We arrived at the Rialto at 5:00 a.m. on the day of check-in and were given a room early, which was great as we had been travelling the entire night.
Unfortunately, the room had to have been the tiniest in the hotel as there was a double bed pushed against a wall and only about a foot of clearance around it on the one side and at the foot. The bathroom was a steep step down and small.
I asked if it would be possible to change rooms since we would be staying for 6 nights and the desk clerk said that should be possible later in the day. (At that time, other people were also asking for room changes.)
Later in the day, the clerk told us that there weren't any free rooms, but that we could stay at their 4 star sister hotel, the Gran Barcino, for the same price. It was only one block away and the room was spacious and quiet.
I would not reserve a room at the Rialto again, but was greatly impressed by the degree of customer service. I definitely would book at the Gran Barcino.

I have just returned from a fantastic stag weekend in Barcelona, which owed a little to the accommodating staff and location of the hotel. If you are about to book this hotel you may want to take into account the type of hotel you are booking into that will take in a group of 23 (quite well behaved) lads. The reception staff at the hotel were fantastic, very informative, always eager to help and answer our questions. Our rooms were clean and comfortable, which were top priority for our brief recovery periods, however they were nothing like the pictures shown by the hotel. My room had small double balconies over looking a quiet side street which were a very nice, but most of the rooms we had allocated for us were dark with a single window looking out on to a brick wall.
Breakfast at the hotel was very good. Good selection of hot and cold food, which runs from 07.30 - 10.00. Those of us that made breakfast, arrived at 09.50 to still find an ample amount of food, which was replenished until we had finished.
Most impressive part about this hotel is the location. A one minute walk from La Rambla and good access to tains, buses and taxis.
We all had a great weekend, but his is probably not the hotel for romantics or familes.
Hope this helps!!

I stayed at the Rialto back in 1999 and 2000 and said that if I went back to Barcelona I would certainly book there again. Well came 2006 and I decided on another visit and booked through my agent.
After booking I looked through the review page nad was disappointed to see some of the comments and wondered if the Hotel had gone 'downhill'. I had no need to worry, the staff were helpful, the room although on the small size was adequate for our needs and the breakfast was far better than some better rated hotels I have been to. For the price of £40 a night Band B it was great value.
It was clean, and it's siting was second to none. If I had a complaint it would be that during the few days I chose to go, Chelsea were playing Barcelona and the noise at night permeated everywhere. This is not the Hotels fault but it meant a rather sleepless night on the Tuesday.
Overall, a good, clean, above average hotel with a great command of the city's features. Close to the Metro, Port, Ramblas, Placa Catalunya (where all day tours seem to start from).
If I go back, I will certainly book there again (for the 4th time).

We have been in Hotel Rialto for the last week of September. Although the hotel has a great location, there were also some disadvantages:
1. The rooms were not only small but also very dark. We couldn't understand the difference between the morning and the night.
2. The furniture of the room was very very old. I can understand the "historical building" but the furnitures can be renewed.
3. Unlike many hotels in the same category, there weren't a hairdryer in the room which can be a problem especially for ladies. I have seen many women in the breakfast with wet hair and angry face.
4. I personally didn't like the breakfast very much. Maybe it is because the breakfast buffet was at the depressive basement of the building, without a window and air.
5. We have gone with my husband and couldn't get a frenchbed. Moreover, we had a terrible waist pain during the stay because of the "state of the art" beds.

That's all. I hope these help you to choose.