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Story by Melanie Votaw, photos by Melanie Votaw and courtesy of WorldHotels
Hotel Avenida Palace
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 605
08007 Barcelona
Spain
Barcelona is a great walking city, so it really pays to stay in a hotel that’s in the middle of everything. A great choice that puts you within walking distance of a number of Barcelona’s main attractions is the four-star Hotel Avenida Palace, which is part of the WorldHotels Portfolio Deluxe Collection. The hotel is on the Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, a large street that runs right off La Rambla, Barcelona’s most famous street.
Actually, the Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes is a more impressive street than La Rambla in terms of size, beauty, and stores. I drooled at the fashion in the windows of the upscale shops. La Rambla doesn’t resemble the Champs Elysees  nearly as much.
After stepping outside the doors of the Avenida Palace, it took only about 15 minutes to walk to two of the most famous Antoni Gaudi architectural masterpieces in the city. The hotel is also a matter of minutes from the Gothic Quarter, which is one of the most picturesque parts of Barcelona – a maze of narrow streets that are largely unchanged since medieval times. Despite the fact that the hotel is in the middle of everything, my room wasn’t noisy. Thanks to soundproof windows, I wasn’t awakened even once from street sounds.
Another advantage of the location is that you can’t lose the hotel. There are so many nearby landmarks – such as the Plaza Cataluña and the Passeig de Gracia – that you can easily find it again no matter how far away you wander. That’s a  plus if you’re like me, and you begin to lose your sense of direction when fatigue hits at the end of the day.
The Avenida Palace was built in 1952 but has been fully refurbished. On its nine floors, it has 151 rooms, of which 14 are suites. There are different classes of rooms, and the majority are called “deluxe.” These are average size, so if you can swing a suite, I recommend it for the extra space.
My room was in the deluxe category. It was basic but comfortable with a minibar, desk, safe, television, complimentary wi-fi, and large double windows. The color scheme was dark red. One thing that was missing that is customary in four-star hotels was a terry cloth bathrobe. I definitely missed that!
Even though you get free wi-fi in your room, you might not want to bring your own laptop. In that case, the hotel provides two computers with free Internet  access in the lobby area. These include games and the capacity to print and make photocopies.
The lobby area and staircases of the Avenida Palace are quite opulent with marble pillars, gold filigree banisters, and royal blue and gold print carpets. There are upscale shops in the lobby, as well as a beauty salon/barber shop. The Golden Bar is cozy with comfortable armchairs and a pianist from 7:00-10:00 p.m., and it serves both cocktails and canapés. The hotel’s restaurant, the Insòlit Restaurant and Brasserie, is relatively new. It’s a relaxed dining room where lunch and dinner are served. The cuisine is international, and smoking is allowed.
The breakfast buffet was included with my room, and it was quite nice with the  usual morning fare of eggs, various meats, fruits, and pastries. The staff at breakfast was also very congenial.
There is handicapped accessibility and personal valet service, as well as laundry, dry cleaning, and babysitting service. Children are welcome and stay for free if they’re 12 and under.
The Avenida Palace has six gorgeous meeting and conference rooms, which can accommodate as many as 280 people. Of course, there are smaller breakout rooms as well, and there is state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment. The blue, white, and gold color scheme continues throughout these rooms, some of which have marble pillars, ornate ceilings, and luxurious chandeliers. One of the main perks is that these rooms have a private entrance.
Room rates range from about U.S.$170 to $700+ per night depending upon whether you choose a deluxe room, an executive suite, junior suite, or the best accommodation in the hotel, which is called the master suite.
The Hotel Avenida Palace is a very comfortable and pretty hotel that offers you a prime location in Barcelona.
© March 2010 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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