Hotel L´ Aragó by The Streets (Barcelona, Spain)

Clean and well equipped, there's nothing ‘seedy' or grotty about the facilities provided here.

Eixample is one of Barcelona's most sought after areas and buzzing with activity and nightlife.  Apartments are only three blocks from the metro station, so you've got easy access to all areas of the city. When thinking about flying home … there's an Aerobus that takes you direct to the airport - and it's located one block further than the metro.

It's easy to forget about self-catering completely. Just wander out and in to cafes and restaurants for breakfast and other meals. Equally, there are plenty of convenience stores and supermarkets, if you want to prepare your own meals.

You check in at a hotel some distance away, so it's best to keep fingers crossed for a patient taxi driver (*in Barcelona!!) who'll take you to the hotel, wait and then ferry you back to the apartment. This is an expensive addition to the budget and something you could really do without, after a long journey.

You may be fastidiously clean or just want to do your own cleaning … but you have to use (and pay for) the services of their cleaner. Another expense that, for many, is unnecessary; particularly as cleaners don't replace towels, clean properly or get rid of rubbish! *Any kitchen supplies are ‘minimal'!

There's no security within the building, so anyone can wander in. If there's a problem (eg: leaks, power cuts) you need to phone the admin office. Quite often, the phone is unanswered and the dilemma is, then, yours entirely.