Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments Gran Vía Suites

“Just book”

These apartments are fantastic. The showers are wonderful and hot, the beds super comfortable and the services provided are great. I would highly recommend these apartments. The staff are so friendly and helpful - we had some wonderful local recommendations for where to eat and what to see in o... more

These apartments are fantastic. The showers are wonderful and hot, the beds super comfortable and the services provided are great. I would highly recommend these apartments. The staff are so friendly and helpful - we had some wonderful local recommendations for where to eat and what to see in our short time in Barcelona. The location of the apartments is great with a lot of sights in walking distance and plenty of restaurants and cafes nearby.

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“Friendly and well equipped apartments ”

I stayed here for a short break with my family. We arrived after the reception area was closed but there is an automatic check in machine in the lobby. Apartment was very nice, cooker, microwave, dishwasher and washing machine, dishwasher tabs and washing detergent provided in reception. Good ai... more

I stayed here for a short break with my family. We arrived after the reception area was closed but there is an automatic check in machine in the lobby. Apartment was very nice, cooker, microwave, dishwasher and washing machine, dishwasher tabs and washing detergent provided in reception. Good air con. Free WiFi, great in the main room, a bit weak in the back bedroom. Small supermarkets close by and right by a metro station. Don’t bother with a 2 or 3 day travel pass, the T10 ticket is better value. 10 journeys for €10.20 and can be used by multiple people. Love, love, loved the Sagrada Família. You must go inside, it’s amazingly beautiful.

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“Fabulous and convenient stay in Barcelona”

We stayed at the Apartments for 5 nights while sightseeing in Barcelona. The apartment was very well furnished with a well equipped kitchen. There was a fabulous market a short distance away where we bought local delicacies for breakfast and dinners on the balcony. Even though our room faced the ... more

We stayed at the Apartments for 5 nights while sightseeing in Barcelona. The apartment was very well furnished with a well equipped kitchen. There was a fabulous market a short distance away where we bought local delicacies for breakfast and dinners on the balcony. Even though our room faced the inner courtyard, it was very quiet at night. Subway access was very close and convenient. Much to do also within walking distance. The staff was very friendly and helpful. There is a tiny elevator so we took the stairs. There are many stairs in Barcelona so our carry on luggage was perfect to handle everywhere. Would definitely stay there again.

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“What if a hotel decided to be an Airbnb”

Should you stay here? That’s the question, right? For 95% of you it’s a big yes. It’s reasonably priced, spacious, in a great location, clean, and has a full kitchen. For 95% of you that will work just fine.

Let’s start with the location. 15 minutes from the airport. The L1 metro stop is half a ... more

Should you stay here? That’s the question, right? For 95% of you it’s a big yes. It’s reasonably priced, spacious, in a great location, clean, and has a full kitchen. For 95% of you that will work just fine.

Let’s start with the location. 15 minutes from the airport. The L1 metro stop is half a block away and that gets you to everything you’ll want to see inside of 15 minutes. Plenty of bars and restaurants, but not loud and bothersome. Several 24 hour markets are within 2 blocks. There’s a nice mall inside of what used to be a bull fighting arena. Two bus lines are also half block away. Should you want to walk to things, it’s a nice flat 30 minute walk or so. 

We chose a 1 bed with balcony room. The views from the balcony were nice, but not amazing. I think we overlooked a school. But, getting fresh air and sunlight every morning was a treat, and the added cost was nominal.

The bathroom is spacious for Europe. You get incredible shower pressure and it runs hot. Perfect for evening showers after a long day of seeing the sights. Shampoo, body wash, and hand soap and included. Also included are hand and body towels. 

I said full kitchen. You get a nice stove, microwave, fridge, freezer, Nespresso coffee machine, and dishwasher. You’ll also get a pre-bundled kit of dish soap, dishwasher soap, a sponge, and a kitchen towel. They’ve also added laundry detergent.

The bedroom is fairly basic, but spacious. The bed is comfortable, as are the pillows. There’s plenty of closet space and a safe.

So what’s missing from a hotel room? Conditioner, lotion, and someone to clean the room daily (it’s once per 3/4 days if you’re staying a week).

Like I said, for 95% of you, this place is perfect.

So, why is it 4 stars and not 5? And why isn’t it good for the other 5%? It comes down to 2 things:

1. No entertainment at the hotel. If you wanted a coffee, a beer, a gym, business center (for some reason), or a restaurant - look elsewhere. 

2. The Elevator: It’s borderline useless. It holds maybe 5 people without luggage. It’s slow. And if someone leaves the door open to the elevator it won’t move for safety reasons. The number of times I had to walk 6 flights of stairs was immeasurable. I’m fit and in good health. If you aren’t - look elsewhere.

Were those enough to make me give a 4 instead of something higher? Yes. If Trip Advisor let you provide half stars, I would have given this a 4.5 out of 5. Where I had no choice but to go to a 4 was - toilet paper. 

I know what you’re thinking, wait, what? Let me explain. Like an Airbnb you get what’s provided by the host. In our case and our other traveling companions, you get 2 small rolls for the week. We had 4 women and 1 man across 2 rooms and a single room with 1 guy. The room with 2 women and 1 man went through 2 rolls by day 5. We asked for more, and we were told you get what you get and you can buy more yourself. A bizarre decision that’s easily rectified through a purchase at one of the several 24 hour stores. But, annoying to say the least.

One other thing to take note of. Get the number of people staying in your room correct. You are taxed on the number of people and you are charged on the number of people. Originally we thought we’d have 2 people in our 1 bed with pull out couch. We had 3 in total. The price during check in changed. The tax I can understand, even though I think it’s silly. They don’t make that policy. But the room price changing is 100% on them. Why does the cost go up? Because with a 3rd person the pull out couch now needs to be cleaned. So a word to the wise, if you were traveling as friends, with 1 of you sleeping in the bed and the other on the pull out, you better hope the people who stayed before you declared they would use the pull out. Otherwise it might not be clean since it’s only cleaned when you have 3 people?

Look, I’d stay again. The frustrations are trumped by all the positives. But for 5% of you what I just shared is a deal breaker.

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