Detailed review by ProfMagellan
Overall this is a good hotel but needs far tighter management. The room was well appointed although the lighting system was absurdly complex. Ultra-comfortable bed
and 17th floor afforded a good view of the city. The Marina restaurant was first rate. The reception area is horribly cramped and, on arrival, (room not ready of course) I have had a warmer greeting in bulk standard Holiday Inns. Breakfast on the terrace is super. Nice garden area with hammocks but sadly poory brought up children are allowed to run amock. Located by the sea, it is quite a long way from the city centre. Expensive for what it is.
I am a Marriott silver card holder but apart from a late check-out this seemed not to matter to the slightly dizzy check-in staff.
Ritz-Carlton Arts Barcelona7
Ratings
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Room
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Size
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Cleanliness
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Features
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Room Condition
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Design
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Bed/ Mattress
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View
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A good room with ample wardrobe space. Far too few drawers however even for an overnight stay. Excellent bathroom though sadly Marriott insist on having cheap and nasty unguents rather than branded products such as Molton Brown or Occitane. That is why Ritz Carlton is really a four star not a five star chain despite the prices. The bed was sensationally comfortable with good feather pillows. The lighting system required a PHD from MIT to comprehend. Likewise the Bang and Olufson TV which has an operating system which is absurdly difficult. I liked the electric blind. My Marriott silver card did not alas justify a sea view but the view over the city was excellent.
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Hotel facilities
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Appearance/Architecture
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Lobby Atmosphere
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General Condition
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Front Desk
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Staff
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Variety of Restaurants
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Guests
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Sports Facilities
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Extortionate charges for wifi are unacceptable. The lobby is absurdly cramped. The design of the arrival desks is simply out of the madhouse with queues developing that resembled the M25 on a rainy day. Our check-in assistant apparently could not remember the name of the excellent roof top restraurant (Marina) and tried to fob us off on the costly tapas bar instead. I did not leave my luggage with the porters as when I stayed on a previous occasion it took one hour to get the suitcases up to my room. A disgrace in a 5 star hotel. The building as a whole is good (early 90s skyscraper perhaps 25 floors in all) - has been redecorated quite recently and is in good order. Very fast and efficient lifts. Mrs Magellan has a beauty treatment which she described as "OK" not very enthusiastically.
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Food & Beverages
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Food Variety
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Range of Beverages
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Dining Area Ambiance
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Service
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The high spot was lunch and dinner takes in the Marina restaurant which has a delightful rooftop setting. The Manager was first rate and the entire staff friendly and efficient. Thet were certainly a cut above the rest of the hotel. For instance when we arrived exhausted after a long journey and a two hour wait for our room, we found a maintenance man in the room going about his business. In any normal five star hotel he would have given his excuses and left. This chap simply continued with his tasks! The outdoor breakfast buffet likes was sensational again with a friendly and obliging staff.
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Location
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Location (City)
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Shopping Opportunities
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Cultural Opportunities
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Night Life
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Quiet Location
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This is not the hotel to stay in if you are looking for shopping and culture as it is a long way out of the centre. But if you want a comfortable hotel next to the beach this is a good spot.
Mrs Magellan said that the shops in the hotel were poorly stocked. The room was well soundproofed as the area in which the hotel is located is noisy.
