We spent 3 nights in Barcelona. Loved the city but hotel was not great. It was the most disappointing of the hotels we stayed at during our 2 week vacation. However it was the least expensive of the hotels we stayed at as well. The Hotel Claris is rated a 5 star GL hotel but it does not exude a luxury hotel feel. The Hotel Majestic one block away exudes that luxury hotel feel. The public spaces in the Majestic had a 5 star feel where the Claris did not. The Claris is a 19th century building that has been completely gutted and converted into a very modern hotel with interesting design and modern atrium in the middle to provide light. Our junior suite was very dark with a separate livingroom with no window and the sole window in the bedroom was on a courtyard with very little light. The roof top pool and lounge area was nice but the gym is poor. just 3 cardio machines in a very small space. We totally enjoyed our stay in Eixample as opposed to staying in the more touristy Las Ramblas area. Within easy walking distance are the fine shops on the Pg. de Gracia (1 block away) and many of the fine Gaudi architectural treasures are within walking distance. I love art nouveau design and there is great examples all around. I enjoy walking and the old city is a good walk away but for those that don't enjoy the long walk it is just a short cab ride. There are also many great restaurants and cafes just a short walk away. We spent 3 nights there but we could have easily filled 6 days in Barcelona. There is much to see do and experience. Also the city is every bit as sophisticated as the top European cities.

Stayed one night at the Claris on our way through to France. Nice modern decor, great terrace bar & pool. The room and service were lovely. The staff were really helpful and all the amenities in the room were great - clean, well stocked with toiletries, towels, robes, slippers, etc. Very rough sheets (appeared to be linen, as in not cotton but actual linen, but the effect was too hard for me) were a disappointment. The a/c worked well and is completely temp adjustable. One big caviat - they are not soundproofed. The hallway is not the issue - there is a lobby door between the room and the bath/hall door. The issue is really the windows to outdoor. We were awakened to traffic sounds and an auto accident, even though we were on the top floor. Easy access to business center downstairs with two computers & internet access free.

This was our sixth stay at the Claris and we still love it. The main attraction is it's magnificent roof terrace and swimming pool, by far the biggest rooftop pool in Barcelona. A lot has been said of the Grand Central's rooftop 'infinity' pool, well it's the size of my bath and not a patch on the Claris'. There is also a good restaurant, and, in the summer, a bar alongside the pool. We have stayed in all classes of rooms and particularly like the junior suites. The rooms could probably do with a bit of an update soon, and are quite dark, especially the 'inner' rooms, but are comfortable and have good facilities. Staff are fantastic and hepful from the doorman to the bellboys and waiting staff. The Majestic and Condes have both been recently updated and have stolen a march on the Claris, so the management needs to plan a refit soon. That said I'm sure I'll be staying at the Claris again soon.

I stayed here whilst at a meeting in Barcelona. The location is great being just one block off the Paseig de Gracia and hence only two blocks from the metro. The hotel itself has been constructed within an older building and the architecture is very interesting. The hotel is built around a central atrium. The front lobby is very arty with various glass and water features. The public areas were generally of a high standard. The front desk were very friendly and helpful. My room was on the fifth floor - the lifts are very small, glass affairs. The furnishings were to a high standard in the room. The bedroom and separate bathroom were spotlessly clean. It did suffer majorly from having only one small window which was set a one end of the room and opened out onto the internal atrium. This meant that little natural daylight got into the room. The toileteries were ample and of good quality. Breakfast was served in the basement - so no daylight there either. The room I found to be featureless and devoid of atmosphere. It started serving at 07:00 which is quite late for business people. The choice was reasonable and the presentation faultless. I have had better breakfasts in Spain, but I have had many worse. There is a pool on the roof but this is much smaller in reality than the hotel website photographs would suggest - so be warned you won't being doing traiing laps here. There is a bar beside the pool and another small one on the ground floor. Overall this is indeed a luxury hotel but I am not sure it meets UK 5 star standards, mainly due to the lack of amenities. It is a moderate sized, boutique-type hotel rather than your large scale Mariott or Hilton.

My family and I stayed at the Claris during spring break. We missed our original flight to Barcelona and our luggage did not arrive until a few days after we did...it was very comforting that, from the moment we arrived at the hotel, the staff was very accomodating; the Public Relations Manager, in particular, went way above the call of duty to help us with our lost luggage crisis. The rooms are nicely adorned and we particularly appreciated the hardwood floors and furnishings. The location is accessible to "all that's Barcelona," and the room rates are very reasonable for the ammenities offered. We look forward to staying at the Claris again on our next trip to Spain:-)