We had a wonderful stay - we could not recommend this location more if you want to truly immerse yourself in the community and culture of the el Born district of Barcelona. The apartment has everything you would need to have a enjoyable time. You are in a central hub of activity, but the windows closed keeps the noise away when you want, or open them up to hear the wonderful sounds of the activity below. Not much auto traffic at all...mostly the locals walking the streets. The cathedral is on one end of the street, a fabulous local “bar el born” to enjoy a nice glass of Cava or Vermut is below you on the street and many fabulous tapas bars within a 5 minute walk (Tapeo, Bar de Pla, La Xampanyet) a few of our favorites). Santa Caterina Market is a must visit experience - within 5 mins of apartment.
When you read about the spiral staircase up to the unit....it is not for anyone with mobility issues. Keep this in mind with the size of your luggage too - we did have a standard size suitcase but it was a bit cumbersome to get up/down. If you are able-bodied, it is quirky and fun! We sure enjoyed the rooftop terrace as well! Private and a fun view of the local area.
The hop on-hop off bus stop is about a 5-7 min walk with enough time to grab a coffee on the way. (But no beverage on the bus).
The apartment is clean, equipped with kitchen staples, small hair dryer and soap in the shower (you will need shampoo!). We borrowed from the office extra electrical plugs for our American devices.
The room has a safe to store valuables. The building itself is very secure and we never questioned safety or security of the area around.
The office for key upon arrival is in a different building - the map is posted at the door of the apartment and is a quick 2 minute walk around the corner. The staff is very helpful and speak English fluently. They held our bags in the office when we arrived earlier than check-in and also held them when we checked out while we grabbed lunch.
The bed is American queen size...very comfortable! There is WiFi - but it is not a great connection (best is right by the front door) - we were the highest upstairs apartment so the signal must get lost in the building. We would visit Bar el Born below us for a strong, free WiFi signal and enjoyed being disconnected from our devices the other times. It was never a bit enough issue for us to address with the staff, but if you needed to stay connected for work you might ask which units have a stronger signal.
We fell in love with the city of Barcelona and will absolutely stay here again when we return!