Arai Aparthotel

“Amazing hotel in the centre of Gothic quarter”

I have just got back from a trip to Barcelona with husband and 2 children. We stayed at the Arai aparthotel on a jet2 package. This hotel is gorgeous and I would definitely come back. It is situated in the Gothic district which has the most wonderful charm for the city and much better than the t… more

I have just got back from a trip to Barcelona with husband and 2 children. We stayed at the Arai aparthotel on a jet2 package. This hotel is gorgeous and I would definitely come back. It is situated in the Gothic district which has the most wonderful charm for the city and much better than the tacky bustle of Le Rambla. It is very central to everything and close to 2 metro stops - Liceu and Jaune 1 making it easy to get around the city. The amenities are perfect, comfy bed, kitchen with everything you need - pans, full size fridge (which is stocked with wine if you want to pay mini bar price but was reasonable), toaster, kettle etc. Bathroom is gorgeous with great shower pressure and white company products. The decor in this hotel really makes it stand out, the pictures do not really do it justice. It smells amazing throughout, daily cleaning if you want it. The hotel staff were very supportive and welcoming. They are quick and efficient. There is a luggage store for final day and checkout was not until noon! Very helpful. Next door is a lovely tapas restaurant which is also a must try. On the roof top there are some gorgeous views of Barcelona and a great place to watch the sun go down with a glass of Cava. There is a pool which was too cold to go in this time of year but in the summer would make a nice addition. Honestly could not fault this place and would consider coming back again.

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“A mixed bag”

Upon first arriving we were quite impressed with the room and location (being in the heart of the Gothic Quarter) We had a room on the third floor facing the plaza which was buzzing with a few local bars and tapas restaurants as well as frequent buskers playing music. We didn't mind this at all a… more

Upon first arriving we were quite impressed with the room and location (being in the heart of the Gothic Quarter) We had a room on the third floor facing the plaza which was buzzing with a few local bars and tapas restaurants as well as frequent buskers playing music. We didn't mind this at all as we expected it wouldn't be a quiet hotel given its location. The balcony door / window really didn't do much to sound proof this. The first night we were woken up constantly throughout the night by a large group of shady looking characters drinking and partying with music blaring from a speaker till the police would come out about 5-6am to move them on. We didn't say anything and put it down to a one-off. The next evening was the same again but worse so I went down to reception at 5am to make them aware and request if we could move to a quieter room on the other side as this was the second night running. The guy at resection said he would mention it to the manager when he's in around 8am. I also sent them an email with a video I got of these people outside. We didn't get a response so we phoned down in the morning around 10am but the guy said he couldn't do anything about it. We went down to speak to him face to face. He said he didn't have any rooms available (only upgraded ones) and refused to move us unless we paid extra. Eventually he contacted the manager and they moved us to another room so the last night was much better. The sound proofing in the room was much better and on a quieter side. The square was generally a bit of a shady place if I'm honest. I loved the gothic quarter on the whole and everything is walking distance but unfortunately I would probably stay somewhere else next time because we had to fight to get a room change as well as contacting them after to release the security deposit they were holding.

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