Where do I start? We had this trip planned for several months, and it was a family reunion in Barcelona... a city none of our group had ever visited. Obviously, we were all very excited to take in the sights and sounds of this beautiful Catalonian city.
Unfortunately, the first sights and sounds we took in after our check-in was that of electric saws, hammering, and workers talking in the common wall apartment next door at 8:00 am. After being awakened by the construction workers, I immediately informed our hosts of the problem. They replied with an apology and said it was out of their control. However, someone was able to obtain a concession from the construction workers that work would not begin until 10:00 am. And, while they were good about that start time until our last morning, it seemed only fitting that we should be awakened by construction noise on our departure date.
I can't impart the horrible experience that each of our group endured as a result of the construction work next door. How the hosts and/or property managers were unaware of the construction work next door is beyond comprehension. If I had been given notice about the work I would have attempted find alternative living arrangements. But that didn't happen. We were stuck in this place for the duration!
What made things worse was that there was a lingering odor that permeated the common area of the apartment. Not until my brother - the civil engineer - arrived did we learn that the odor was likely sewarage that was escaping from the apartment's plumbing caused by faulty or defective venting in one or more of the common-area bathrooms. The smell never went away, even though one got used to it once inside. However, each time we came back to the apartment after a walk about, that smell would hit us.
Additionally, the hot/cold water controls in the north bedroom bathrooms did not work properly. Only scalding hot water came out after an initial period of cool water on shower start. We informed the hosts of this problem on Saturday (April 13). Workers showed up on Tuesday (April 16) night and were unable to fix the problem.
By the way, for those unaware, construction work occurs on Saturdays as well. So, if this is an apartment you are considering, I would suggest you contact the hosts and/or property management company to find out how long the construction project wil be continuing. It looked to us that the entire apartment was being gutted, and refitted.
Finally, and a last comment about the construction work. There is a door that leads to an interior patio and to the washer dryer. It also opens to the apartment across the way. So, to access the washer/dryer, you were possibly standing next to one or more workers. So, our privacy was impacted in an even more uncomfortable way.

On a more pleasant note: The neighborhood of Villa Gracia was marvelous! Hidden gems located throughout. Easy access to the Metro and wonderful restaurants. Remove the horrendous problems stated above, and I can say the apartment was laid out perfectly and created plenty of space for each of our three couples. The bedrooms and common areas had true character and made for an excellent presentation. The outside patio deck was excellent. Late afternoon wine and cheese is a must.
I wish I could have been more positive about the unit, maybe at another time.