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NZ Herald

Room Check: Hotel Casanova, Barcelona

Perfect for: Business travellers or tourists visiting this historic Catalan city. First impressions: The hotel was a cosy refuge on a day of rain in Barcelona. The hotel staff were extremely accommodating, allowing me to go to my room at 9am despite a 3pm check-in time. Rooms: My fifth-floor room overlooked an apartment block where people lived their lives oblivious to the nosy Kiwi watching them from across the street. The coffee machine was pressed into immediate use and the two coffees provided had disappeared by the time my companion arrived, delayed by an airport shuttle mix-up. They were lucky though that I saved the biscuit for them. Prints by local artists – mine was a Picasso - decorated the walls. Bathroom: The bath was never far from my thoughts during a wet, chilly day of sightseeing in Barcelona. I couldn't find the plug though, so had to get inventive with an upside-down drinking glass to luxuriate in bubbles and hotwater. Food and drink: A coffee machine produced immediate coffees and I was also provided with a biscuit. Neither was topped up during my brief stay. Facilities: Had the day been drier, we would have made better use of the rooftop bar. But even with the bad weather, we regretted our tight schedule precluded tapas on the rooftop with a glass of sangria as the sun sank (behind the clouds) over Barcelona's gothic quarter. In the neighbourhood: Just a 40-minute walk away was the glorious Sagrada Familia. We sampled a selection of tapas from Kurz&Gut seated at a table in the shadow of the great cathedral. The rest of the day we wandered down Barcelona's world-famous pedestrian mall La Rambla to finish for dinner at the Mercado de La Boqueria market. The hotel was a short taxi ride to the harbour, where we caught a cruise ship the following day. Family friendly: Although the hotel welcomes families, it is primarily geared towards business travellers. Accessibility: Ramps and lifts helped the less able move around the hotel. Sustainability: Just being so close to the centre of Barcelona's downtown area reduces your carbon footprint thanks to how easily accessible everything is on foot. Website :