This is our second stay at the 1898. I love quiet dark sleeping rooms. Both the roof top pool and bar are a great place to hang out and watch the sun go down! We also swam in the pool in the spa (which is below the ground level. Very nice. Starbucks is right next store as is my favorite tapas place Bar Lobo. Take the 6 euro bus from the airport to within two blocks of the hotel. It doesn't get much better than this! I do agree with a previous reviewer. The restaurants associated with the hotel are not that great! But you are In La Ramblas area! Just a few doors down is the famed Boqueria market! Can't wait to stay here again next year!

We stayed at H1898 in November 2012 on our honeymoon for four nights.

We chose to stay in one of the junior suites on the sixth floor - a generous open plan room with a separate lounge area, widescreen TV in front of the bed (not in the lounge?), toilet and bathroom with another toilet, shower and bath again separately and an extremely comfortable four poster bed. The room was extremely luxurious. The towels were as thick as duvets, the coffee was a machine and not a kettle, slippers and robes and all of the trimmings that you might expect.

On our arrival at the Hotel we didn't feel that we received a five star welcome. There was no offer to help with our bags, we were not asked about our journey or even told where the lifts were to find our room. This might sound minor, it is, but for a five star honeymoon we expected more.

The Hotel itself is immaculate. The Spa in the basement is warm and extremely relaxing, though small. There is a small hotel gym (three or four running machines and not much more in front of a large TV). The pool is shallow but warm and fitted with various relaxing additions - a small waterfall, chairs in the pool to lie on with bubble jets etc. There is also a sauna and a steam room all to use free of charge.

On the roof of the hotel you will find an outdoor pool, a bar and seating all around the edges overlooking the city. We didn't spend any time on the roof terrace (it was November!), but I can imagine in the summer it is a real benefit of this hotel.

Overall, we would highly recommend H1898. The location is perfect for La Rambla and once you are accustomed to the busy street noise below it is a very calm chilled experience staying here. Breakfast is a buffet arrangement with the option of eggs to be cooked in addition and the quality of the food is very good.

If you are looking to eat out rather than at the Hotel then avoid the strip of La Rambla. If you turn left out of the hotel you are a very short walk from a small courtyard area where you can drink and eat for half of the price (Bar Lobo for example). If you turn right out of the hotel, cross La Rambla and keep going you will soon find the Gotic area where the food is good and inexpensive.

The hotel bar is fine for a nightcap and is not overpriced given its location and status (10 Euro for two drinks). You should expect to pay 40 Euro for a taxi from or to the airport.

The hotel the room the staff and the location were all first rate excellent service with the attention to detail and help above and beyond expectations i've found in asian 5 stars the restaurant in the evening is good but not up to the same standard with wrong orders one dish that never arrived and a waiter that told us it was our mistake but don't let this put you off one of the best hotels in Spain just use it as a base to try some of the other superb restaurant's in the square off la Ramblas after you've had the excellent breakfast offered here

Fabulous Hotel to stay in Barcelona off Las Ramblas and a haven to relax in. Roof top pool and restaurant bar is also a bonus. Rooms are sound proof so can party all night long!! The Deluxe Superior Rooms are bigger and offer more room and value. If you are fortunate to stay at the front of the Hotel, the views across Las Ramblas are excellent to people watch at any time of the day and night!!