The locationof this hote l is fantastic - just off Las Rambles. Rooms were small and noisy - we requested a room on the higher floors but could still hear all the traffic and sirens from the road below. Got very little sleep here. Also - the swimming pool is more like an oversized bath - a joke really. Other than that though the hotel is ok - decor is good and the rooftop bar was lovely. Location is the main thing here though.

Duquesa de Cardona is a lovely small hotel. It locates waterfront area and you can walk to Ramblas street in a few minutes, 15 minute walk brings you to Catalunya Square. Tourist bus stop is also within a walking distance. By taking metro at Barceloneta station on LIne 4, you can reach CCBI easily. You can find good sea food restaurants along the museum nearby and we enjoyed a walk to a beautiful beach which is within 20 minute walk from the hotel. Piccaso museum which is within 5 minute walk worths visiting. The lobby was furnished with lovey furniture and scent of vanilla candle welcomed us.I stayed in a wheelchair accessible room with a roll-in shower. The bathroom is big enough for me to turn round there. The room was also enough big for us. We took breakfast at the restaurant on the ground floor for 2 days. It was good. We also reccommend you to visit the terrace on the 6th floor with your books and batheing suits. The view from there was exquisite and you can enjoy fresh breeze there with some wine and food. The hotel staffs were all friendly and very helpful. They speak fluent English. They booked wheelchair adapted taxi, booked concert tickets at Catalunya music hall, booked tickets of framenco show for us and showed us good restaurants. It was also fun to go to the guitar concert at the church. At last, I have to tell that you shoud be very careful so that you would not be targeted by pick pockets. My husband had his wallet stolen in a bus on line 24 which goes to Guel park. Some men surrounded us and while one man was pretending to help me with my wheelchair to attract my husband's attention, other men stole the wallet. I strongly advice you to take a tourist bus or a taxi when you move in Brcelona and never to take a normal bus. If I have another chance to visit Barcelona, I am sureto stay at Duquesa de Cardona again.

Duquesa de Cardona is a lovely boutique-style hotel with unique touches that make it stand out from other more traditional hotels. The friendliness of hotel staff is the main selling-point -- they truly go out of their way to make guests feel welcome and to give them advice on touring the city. The morning we arrived in Barcelona after a week-long cruise, we were much too early to check into our room but a very charming staff member pulled out all kinds of maps and brochures to give us very helpful ideas of things to do in the meantime. The breakfast buffet is a bit small but you will find plenty of good food to get you ready for a day of exploring Barcelona. The hotel is right along the waterfront and is an excellent base for visiting the Ciutat Vella, the Barri Gotic -- be sure to cross Passeig de Colom to visit the excellent Aquarium and to stroll through Barceloneta. The Zoo de Barcelona is an easy stroll from the hotel and makes a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon in the city. The rooms are spacious and thoughtfully stocked with items that make your stay comfortable. Our room was perhaps not as clean as it could have been, particularly the carpet. A word of advice -- if you are a light sleeper, be sure to ask for a room on one of the upper floors. We were on the first floor just above a very busy sidewalk restaurant that could be quite noisy in the wee hours of the morning.

Booked this hotel as a more luxurious weekend break for my mum's 50th birthday present, so obviously was happy to spend a little more for extra comfort. Wasn't at all disappointed, the location was superb and I'd recommend paying the extra for a harbor view if you can - it was worth it to watch the fireworks from our balcony when spain won euro 2008...! Little extras were always well received, like daily weather report cards to help us plan the next day, and we were greeted by some lovely staff members who did everything to advise us so we could see the most of the city!! The hotel reserved the terrace bar on one evening of our stay, so to apologise for the inconvenience, we even received a free bottle of cava which was much appreciated!!! If you're anything like my mum and I, you can get around the city without paying anything for transport at all, as the food and drink in barcelona is quite costly. The city is relatively small but very hilly, so if you're not much of a walker stick to the underground!!