W Barcelona

I have only written one other review on here as I usually let my partner write the reviews for our stays. But when one is particularly bad, I write my own. From the start, this hotel has missed the mark 99% of the time. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a bellman, which today is a nice amenity. However, after this it goes downhill fast. Once we got inside to check in, it was chaos and none of the staff seemed to know what was going on. There wasn’t any organization to the check in process and therefore people stood wherever and tried to cut the line. There was a counter for elite status members, which we are, but no enforcement and there was a guest standing there with no one behind the guest for the entirety of our wait. Once we finally got called up (after about 15 minutes in first place in line) our room wasn’t ready. It was 4pm (check in is at 3pm) and we got a complimentary upgrade. This was a nice surprise, but we were told the room wouldn’t be ready until 5pm. We asked if we could have our original room as we’d travelled the entire day, but as told they couldn’t accommodate our original room type, so we’d have to wait either way. We elected to wait for the upgrade and was told it would be ready in about an hour. We got a couple complimentary drinks and waited in the W Lounge. By the time 530 came around, my partner went up to inquire if our room was ready. (Keep in mind check in is at 3pm.) He was told no and was given another drink voucher. We aren’t big drinkers, so this doesn’t mean anything to us. Once we got the call that the room was finally ready (around 6pm) we went to leave the lounge. We asked our server if we had to sign or anything and he said no as the vouchers covered it. That’s great! However, he then goes “but the tip isn’t” and suggested we leave an additional tip. We’re from Canada, so we have no problem tipping and we expect to, even in Europe. In the moment we felt uncomfortable and left 5 Euros for the 2 drinks we had. Once we got to the room, we realized that (especially at a hotel of this calibre), they shouldn’t be suggesting tips. This really rubbed us the wrong way. At this point, (about 630), we got to the room and wanted to shower before our dinner reservation at 830. My partner got in the shower and realized there was only conditioner, no shampoo or body wash. I called the “whenever, whatever” line and asked if this could be brought up. They said sure, apologized and said someone would come immediately. 15 minutes went by and no one came. I called again and they said someone was on their way in that moment. I will give them that a knock came about a minute later. The gentleman came with a bottle of hand lotion. After bringing it to my partner and realizing this wasn’t what we asked for, he called them and asked again. They assured us a manager would come with it within a couple minutes. About 5 minutes later a manager came with what we needed. We apologized profusely and as a gesture gave us an additional bar of face soap? I guess that’s what a make up item is these days. A bar of soap that I could ask for 10 of and get for free at any time…? Fast forward to our dinner at Salt. The location is amazing, the food is great and the staff are super friendly 10/10 there. Unfortunately right before we went to leave, a downpour happened, along with lightning. We stayed for about 20 minutes, then my partner needed to use the restroom. He asked a member of staff where it was, and they said we could take an indoor staircase to the hotel lobby. That’s fantastic! So we did, got to the lobby where there’s 6 elevators. 2 from the ground floor to level 6 and 4 from the ground to the top. There was a line of about 10-15 people waiting. An elevator came that only went to floor 6. No problem, we’re on 7, we can walk the last floor. (We didn’t take the stairs from the ground floor because we couldn’t find them.) We got off at 6, walked to the end of the hallway and went up the stairs. Once we got to 7, there was no handle to open the door to get back inside. (Please keep in mind that floor 6 is completely red. Red lighting, red carpet, red doors, red everything.) We couldn’t get back inside on 7, nor could we on 6. It was literally raining cats and dogs at this point, so we called the hotel and asked if someone could let us in. There is a serious language barrier and the lady couldn’t understand what we were asking. Our room is a metre from this glass door so we asked if someone could come to our room number and let us in. Someone came and opened the door for us. We thanked them very much for saving us from 7 flights of stairs in the rain and said goodnight. It was a pleasant interaction. Not even 2 minutes later we get a knock at our door. It’s the guy that let us inside. He informed us that we had used the fire stairs. (There wasn’t an alarm or anything.) He said that we could be fined up to 500 Euros. There was no response from the fire department or hotel staff, aside from one guy coming to let us in. He said he spoke with his manager and they elected not to charge us the fine. (Good thing because if they had we would’ve sued them up their rear end!) Now, some may call this ignorance on our end, but let me put it into perspective for you. It was a red hallway, with red lighting, red carpet and red doors. The little sign, about 10cmx10cm, was also red. Mix this with a couple of espresso martinis at dinner and obviously the result is an over crowded elevator wait (with no elevators have come for a while and two people that have to use the washroom), and no other stair access visible or signage. If they would’ve said “hey, this is a fire escape, if you do it again, there will be a 500 Euro fine, we would’ve apologized and been done. But they came to our door and threatened the fine and said they’re doing us a favour by not charging us. This hotel has already annoyed us so much before this that this really put us off. Mix in the fact that we specifically requested a room with a view of the cruise pier (we’re ship enthusiasts) and was assured that this upgraded room had this view also. Well it doesn’t. There’s just so many things that this hotel does wrong and very little it does right. At 600 Euros a night for a basic room (and this room goes for 1900 Euros! Absolutely insane!) this hotel just simply isn’t worth the money. Even without the added stresses of check in and the crowds. The staff is young and careless (average age of 20 I would say). Another thing is that Marriott groups this hotel in the luxury category. That would go along the same lines of the JW Grosvenor House in London. That hotel is impeccable. Everything is absolutely perfect. I can’t believe they’re in the same category and around the same price point. Especially since the Grosvenor House is in London, which is one of the most expensive cities on earth. This will be my first and last time staying here and it will be my partners 3rd-ish time, but last time as well. We are transferring hotels tomorrow, which was our plan from the start and we sure are glad it was. Don’t waste the premium on this hotel and find better (and probably cheaper) hotels of the same calibre or higher in the same area. I’ve attached photos of the red hallway so it can be seen what we were walking up to.

I hesitated to book the W because the reviews were so split between brief raving reviews and detailed poor reviews. I have to say, my experience was exceptional and I’m a bit suspicious of the negative reviews and what’s behind them. I ultimately decided to book the hotel because positive or negative no one complained about the amazing view from the rooms - negative comments seemed more focussed on the customer service. Here’s my experience - we rolled up in a cab and were immediately greeted and helped with luggage, escorted to the check in line, offered welcome champagne while we waited to be check in. Wait was short and the lovely attendant checking us in called to make sure our room was ready and welcoming. We booked a superior sky room with skyline room and it was jaw dropping. I knew we would have a view of the sea and beach but I didn’t realize we would have a panoramic view of the entire city too - including the Sagrada Família. There are two different restaurants you can choose from when you have breakfast included and the quality and variety are worth it. We ordered room service one night which was delightful. This is an exceptional hotel - the very best experience.

This is simply the best hotel in Spain if not Europe. The service was exceptional. The staff went out of their way to make the trip one of the most memorable we have ever had. We travel a lot. We love the Arts Hotel and have stayed there several times, but now we have a new favourite! Special shout out to the reservations and guest experience teams, especially Ana. You made our holiday exceptional - thank you

Excellent experience all round. We've been twice before (the last time in 2014!) and this time it was a truly 5* experience. The prime location and room views are amazing. On this visit, the room quality and quality of service was excellent (much better than 2014). The staff were so welcoming and genuine. Check in was great. The room was beautiful. We stayed in a superior sky suite (above floor 10 on the beach side) and it was fantastic. Room always cleaned and turned down in the evening (this didn't happen in 2014). Food in Fire was great. And breakfast in Fire was superb. It's a lively hotel, so expect loud music by the pool at the weekend from lunchtime (we had to leave the pool by midday on Friday and Sunday because of the boring and loud EDM music), but this vibe is what the hotel is known to cater to at the weekend. The Sunday Sessions dance party by the pool was great, and open to the public, and I think a bar dedicated to only serving hotel guests would have helped at that event. The bar areas were open to everyone that evening, and it was the only time the service level fell below standard (the bar staff seemed to be in a rush and visibly sighed when we asked to charge drinks to our room). The Sunday party finishes at midnight, so no impact on sleep really - enjoy it! It's an expensive hotel but worth it for the luxury. Overall, this was a great stay and an amazing welcoming hotel. Thank you to all the staff.

If you are planning a trip to Barcelona, do yourself a huge favor and learn from my mistake - book your entire stay at the W! We had originally booked a hotel right in the city centre, but we were wanting a relaxing day by the beach. We decided to treat ourselves to a day pass at the W Barcelona, and honestly…I am absolutely gutted we didn't just stay here the whole time. It was an absolute dream from start to finish. From the second we walked in, the vibes were immaculate. Every single member of the team we met was outstanding, but a massive, heartfelt shoutout goes to Michaela and Nicholas. They truly went above and beyond to make sure our day was absolutely perfect. We ended up booking one of their Balinese beds for €300 for the day. That amount is credited right back to you to spend on food and drinks while you lounge. We honestly thought we’d blow through that budget easily, but the menu prices were actually so reasonable that we didn't get anywhere near it! It definitely makes for a pricier beach day, but for the luxury, the service, and the experience, worth every single cent. And compared to other options nearby, the price is reasonable. We had the most brilliant, relaxing day. Next time we are in Barcelona, there is zero doubt in my mind—we are checking into the W for the whole trip! 🌊🍹🥂