Hotel Review: Olivia Balmes Hotel – Barcelona, Spainfeatured

Primo location? Check. Clean room and excellent service? Check and double check. Our pre-cruise stay at the Olivia Balmes Hotel in Barcelona’s Eixample district exceeded every expectation we had.

Finding a hotel room in Barcelona can be intimidating, especially when you’re traveling with a family or a group. Location is key, especially in Barcelona, and space is a premium where hotel stays in Europe are involved.

You won’t find many of the hotel brands you find in the US in Barcelona – there’s a Renaissance, but it’s out of the way in Fira, and a W on the water near the cruise port (where the per night averages nearly double the average room at a W in the US). There’s a Best Western and a Le Meridien, but other than that, you’re looking at hotel brands you’ve likely never heard of.

The Olivia Balmes offers comfortable accommodations in a location central to Barcelona’s main attractions

Last year, we stayed at the Hotel Miramar and loved the quiet, old Hollywood kind of luxury and glam the hotel offered (you can read my review of the Hotel Miramar here), but with multiple cruise ships embarking in Barcelona as well as the Grand Prix weekend, the Miramar was sold out, and we were left back at the drawing board.

The downside of the Miramar, for us, was that it was out in Montjuic, removed from the main sights and hustle and bustle of Barcelona. So one of our musts was central location. Another was a room with at least two full beds, because three adults in a king is all kinds of unpleasant. And the hotel had to be at least four stars. In our experience, star ratings in Europe are generally a level higher than they are in the US and a five star hotel is generally comparable to a US four star (and a four star comparable to a three/three and a half star), so with that in mind, a four star was the lowest we wanted to go.

Booking

Unless I’m booking a hotel with a brand I have status with (or a brand I’m looking to earn status with), I almost always book through Expedia. Not only does Expedia have it’s own loyalty rewards program (which can help you earn extra perks and points on your stays), membership is free and even the lowest level members are eligible for extra discounts.

I always filter by the area I want to stay in and then sort by guest rating, and the Olivia Balmes popped to the top of my search. A quick check on TripAdvisor validated the reviews: the Olivia Balmes is a top ten hotel of all of the 500+ hotels in Barcelona. Reviewers praised the friendly service and the pristine accommodations and the price was right for our budget.

The lobby of the Olivia Balmes

Location

The Olivia Balmes is located in Barcelona’s Eixample district, which is known for its high end shopping. The Boqueria (and Las Ramblas), Casa Mila and the Passeig de Gracia are easily within walking distance and the Sagrada Familia is accessible via a Metro stop less than four blocks from the front door.

You won’t need to look far to find great shopping and dining options

The central location meant that dozens of restaurants, bars and cafés featuring every kind of cuisine were right outside our door, and stores and boutiques were everywhere. Our favorite restaurant? Balmes/Rosselló, one block from the hotel with the best champagne sangria we’ve ever tasted and a solid menu of tapas, pizzas, salads and meats.

The Olivia Balmes is ten miles from the airport, and less than a 15 minute drive to the cruise terminal. Catching a cab is easy from the street, but the doormen are more than happy to hail one for you.

Service

Check in doesn’t formally begin until 3:00 pm, but our flight landed at just past 10:30 and we were in a taxi on our way to the hotel within an hour of landing. Our bags were taken care of straight from the taxi by the bellhop, and even though we were early and our room wasn’t quite ready, the front desk staff whisked us straight to the bar for a round of (complimentary) cocktails – whatever we wanted (they recommended, and we obliged in, the housemade sangria) – while they processed our credit card and passports.

We were treated to a round of sangria while we waited for our room

A manager stopped by to drop off the wifi password and offer up any tips or recommendations we may need for our time in Barcelona, and we were escorted up to our room (where our luggage was already waiting for us) when our room was ready – less than an hour after we arrived.

Every time we went out or returned back, we were greeted by the friendly staff and everyone from the front desk to housekeeping was warm and inviting.

Room

We booked a triple room with a queen bed and a pull out sofa bed and found it to be plenty of room for the three of us. Our luggage was set up in the room and out of the way before we even got upstairs, and the pull out was already made up into a full size bed.

Our room was clean, modern and offered plenty of room for the three of us

The furniture and accents were quite modular, with plenty of hidden space (which we needed because we were toting plenty of luggage!). The décor of the room was clean and modern, perhaps not as elegant as some of the other hotels we’d stay at on this trip, but perfectly functional.

A flat screen TV hides out of the way, mounted behind sliding doors

A double sink was in the passageway between the entry and the bedroom, with a sliding door to close off the area fully, and separate, closed areas for both the toilet and a bathtub/shower.

A sliding door offers some additional privacy for the bathroom area

The lavatory

Sunken tub/shower combo

One unexpected touch that we really appreciated was a box of toiletry kits (ranging from dental kits to sewing kits) stashed away beneath the sink. One of us always forgets something, so we really appreciated the touch.

Toiletry and amenity kits cover any basics you might have forgotten at home

Standard shower toiletries were also offered

Another nice touch was the electric tea kettle and complimentary selection of teas and coffees—great for early morning caffeine jolts when you’re getting ready for a day of touring!

A small tea station is tucked away in one of the room’s many storage compartments

Amenities

The Olivia Balmes has some pretty standard amenities for a four star hotel (a small gym, free wifi with decent speeds, a bar and a restaurant in the lobby), but the real gem was the rooftop pool.

The infinity pool offers lovely views of the courtyard and nearby buildings

Not to be outdone by the gorgeous pool area, the rooftop also features a patio that features great views of Eixample. It’s a great place to unwind after a long day and catch the sunset, kick your feet up or even just look out at the gorgeous buildings around you and appreciate the unique vibe of Barcelona.

The rooftop deck offers a comfortable space to relax, catch some fresh air and look out at the city

The living wall brings the same kind of modern minimalist decor that adorns the other public areas of the hotel

In a Nutshell

With modern accommodations and an unbeatable location, the Olivia Balmes offers a comfortable, relaxed place to come back to after a long day of exploring all of the wonderful things Barcelona has to offer.