"We stayed at the Negresco Princess for a short break in Barcelona. The location is excellent and very convenient for exploring the city, but unfortunately, for nearly €300 per night, the overall experience didn't live up to what we expected from a hotel at this price.
Our first disappointment was the room. While it initially looked fine, it was very small and had no proper outside view. Our window looked directly onto an internal corridor/walkway where other guests and hotel staff regularly passed. This meant we couldn't comfortably leave the curtains open because people passing could see directly into the room. It also meant there was no real outlook onto the street or outside. At nearly €300 a night, this was very disappointing.
I asked a member of staff about changing rooms and was told they were fully booked that day. I then sent the hotel a very polite message asking whether it might be possible to move to an outside-facing room if one became available. I received no reply at all. I completely understand if another room wasn't available, but I would at least expect a reply explaining that.
What made the lack of response more noticeable was that before our stay the hotel contacted me offering an airport transfer for €66 one way. When I messaged asking whether the €66 was for a return journey, I received an almost immediate response confirming it was one way. We declined and simply took a taxi from the airport for approximately €30. Guests can decide for themselves whether the hotel's transfer is worth the extra cost, but the contrast between the immediate response regarding a paid service and receiving no response to our room request during our stay was disappointing.
The room itself also didn't feel particularly premium. The double bed was fine, but there was just two very very thin old pillows on each side. This might sound like a small detail, but at this price I expected a noticeably higher standard of bedding and comfort.
The biggest disappointment, however, was the rooftop.
The rooftop pool and bar were a major reason we chose this hotel in the first place. On the Saturday night of our stay, however, the rooftop was closed to hotel residents for a private event.
For people visiting Barcelona on a short weekend break, Saturday night is obviously a major part of the stay. We spoke to other guests who were also extremely disappointed about this. When a rooftop pool and bar are such a prominent feature of a hotel and one of the reasons people choose to stay there, I don't think paying residents should unexpectedly lose access to the facility on one of the main nights of their stay.
The following evening, when the rooftop was open again, approximately a quarter of the area was reserved. The reserved section remained empty for quite some time while the other hotel guests were confined to the remaining space, with the people who had reserved it arriving much later. Once again, it left us with the feeling that ordinary hotel residents weren't always the priority in a facility that forms a major part of what they are paying for.
Getting a drink at the rooftop bar on busy nights was also extremely frustrating. On one occasion I was effectively next in the queue for around 20 minutes without being served, while a substantial queue formed behind me. There appeared to be staff there, but it wasn't clear how the ordering system worked or why people physically standing at the bar weren't being served. Whatever the reason, guests shouldn't have to stand at a bar for 20 minutes just trying to order a drink.
The staff generally weren't rude and most were pleasant enough, but overall we found the hospitality quite impersonal which made for a disappointing atmosphere. There wasn't a great deal of warmth or engagement and we didn't particularly feel valued as guests. Coming from Ireland, where we're accustomed to quite warm and engaging hospitality, the difference was noticeable. At this price level, I expected more than staff simply doing their jobs — I expected the kind of service that makes guests feel welcomed and looked after.
The location itself is excellent for sightseeing, although there is a downside to being right in such a tourist-focused part of Barcelona. We found much of the food and drink immediately around the area expensive and fairly repetitive. Once we walked a little further away from the main tourist area, we found more authentic food and considerably better value, including cheaper drinks. Obviously, this isn't the hotel's fault, but it's worth knowing when considering the location.
Overall, I don't like leaving overly negative reviews, and there are good aspects to the Negresco Princess. The location is excellent, the hotel itself looks good and the rooftop could be a fantastic feature.
But when you're paying nearly €300 per night, I think it's reasonable to expect a high-quality room, good bedding, warm and attentive service, a response when you raise an issue, and reliable access to the major facilities that influenced your decision to book the hotel.
Unfortunately, too many little disappointments added up during our stay. The rooftop situation in particular would stop me from booking again. If I returned to Barcelona, I would personally choose another hotel, even if it meant staying slightly further away from the centre, rather than paying a premium for facilities that may be restricted or unavailable during the stay."
