From Barcelona No. 1

Posted on Jun 3, 2009 in Hiroko's Blog

I recently stayed in Barcelona for a week.  Here are some stories and some places that you should try on your next visit to this lovely city.  No. 1: Hotel – Banys Orientals – This small hotel is nestled in busy, historical El Born district of the city.  It is 3 minutes walk to Sagurada Familia and many other famous tourist spots….The tiny streets surrounding the hotel may sometimes be noisy and active until midnight.  The small but clean, modern room I stayed in was equipped with large comfortable bed and a clean bathroom.  It cost only 97.50 Euro for one night for a single-person stay.  One hundred and thirty Euro can put you in an even more spacious suite room.  The hotel offers free both bottled still water and water with gas.  They are must after walking extensively in this beautiful small city with so many places for delightful dining and for enjoying good wine and beer.  There is an extra bonus from the hotel when you check out.  If you pay cash at the time of your check-out, the hotel offers you a 5% discount.  However, in order to get the 5% discount you have to deal with a decent, honest clerk.  I had a sad experience.  I paid cash for my hotel bill without knowing about this discount for cash.  The guy at the reception desk early in the morning did not mention the discount and I was fully charged.  Later during conversation over lunch with my Spanish friend living in the city I learned about this discount.  She urged me to go back to the hotel and speak with a manager, so that I could be reimbursed with the difference.  When I went back to the reception, the guy who dealt with me was gone and the manager was out of the office.  A woman who called herself the assistant manager came up from a down stairs office.  I showed my hotel bill and explained to her what happened.  She was irritated by my complaint, but went down stair’s office room to get a copy of the bill which the hotel kept.  When she showed me the bill it said that I had received the 5% discount.  This means that the dishonest receptionist pocketed 5% of the cash from my payment.   The assistant manager did not show any remorse for what happened to me and said that the hotel has no responsibility to reimburse me.  Well, I got the name of the manager, so I am calling him next Monday to find out what he can do for me….