I read a lot of reviews before deciding to book the Barcelona Suites New Years Party package. Let me first start by saying that the experience in and of itself depends upon your level of expectation for the area in which you're staying... If you are familiar with Albuquerque, keep this in mind. Other than that, here is my review based on my experience.

1. From the outside, the property does not look like much, but once inside you will find a well-maintained, pretty, old-world Spanish style decor. Stained glass windows overhead and a pretty atrium.

2. Front desk was very cordial, helful, and friendly.

3. Parking (underground) was spacious and secure.

4. Upon entering our room (2-room suite, 2 queen beds and sleeper sofa), we noticed the room was ice cold. We turned up the heat on the thermostat and headed to dinner. When we returned, the room had not warmed at all, so we contacted the front desk to find out what the problem was. Maintenance came a bit later and solved the problem. About 1-hour later, the room finally warmed enough for us to change for the party. Noise level outside and above us (we were on floor one/plaza azul) was a bit loud. Children running around outside the room and stomping above made it difficult to sleep in. It also appeared that there are some guests at the hotel who use it as a residence... So there was some trash, cigarette butts (and smokers) outside of the room areas within the courtyard. The room itself was clean.

5. Party was held in the atrium. A mix of attendees in age, taste in music, etc. About 200 people attended. One thing we did notice was the amount of security personnel on hand... Definitely a necessity, since there were at least three fights throughout the night. DJ was OK, but he could have played more popular music to keep people dancing.

6. Bartenders... This is my big point of contention! There were two, probably not enough... But these two were not only slow, but confused and disorganized. On more than one instance, we waited 15 minutes or more to get a drink. Very frustrating!

7. The champagne toast and midnight buffet were great! Garcia's never disappoints, and there was PLENTY for everyone.

All in all, we made it a fun time and for the price it wasn't too bad. My only suggestions would be to ensure that the rooms were in order before guests arrive, that there are more than two bartenders (or at least two experienced bartenders), and keep a handle on the guest room courtyard areas for noisy neighbors and cleanliness.

We have stayed there in the past (several years ago) and the place is still very nice. The staff is very accommodating and willing to help in any way they can. The current staff is a great improvement over past staffs. Some of the things like carpets,furniture and fixtures need to be upgraded. To me they looked dated and a little dirty. They were not torn or anything like that. We will definitely stay there again when we are back in the area. I believe that the place would be 5 + star if the owners would invest a middle amount of money and time to upgrade.

We won a contest and the prize was a weekend at the Barcelona Suites in Albuquerque. This hotel is old and had so much potential but it is poorly maintained. The floors throughout the foyer and dining area are grungy and really dirty. The rooms, albeit roomy and attractive, smell of smoke and are also dark and grungy. I wrote the management team a letter after our stay and whereas thay promised that they would look into the poor customer service we experienced and especially the basic dirty aspect of it all, when we stopped by three months later to see if they actually followed up, we were not surprised to see that the Barcelona was still a dirty and smelly hotel. The decor in this place has such outstanding potential that it's a real shame they are just letting it go. There is no way that we would stay here again. I felt like I needed a shower after we left.

Andrew at the front desk was warm and gracious! The hotel interior and rooms are spacious and nicely appointed. The room itself was quite comfortable and very quiet. The breakfast was delicious, the coffee was some of the best I have experienced while staying at a hotel.