Tiggy Walker

22.04.2025

I'm writing this review, which could have been a 5 star, had it not been for a few things which marred our stay... The positives were an excellent location down the El Nacional entrance area and our room had a nice view over the Passeig de Gracia. Unfortunately, the room was advertised as 'Superior' (which we paid extra for) yet was very small and we were unable to open the full length windows fully (only around 45 degrees), as the bed was too close to them. The room was clean, but the 'hidden' areas (i.e under the bed, top shelves etc) were quite dusty. The hotel advertises an evening happy hour from 7 - 8pm, where drinks and snacks are available free of charge. On the first two evenings of our stay, there were wine and crisps available in the evening, however for the remaining 4 evenings there were no snacks, only drinks. In addition, there were only alcoholic drinks available which isn’t inclusive for those who prefer a soft option. Finally, the point that really left a bad taste was the situation of the complimentary reusable water bottle in the room. Unfortunately there was only one bottle provided in the room on our arrival, even though we had booked a room for two persons. We asked at Reception on the first day if we could have another so that we each had one to take out for the day and refill, but were met with a curt reply of "It's a gift - one per room" and nothing more said. We then asked again on another day, as we really found it useful to have a bottle to refill during the day, and before we could even finish our sentence, were met with the same response: "It's a gift, if you want another we can sell it to you for €5." These bottles have the hotel name in them so could be good advertising. This was really quite astonishing, given that I'd spent almost €1700 for a 6 night stay and the hotel was asking for €5 for a water bottle! This really left a sour feeling with us and was quite shocking. If an item is available to guests then it should be available to ALL guests, not another opportunity to make a further €5 euros from guests! In the Reception area, there were sample sized bars of soap (the hotel's own Essens brand) in jars, which we thought were available for hotel guests to use, but on closer inspection, the label next to them said something along the lines of 'Price by weight'! Given that the hotel has a theme of perfume and 'essence' we would have thought that these would be the soap bars that are put in the room, but no - the soap in the room wasn't even the hotel Essens brand, so if you wanted these, you would have to pay for them. I would like to add that the dark haired lady on Reception was not friendly. She didn’t acknowledge us as we entered the hotel, nor did she wish us a good day when we left, it was always us who initiated any pleasantries. Any other hotel we have stayed at in Barcelona, the reception staff have acknowledged us with a smile and an 'hola', or 'bon dia'! This was our 10th visit to the city and we are always looking for hotels to return to. Overall, would we stay again? Not sure... 😕

Jen

15.04.2025

We really enjoyed our stay at this hotel. The room was clean and the service was good. Minor wear and tear in the typical areas like the shower and the outdoor furniture, but the hotel smells wonderful and we liked the hang out terrace for a morning coffee. The outdoor bathtub was a great perk to relax after a long day of walking. The location is great and centralized to tourist attractions, shopping and being walkable to other areas of Barcelona. Would definitely recommend and stay again!

Alan Walker

10.03.2025

The room was modern, fully equipped and we had a view over Paseo Gracia. Each time we had a request of the front staff, they were more than helpful. The lounge was great for coffee, a lite bite before heading out for the day and a quiet place to read, write, chat.

Hedy van B

25.02.2025

We've visited all of the Praktik in Barcelona (and Madrid) over the years and Praktik Essens is clearly a new favorite (the other is Praktik Ramblas). The location couldn't be better, very central but a calm oasis. The personnel are friendly and helpful (a special shout out to Maya)! Rooms are tastefully decorated and comfortable. Best of all is the lounge, which features 24/7 access to excellent coffee. Great for us early risers. Free mini muffins and donuts are served in the mornings. We're already looking forward to our next visit.

Mark Slosberg

10.02.2025

We had a wonderful experience at the hotel. Comfortable clean rooms and beds serviced daily. Lots of hot water. Perfect location both quiet at night and in the middle of all of the action during the day. You do have to adjust the blinds a bit to both block out some street lights and not give the neighbors too much of a show🤣. If we have a quibble, the rooms are a bit cramped but we would definitely return if we had the opportunity.

Susan Moran

03.02.2025

Lovely quirky hotel. Excellent location. Walking distance to main attractions. Plenty of places to eat in locale. All staff we met were just great. Very helpful and attentive Definitely go back

JO

02.02.2025

A wonderful boutique hotel right in the middle of town and within easy walking distance of many interesting areas and sites. Plenty of transport options in and out of the area. The staff were very friendly and attentive. I would definitely stay there again.

Fatima A.

11.01.2025

+the room was clean and organized with some additional stuff like coffee machine +perfect location without being noisy +lounge has free muffins and donuts between 7 and 8 am, free snacks/drinks between 7 and 8 pm. Also tee, coffee and water all the time. +matress was comfortable +hotel was clean, smell good. Everything was working +service was good from front desk to housekeeping to everyone working in the hotel Nothing to complain about. I recommend this place👍🏻