Grand Hotel Central Barcelona (Hilton – SLH): Bottom Line Review

Barcelona is one of my favorite cities in Europe, let alone Spain. It’s a one-of-a-kind amalgamation of magnificent art, architecture, food, beaches and geography, perched just south of the famed Costa Brava. One thing it’s not is under-touristed however, and that shows in both the size of the summer crowds and the prices of accommodation. When Hilton Honors added Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) to its program last year, a slew of desirable properties in Barcelona came with it, many of which can be an enviable value in-season. I was recently able to try one of them, the Grand Hotel Central.

Grand Hotel Central Barcelona Bottom Line Review

The Grand Hotel Central can be summed up as a nice hotel with a great location and a magnificent pool deck. The rooms are small (as is the property) and it’s not cheap, either in cash or points…but what is in Barcelona these days? Overall, the hotel is a quality place to stay in Barcelona from which you can walk almost anywhere, and the rooftop offers a superlative place to have a coffee or cocktail while soaking up the views. Thumbs Up

• Price: During our dates, which were during the National Day of Catalonia, awards were 75,000 pts/night, while cash prices were ~$600. We booked a five-night stay, taking advantage of Hilton’s fifth night free on awards stays, so our grand total was 300,000 Hilton points for five nights. It looks like the prices currently vary between 70-80K/night for standard room awards depending on season.
• Value: Like many Hilton properties, it varies depending on season. During the Winter, cash rates can go as low as ~$250/night, making the ~70K points price a poor value. In-season, when $400-500+ is common, awards can be a great option (we value the average redemption of Hilton points at ~.48 cents each).
• Location: The location is one of the best parts about the property. It’s literally across the street from Catedral de Barcelona at the edge of the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gòtic). You can walk to most of the tourist attractions in the city and the beach is only 20~30 minutes on foot.
• Room: We booked a classic room with one king and were supposedly updated to a “Classic Corner” room (the hotel was sold out while we were there). The room was stylish and attractive, but very small – although that’s not terribly uncommon in central Barcelona. There’s no way you’d want to squeeze a third person in if you were traveling with kids. The space is well-used, though.
• Parking: None.
• Resort/Destination Fee: None.
• Internet: Good throughout the property.
• Service: Service was very interactive and warm, if that’s your thing. Like the hotel, the lobby is fairly small, and you have to pass the front desk when moving to/from the lift. The staff always acknowledged us with a hello, asked if they could call us a taxi, etc. The breakfast service was efficient and prompt, if sometimes a tad chaotic.
• Turndown service: None.
• Dining:
  • Restaurant CanBo: Streetside tapas restaurant that’s open for lunch and dinner. Supposedly pretty good and has a terrific wine selection. Open daily from 12:30pm-12am (kitchen closed from 4-7pm).
  • La Terraza del Central: Bar located poolside on the spectacular rooftop pool area. Open daily from 12pm- around 12am, it’s exclusively for hotel guests until 6pm, then gets hopping into the evening with folks having city-view cocktails.

• Spa: There is a full spa on the 8th floor that includes a dry sauna, hammam and the usual array of treatments. The hotel also offers yoga with a view on the pool deck.
• Fitness Room: There’s a small fitness center located on the same floor as the spa. As you might expect, there’s not much there, but it suffices for basic cardio if you’re not already walking enough.
• Hilton Diamond Benefits: 
  • Room Upgrade: We booked a classic room and were upgraded to a corner (although the hotel was sold out for the holiday, so we didn’t expect much).
  • Free Breakfast: There’s a good breakfast buffet that includes made-to-order egg dishes and a huge variety of pastries, as well as made-to-order espresso drinks. There’s not much variety from day-to-day and it isn’t a massive spread, by any means. But they do emphasize local ingredients and you could tell the food was high quality.
  • Late Checkout: Upon asking the night before we left, we were given a 2pm checkout.
  • Welcome Amenity: None.
• Would I stay again?  Yes, but I would certainly compare with other options in terms of value for the dates that I was looking at.

Pros

• One of the best pool decks / views near the Gothic Quarter
• Great location within walking distance of much of central Barcelona
• Staff, overall, is quite good, tries to get to know guests and helps out with travel details
• Good elite recognition – in the sense that they actually seemed to know what was supposed to happen with Hilton Diamond members, which is more than I can say for many of Hilton’s own properties

Cons

• Rooms are quite small – even some couples might feel cramped at the base-level
• Can be a poor value on points in the off-season
• I wasn’t expecting much from the fitness area at a hotel this small…and I was right.

Image Gallery

Grand Hotel Central Classic King Room

Grand Hotel Central Fitness Area

Grand Hotel Central Public Areas

Grand Hotel Central Rooftop Pool and Bar

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