A truly 5-star hotel, offering all expected facilities for business and leisure travellers. Situated at the base of the Montjuic hill, home to important museums like the National Museum Art of Catalonia, and many tourist and cultural attractions (Pueblo Espanol, the Castle, or the 1992 Olympic Stadium), the Crowne Plaza sits in a quiet street close to Plaza de España and the Avinguda del Parallel, with easy access to the Fira Barcelona, the site of world-renowned Trade Fairs and Congresses.
The regular Aerobus service from Barcelona's El Prat airport, runs every few minutes and has its first stop in Plaza de España, a mere 5 to 10 minutes' walk from the hotel. Public transportation by Metro, with the stations of Poble Sec and Pl.de España 10 minutes away, will take you to the better-known tourist areas of Barcelona, in 10 to 15 minutes. A taxi would cost around €8, while if you feel like a pleasant walk to the Ramblas you will need around half-an-hour.
Unusually spacious rooms for a city hotel, light, well furnished with very comfortable beds. The enormous room safes will take an average 17-inch laptop along with a few smaller items. The large TV rests on a swivel base allowing to turn it to wherever you lie or sit. Free Wi-Fi, and full business centre caters for all business and private needs.
As expected, the hotel has first-class restaurants, hard to beat breakfasts, bars, and a spa, offering sauna, massage, and a fitness room. The indoor swimming-pool, which is part of the Spa, is small, despite the deceptive photographs in the hotel's site.
The area around Pl. de España, especially moving down towards Poble Sec has a range of bars and restaurants like Tickets Bar, Quimet & Quimet (see Eating section), Bodega Monumental, and many others. There used to be a bull ring in Plaza de España, which has been turned into the Arenas Shopping Mall, with a wide variety of shops and restaurants.
