The Perfect Airbnb Stay in the Heart of Barcelona
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I have used Airbnb in the past but this was my first time getting a private room instead of the entire home. I’m usually a very private person and need my own personal space but I thought it would be great to meet a local first since I was traveling solo on this trip. Plus, this Airbnb rental looked amazing with the Baroque style floors (that are protected by the local Department of Culture) and the private balconies is just what I wanted to be immersed in the Barcelona culture.
**UPDATE** It seems that this Airbnb is unavailable at the moment. The host has taken down the listing for now, but hopefully, she’ll put it back up soon! Here are some alternatives that are centrally located and have great reviews: Barcelona Airbnb 1 and Barcelona Airbnb 2. Hope that helps!
I arrived in Barcelona by Aerobus which dropped me off at Plaça de Catalunya, Barcelona's city center. My Airbnb was only a 5-minute walk from there so it was a super convenient location. I walked through the busy Las Ramblas street first and then turned right into a quiet alley. Even though Las Ramblas was packed with people, it’s still easy to walk through with your suitcase. In fact, you’ll see many fellow travelers walking alongside you with their suitcases as well.
Once I arrived to my Airbnb, I called the host, Didi, and she came down to greet me right away. She was very nice and gave me a tour of the apartment. I had my own private room with a balcony and the room was exactly as pictured in the listing. I was so excited! The key she gave me for the room was very special as it is the original key of the room and Didi called it a “castle key” which I totally agree. It was so cool unlocking and locking my door with this historical key.
The room came with a king size bed, chair, couch, a TV (if I wanted to try and watch some Spanish TV) and a clothing rack. It was very minimalistic and practical for what I needed. There was also A/C and WiFi that worked really well. The best part about this room was the private terrace. It was a beautiful terrace looking out to the alley and it’s exactly how I pictured Barcelona.
The entire place had 4 rooms and we all shared 2 full baths, one 1/2 bath, a kitchen, living room, dining room and terrace. In the kitchen, we were provided with room temperature water or cold water in the fridge. We were allowed to store food in the fridge if we liked and each room was designated a shelf. There was also a washer and dryer in the kitchen but I’m not sure if we were allowed to use that since Didi didn’t mention it.
The living room space was nice but the dining room was more inviting with the light shining in from the large windows. The terrace was also a lovely space with a few sitting areas and a table. There was a large communal table in the dining room with complimentary tea and coffee. There were cute decorations all around and I especially liked the cubed board with postcards from past guests that stayed at the Airbnb writing their thank you messages.
As mentioned earlier, the location was superb and within walking distance to many restaurants, shops and sightseeing. There is a bakery right next door and a restaurant called El Rincon that serves delicious tapas as well. Even though it was in a bustling area, the streets were quiet for the most part and I slept like a baby both nights.
One minor issue I had was that I had to share the 2 bathrooms with 4 other rooms (most of them with 2 people). I was under the impression that I was sharing the bathrooms with 2 rooms. There were times I wanted to use the shower but both were taken (for awhile).
Overall, I was very happy with my stay here. You can’t beat the ambiance, the hospitality and the location. Special thanks to Francis, the co-host, for waiting outside with me for a cab so early in the morning at 4am! What a gentleman.