I stayed at this hotel for a few days for a conference. I went there with some trepidation having read the less than glowing reviews on this site, but really it wasn't that bad.

The hotel is certainly not perfect, but on the whole I felt it deserved its 5 stars. The rooms were comfortable enough, and a good size. The staff were helpful and numerous. The conference facilities were excellent. As conference delegates, using the on-site conference facilities, we were very well looked after. I don't think I once had to queue to get a coffee during coffee breaks. When I had a problem with the AV equipment while I was giving a talk, it took very little time to find one of the tech support guys, who fixed the problem very quickly.

So what of the criticisms that other users have made? Well, a couple of people commented on the lack of English language skills of some of the staff. I suspect they have unrealistic expectations. The front desk staff had absolutely fluent English, and while I'm sure not all the staff did, let's face it, the hotel is in Spain. I'll bet the price of a week's stay in this hotel that the average standard of English here is far better than the average standard of Spanish in any hotel in London. If you have language problems here, then frankly you're not even making an effort.

One user commented on the lack of storage space in the bedrooms. Those criticisms are partly justified, partly not. It's true that there is no shelf under the sink in the bathroom for one's belongings, but there is almost certainly more room than you need on the surfaces around the sink to put anything you could possibly have brought with you, unless you've gone there with an entire pharmacy. However, there was rather minimal space in the rest of the bedroom in cupboards and drawers. I would have liked a draw or cupboard next to the bed, but there wasn't one. I had just about enough space to put away everything I brought with me, but if you're staying there for a week or more or just have never mastered the art of travelling light, then you may not.

The criticism of the design causing the door between the bedroom and the corridor to get in the way of the wardrobes is spot on. It was a complete pain. Literally, in fact, as at one stage I caught my finger between the door to the room and the door to the wardrobe. If I were American, I'd probably sue them for it.

Other people have criticised the air conditioning. It was actually just about OK for me, but I did have it turned up to max at the end of April and was certainly not too cold. I suspect it could be a problem if you're there in the summer.

One complaint about this hotel, mentioned by other reviewers, which is entirely justified is the price. The room rate itself was actually perfectly reasonable by 5-star standards (although it was a special rate negotiated for our conference, so it may not always be so), but they really screwed you for all the extras. I am probably less price-sensitive than most people when it comes to things like grabbing a bottle of water from hotel mini-bars, but even I took one look at the prices and immediately went for a little walk to try to find somewhere else to buy a bottle of water (head towards the university campus, turn left off the Diagonal at the metro station, and go along the road in front of the big official palace-looking building to get to the shops). I think €5 for a small bottle of mineral water is a new record in my experience. Other things were like that too: internet access, room service, drinks in the bar, laundary: you name it, they overcharged for it. Some of my colleagues were particularly annoyed that they wouldn't provide you with an iron, so if you turned up with a crumpled shirt then you had to pay their outrageous laundary prices if you wanted it pressed. If you have a travel iron, make sure you pack it.

Anyway, despite all that, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. The conference was great, and everyone at the hotel seemed to do their best to make sure that it was. The hotel has a lovely garden, which is a great place for relaxing in.

However, one other drawback of this hotel, which would be particularly annoying if you are there for fun rather than work, is the location. It is in the middle of nowhere, and if you want to see any of the interesting bits of Barcelona (apart from the Cervantes rose garden, which is more or less just opposite the hotel, and absolutely stunning), then you need to spend the best part of half an hour in a metro or taxi to get there. For that reason, if I go back to Barcelona for a holiday, it is extremely unlikely I'll stay there again. But if you're considering going there for a conference, then go for it!