Hotel Poprooms Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain)

There is a ‘must visit' list for everyone who visits Barcelona. High on that list is Las Ramblas and what a great bonus it is to find that Las Ramblas is only two or three minutes' walk away. This location is ace!

Yes, it's quite basic but the price, particularly for this central Barcelona district, is very cheap. The place is kept clean though with towels and bed linen changed on a regular basis. There is a very useful PC which is available until late evening.

They give you a number to ring on arrival and you meet the owner/staff member, usually at the Hard Rock Cafe. They show you round the apartment and give you a city map as well as telephone and email contact in case of any query. There is no ‘reception' as such but there's a handy tourist office at Las Ramblas.

The are a number of drawbacks, the biggest one being that you can be sharing bathroom facilities with around 10 other people. Waiting for the loo and shower can add an hour or two to every day!

Because of this central location, an element of outside noise must be expected at all times of the day and night. Inside, there is no sound insulation ... and a number of guests who have no consideration for others.

It's easy to rush into booking in here because of the location and price. Later, some negative factors kick in, big-time! Imagine a city centre location, in the heat of the summer months and with no air conditioning. That's what you've got here and the oppressive heat is almost unbearable.