PROS
- Mercedes welcomed us herself, and spent almost an hour giving us suggestions of places to go and how to get around. I would recommend getting an Hola Barcelona metro pass though, instead of taking cabs
- There are two lovely cats, and one adorable dog, who brightened up our stay! It was always nice when they joined us in our room, or on the balcony
- Mercedes was very generous in providing the ingredients for breakfast, and access to all the snacks and drinks in the fridge. This was super helpful, and much appreciated. She also offered us drinks for “happy hour”
- The location cannot be matched! It is super conveniently located: walking distance (20-40 mins) from almost everything you’d want to do/see. Also, the building itself overlooks the historic and beautiful Plaça Reial, which is lovely! There are lots of little hidden gems (cafés, bodegas, restaurants, bars) within a 5 min walk of the Airbnb, and a bus stop and metro stop ~300m away
- Beautiful balconies and views! The private terrace with this room has a small table and chairs, and a functioning sink. There’s also an outdoor shower, but it currently is not operational. Either way, this was a lovely little respite away from the bustling city
- We enjoyed meeting the other guests, which made the Airbnb feel much more homey and interesting than a hotel
CONS
- It’s a five-flight walk up. I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone who has an injury or any kind of accessibility needs, or anyone who has more luggage than a carry-on! (Or if you’re planning on partying or drinking!)
- There were some quirky rules: although there was a washing machine, Mercedes didn’t want us to use it, and made it clear that it could only be used once per stay. I’ve been living out of a carry-on suitcase for 3 months, so I need to do laundry regularly. I didn’t want to argue with her, but this was odd; no music (even in our room with the door closed, during daytime hours, and only using the phone speaker); there also wasn’t a lot of privacy, since she walked in the room once when I was changing
- There are some quirky features to the room, for example: the bathroom doesn’t have a door (just a sheet as a divider); the shower is literally just a hose/faucet on a wooden platform; the fans are temperamental (also note: there is no AC and it gets VERY hot!); there is very little lighting at night. We made it work, but these are factors to be aware of, in case you aren’t staying with your sister like I was
- The room itself was quite cramped. Also, it did not lock from the outside, so we just had to leave it unlocked when we went out
- The overall cleanliness of the apartment was poor, and there were some strong, unpleasant odors
- The vibe felt like staying at a distant, eccentric relative’s place, rather than what I would expect of an Airbnb
While we had a decent time, and rolled with the quirks, I wouldn’t recommend this Airbnb.