On our honeymoon we wanted to spoil ourselves... Therefore, after the wedding, we had our rented white wedding limo brought us to the airport. In Barcelona we were picked up by another limo with chauffeur, we felt just likea king and queen on our wedding day.
After a short, uneventful Lufthansa flight we arrived in Barcelona. As usual we had already arranged our room weeks beforehand. This time we booked a suite at the hotel W Barcelona with a private pick-up service.
The hotel is the best 5 * hotel in Barcelona with its own beach section.
The hotel is practically located at the beginning of the beach, which then goes into the public area. Therefore, most of the beach is totally crowded during good weather. From the hotel you can walk directly down the beach promenade, past a huge Desigual store to the tourist center. As you can expect, there are a lot of shops and restaurants/eateries close to the beach. But since there are also ordinary houses in the area, there are small supermarkets as well. Slightly startling though is the extravagance of the tourists in this area. We saw not only completely naked people on the beach (it was not a nudist beach!), but also vigilantes, who patrol on the streets near the beach to make sure that people don’t leave the beach area naked. Incredible but true, there were probably enough incidents where naked people went in the nearby supermarket... We could only wonder about it.
We only went once for an actual swim at the beach. The reason for this was that Jennifer was scraped by a jellyfish while swimming after she had already dodged several others. Her leg burned so bad that she completely lost the pleasure of swimming. TIP: If you go into the water in the packed part of the beach, most jellyfish are probably driven away by the people. There are fewer people right at the hotel area, but more jellyfish in the water.
As you can see, we also went out. I am a Hard Rock Café T-shirt collector, so we also went to the Hard Rock Café, which is on the Placa de Catalunya. From there we walked down La Rambla. Here, too, we have noticed that the large shopping arcades in the big cities are similar. What attracted our attention were then the markets on La Rambla. When we were there, there were a small art market and a flea market with many old (almost) antique items.
On this walk we also went through a park flanked by large stone gates. Again, the old architecture, this time the Spanish, inspired us.
At the end of our way through La Rambla and the park, we went for lunch at the shopping center Maremagnum. The most interesting thing about this mall was the location right on the waterfront, at the port of the ships. Boat enthusiasts really have a great sight here: sailing ships, speedboats, catamarans and luxury yachts, just about everything your heart desires!
After that we didn’t go out much, except to the beach promenade. We spent the rest of the time at the hotel. Jennifer once again scouted the spa area and indulged in a shiatsu massage. The ambiance was very soothing, and the massage was good, even if the masseur was not Japanese but European.
Generally, the service in the hotel was very good and our suite was greatly equipped with a rain shower and a 2-person-bathtub outside the bathroom. We had booked a corner suite with sea view, which we also received. So that we had a panoramic view of the sea.
The breakfast was very good with a fairly large selection. The rest of the meals we usually ordered into the room. The room service is good, we especially enjoyed the pasta, fruit platter and the cheese-cold-cuts plate.
On the weekend we went up to the lounge, which almost has a VIP status. The trendy style of the hotel is continued at the bar and accompanied by modern techno music. When it’s very crowded, however, it can quickly get cramped. On the top floor you have a great view of the sea and the Barcelona’s skyline, which makes it almost impossible to get a place by the window. Nevertheless, we had a nice evening with music and good drinks.
During this visit we once again noticed how much the sea affects people and their way of life. Sure, the people have their daily lives there as well as everywhere else. But, by the combination of sun and beach you will be animated to exercise, which not only improves the physical fitness level, but also the general mood.
We can only recommend a trip to this city, we had a great time. The hotel is a very modern hotel that leaves nothing open to be desired. The service is very good, everything is very fashionable and clean. We have nothing to complain about the food, because the breakfast buffet and the room service are very good. The city itself has its clear traces of the past too, which can’t be overlooked.
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