Loved my week staying with this hotel and its lovely staff! Beautifully clean rooms, beautiful breakfasts, good rates! El Raval is a lively neighbourhood, which I wanted, not some ‘picture perfect’ place or anything too close to La Rambla.
I had a good-sized room (for the neighbourhood), with a fantastic shower, toilet, wash hand basin and small balcony, everything worked, and when I needed hot water for tea, I was given my own kettle for the week which I really appreciated. My room was to the back of the building facing out to MACBA: with the door open it’s busy with skaters in the nearby placa, but with a closed door, it is quiet and peaceful. Still, I brought earplugs to ensure a good night’s sleep.
Lots of restaurants just 5-10 mins walk away, and if you’ve only got time to grab a slice of pizza, there are worse places to eat than the small take-out places right there on Joaquin Costa, it’s cheap and cheerful and I grabbed empanadas and pizza here as time dictated.
The hotel itself is perfect, outside it’s busy, it’s a little crazy, what I was seeking. Be advised that after a certain hour it may not be very safe for a tourist, that is, as a female travelling solo, I did not go out after a certain hour, but that is true of many countries and neighbourhoods, so be smart and look after yourself.
I got the metro from the Airport to Universitat, then it’s 7-8 mins walk to Acta. I walked almost everywhere in Barcelona, and this place was a great base for me. La Rambla - 7 mins walk, Picasso Museum - 19 mins, Plaza Catalunya - 7, Montjuic 20-25.
Great Covid provisions (gels, masks, etc) and video/good security on the front doors. Would return to Acta 40 BCN with no hesitation.