 1898 [NY Times]

Tags: New York Times / Paris Hotel Reviews / Sarah Wildman / → All Tags

Stayin' Sexy at Paris' Five Hotel

Where: 3, rue Flatters, Paris, France, 75005

After last week's low-budget hotel review, the New York Times sent Sarah Wildman to The Five Hotel in Paris. The place has sort of an NHow Hotel thing going on, with the planetarium-style lighting and sassy decor.

You better like the scene too, since you probably won't be lounging around your room:

To call room 203, in the lowest price category, small would be generous. The bed, pushed into a corner, almost entirely filled the space...The bathroom -- triangular and fitted as for a dollhouse -- was fine for a woman of about 5 ft 3 inches (me), but uncomfortable for anyone ganglier.

Hmmm...sounds like the Times "sprung" for the cheapest room at the place. Other floors have bigger and better rooms--including one with a bed hanging from the ceiling on steel cables. Now that is sexy!

Related Stories:
· Paris: The Five Hotel [NYT]
· NHow Hotel Keeps Boutique Trend Alive [HotelChatter]
· Starry Nights, Swinging Beds, and Personalized Scents [HotelChatter]