Being realistic, one must admit that at the end of the day it all depends, doesn't it?

Getting the room with the small balcony facing the Rambla, you get the view. AND you get the noise. So much noise you want to keep the balcony door tightly shut. Luckily, the windows and the door are perfectly sound-proof.

The room itself is very clean, the beds are firm (perfect, if you ask me!), the pillows not too big and not too soft (again, perfect). The shower is very sophisticated - like something out of a spaceship - and most of the gadgets inside the shower booth do work. AND then the size of the toilet is something that should make you worry if you're of above average build. Pardon me, but you're fine ONLY when sitting down quietly. When you have to stand up, you realize there's no way to do that UNLESS you open the door. And that may not be something you want to do, right? There's also a sink about the size of a soapbox - but this alone shouldn't worry you as there's no way you can stand NEXT to the sink, anyway.

The staff are there night or day for you - BUT what is interesting is that they want you to pay upfront for your room. They'd stop you coming in at any hour and inquire whether it would be "all right with you to pay for the next day right now" (yeah, at midnight? why not).

The breakfast is served in a lovely room with huge windows to the Rambla. Don't expect anything much, just the typical continental fare, but perfectly adequate.

All in all, a nice little hotel right there in the middle of the Rambla, BUT only if you can close your eyes to the little irregularities.

The best thing about this place is its location. It's located right along La Ramblas, close to public transport (Liceu stop) and close to most of the tourist spots - the Opera House, the market of La Boqueria, the Cathedral. We arrived at the place, literally just dropped off our bags, and started walking around the city.

The staff is friendly and the price is reasonable.

We stayed in an interior (view of airshaft) triple. It was awful. On the plus side the location is convenient and the staff was very helpful. Would I stay there again? Why?! I felt it was terribly over-priced and there are so many other better hotels in better locations.

Trying to find a reasonably priced hotel in Barcelona for a family of four was a daunting task. I was beginning to think it was hopeless until I came across Hostal Mare Nostrum. We booked a "quad" room for 4 at a very reasonable rate. A bonus was a small balcony affording a view of the Ramblas which we thoroughly enjoyed after each day of exploring this marvelous city. The room was small and simple but the location, price and very helpful staff more than compensated. Breakfast in a room with a large window overlooking the Ramblas was a special treat. We were very happy with our stay at Hostal Mare Nostrom.