The Ayre Hotel Gran Via is a modern, stylish hotel located close to Placa Espanya - just a couple of minutes walk from the metro stop. It has a very "boutique" hotel look and the bathrooms (shower only though) are fantastic.

However, the hotel has one or two problems which some travellers might find annoying.

Firstly, the beds are rock hard. I have never (not) slept on such a hard mattress. Secondly, if you want a quiet room looking over the inner atrium then be prepared for very little natural light and to be completely overlooked by the rooms opposite. Thirdly, do not plan to eat in the hotel. The food & service are atrocious.

If you are looking for a good quality hotel situated close to the Montjuic district (good for sporting events at the Olympic Stadium & concerts at the Palau Sant Jordi) then I would personally recommend the Fira Palace.

If you are visiting Barcelona for sightseeing then I would recommend somewhere closer to the centre of town.

As we were staying for 7 nights in Barcelona we wanted to make sure we stayed at a comfortable hotel. The hotel was easy to find and the location not bad. Its generally a tube ride into the very heart of barcelona but its only a couple of stops and is very fast, efficient, cheap, and the stop is only a 2 minute walk from the hotel. We found the hotel to be very modern and were quite surpised what our money got us. The rooms were nice and modern with a large bathroom and great shower. They supply water in your mini-fridge every day which was really nice. I had followed previous reviews and asked for a courtyard facing (interior) room. They didn't have any left but seemed to know why I was asking so instead put us on the 7th floor. We could hear some traffic noise from the very busy road below but it isn't enough to keep you awake. The room had electric blackout blinds so we weren't woken by the sun either. The main negative point I would is say is the air-con. It works but isn't enough to cool the room sufficiently unless left on at full blast for ages. We got an additional room card and left it on while we went out in the evening, it was fine then when we got back. We didn't try the breakfast as it was too expensive and chose to eat out each morning instead. The strange thing for such a big modern hotel is that all service stops at 11pm. You can't get a drink as the bar is shut, nor have anything in your room as room service stops at 11pm too. There are no ironing facilities in the room, you have to send your clothes away to the laundry which at 6 euros for a shirt to be ironed seemed a bit excessive. You won't find any tea or coffee making facilities anywhere either. All in all I would stay here again but would bring a mini kettle or stock up the fridge on my first day!

This hotel was perfectly positioned for my short stay in Barcelona. It´s right beside the Plaza de España and Montjuic Park. It´s also a 12 minute walk from Sants Station. Arriving at the airport, exit the terminal building and turn right. The blue Aeroport bus stops at a stand which is at the front of the building to the right. Travel into Barcelona and get off at the first stop. You then cross the Plaza de España in the direction you came and Ayre Hotel Gran Via is at the beginning of the 2nd block. If you want to see the sights, the tourist bus stops at the Plaza de España and costs 20 euros. There are 3 routes, and it is the blue route which stops at the Plaza. You can connect to the red and green routes at other stops in the city. There is also a metro stop, which I found easy to use to go to Plaza de Catalunya. I arrived at the weekend and saw the Magic Fountains display, which is round the corner from the hotel.

The staff at the hotel are welcoming and helpful. The rooms are modern, clean and a nice size. A bit business-like, however comfortable. The air-conditioning was excellent and there are blackout blinds, so you get a good sleep. My room faced the Gran Via and most of the noise was blocked out. There is enough wardrobe space, extras like shoeshine, sewing kit etc., a safe, a mini-bar with free water and space for your own drinks/food, flat screen tv (limited to Spanish channels and worldwide news). The bathroom has no bath, however has a big shower with shampoo, shower gel etc.

No negatives about the hotel. I was able to checkout at a later time, without any problems. They also give you a tourist map of Barcelona when you arrive. Good value for money.

My teenage daughter and I stayed at the Ayre Hotel Gran Via
for a week while exploring Barcelona. I had emailed the hotel prior to arriving, asking for an inward-facing (quiet), non-smoking room with twin beds. When we arrived, everything was perfect! The English-
speaking staff is friendly and knowledgeable. The room is large by European standards and it was spotless. The minibar is refreshed with free water every day. We used the rest of the fridge to hold our yogurts and other snacks. There are two grocery stores a minute away which are open quite late and also open on Sundays. There are several news channels- CNN, SKY, a German channel and a couple of Spanish and Catalan channels. The shower had plenty of hot water and good water pressure. The hairdryer is a nice big model with good power. We did not take the breakfast as it is rather expensive. I made coffee in the room with the mini coffee pot I brought, but also there is a bakery just down the street which serves coffee/tea too-- about 2 Euros for coffee and a pastry or croissant. Any toiletry we used or put out of sight was replaced every day. The sheets and towels were also replaced every day. the day we left, we checked out around 11.30 but didn't have to catch the plane until 7 PM-- the hotel has a locked luggage room where you can store your luggage for free. Be sure to keep the tag they give you to claim your luggage! There is a restroom beside the luggage room where you can freshen up if you've already given up your room. As two women travelling alone, I liked the idea that this hotel is staffed 24 hours a day. The door has a double lock. Located almost right on the Placa de Espanyol, the hotel is very close to public transportation, and an Aeropuerto Bus stop. We used this bus to get from the Airport to the hotel (4.05 per ticket, one way-- buy from the bus driver) and back out to the airport again. This way you avoid taxi prices, and pickpockets etc. on public. The hotel is maybe 100 meters away from the Airport bus stop on the plaza. We bought the 5 day public transportation pass from the tourist info at the airport (they also gave us a free map when we asked). It was 43 euros for 2 people and you validate the passes the first time you ride the metro. We did enjoy all the things near the hotel-- I recommend getting the combi ticket for the Poble Espanyol and the art museum. (you can see them on different days). Also not to be missed-- the nearby Caixa Forum art museum/gallery (free entry, clean bathroom). We Also enjoyed the Parc Guell (brought a picnic) and got there on the bus 92, but bus 24 also works. (Get bus maps at tourist info for free). The day at Tibidabo was also fun (Line 7, then Tramvia Blau (3.80 rountd trip) then the cable car or Line 7 to the endstop then bus 195 (no extra charge) to the Funicular (3 Euros round trip). You can also take the T2 from PL. Catalunya to Tibidabo. We enjoyed shopping at the Maremagnum Mall where my daughter got all her school clothes at "Lefties". We ate several times at one of the "Fresco" all-you-can-eat buffets, which at 9 Euros a person is a good deal. We did of the Golondrina boat rides- the boat had glass windows under the water level. Yes you have to watch out for the nasty people who prey on tourists but we didn't have any trouble. We left anything we didn't need in the hotel safe, and brought only copies of our passorts with. We kept our maps and stuff we didn't care about losing in a beach bag, and the money and cr. cards in a pouch under my clothes. I also had a thief-proof, slash-proof city bag, but then I didn't use it every day as the beach bag for all our junk was more convenient. Additionally my daughter has these socks with a zip pocket where we stashed some extra cash and a credit card. Whenever one read a map, the other "stood guard"-- really, we didn't have any trouble at all-- so just be aware and enjoy Barcelona!