Hotel Barcelona

“Good but pricey”

a nice, relatively new building in a typical street of central Ulyanovsk. it's in a quiet neighborhood of old wooden houses in a small street just a few steps of restaurants, bars and shopping centers. it's also just 15 minutes walk from the magnificent Volga. Clean comfortable beds, colorful decor… more

a nice, relatively new building in a typical street of central Ulyanovsk. it's in a quiet neighborhood of old wooden houses in a small street just a few steps of restaurants, bars and shopping centers. it's also just 15 minutes walk from the magnificent Volga. Clean comfortable beds, colorful decor and a 24h bar. The staff needs to brush up on English, otherwise they are very friendly.

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“Average Business Hotel”

Barcelona is ok for short stay but is expensive compared to what it offers. Rooms are reasonably comfortable & clean. Free Wi-Fi. Breakfast spread reasonable. Give it a try in case limited for alternatives.

“Nice Hotel, Customer care a little poor”

The hotel was very well presented, the rooms were clean and had some decent facilities. The hotel staff spoke no English and this made communication very difficult. The Restaurant was very basic and the order was completely wrong. I was given two same starters and a main all at the same time. A… more

The hotel was very well presented, the rooms were clean and had some decent facilities. The hotel staff spoke no English and this made communication very difficult. The Restaurant was very basic and the order was completely wrong. I was given two same starters and a main all at the same time. Also no one came back to me when I had finished, I had to leave and go to reception. The price was a little on the high side for the level of care I received. However it is in a good location for the city center. I would stay there again but this time I would eat out.

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“Good hotel but beware - no one speaks a word of English”

The Barcelona is really the only hotel of any standing in Ulyanovsk, the location of Lenin's house (well worth a visit), as the Venets down the road has grotty rooms and that unmistakable Communist chic feel to it. The Barcelona hotel feels new, even more so when you see that there are parts that … more

The Barcelona is really the only hotel of any standing in Ulyanovsk, the location of Lenin's house (well worth a visit), as the Venets down the road has grotty rooms and that unmistakable Communist chic feel to it. The Barcelona hotel feels new, even more so when you see that there are parts that are still being finished off. The rooms are reasonably priced, with plenty of space and an excellent shower, but as one reviewer points out there are no lifts - so make sure your room is on the first floor to avoid having to drag your suitcases up the stairs. Like so many Russian hotels I have stayed in, the staff take a while to warm up before they break into a smile, but they do try to be helpful once you have been there a while. However, no one in the Barcelona spoke any English at all, and only our Russian colleague in the business party saved us from embarrassment. You order your breakfast the day before; my fresh salad and bread was excellent, but the omelette I had ordered came along as runny fried eggs, and the waitress did not understand me when I tried to explain the mistake. The room mini bar prices are reasonable and it is well stocked, while the food was better than average overall. The soups they offer are great, while the pasta is so-so, but I should have known to stick to Russian dishes rather than anything international. One thing to note is they charge you for accommodation straight away, not at the end of your stay, and my having to shorten my trip by a day therefore caused real confusion when I wanted a refund on my card - all was 'lost in translation' (a phrase we used a lot in the hotel!) until my Russian colleague appeared on the scene. The Barcelona is well situated, within walking distance of the town centre, but go to the Venets hotel too if you get the chance, as there is a magnificent view from their 22nd floor (where they have a bar and restaurant). The Barcelona fixed up a meeting room for us in the hotel while we were there, and were generally as helpful as they could be when they understood what we wanted, but without the saviour in the form of our Russian business partner, we would all have been very frustrated. As an aside to this review, I also went to Lenin's house during a business break and was tickled by the fridge magnet I saw there (and bought), which featured Lenin saying, 'And now what do you think of Capitalism?', with a vicious grin on his face. It just about sums up Russia at the moment,

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“A toss-up to the Venets”

We have stayed in Ulyanovsk before at the Venets hotel. We thought the Venets was overpriced for the service and room provided. The Barcelona was a nicer room but like a lot of independent Russian hotels is a walk up because there are no elevators. I don't mind climbing stairs but I hate doing i… more

We have stayed in Ulyanovsk before at the Venets hotel. We thought the Venets was overpriced for the service and room provided. The Barcelona was a nicer room but like a lot of independent Russian hotels is a walk up because there are no elevators. I don't mind climbing stairs but I hate doing it with my baggage. The breakfast was mediocre for Russian hotel breakfasts but sustainable.

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