Smal boutique/vest pocket hotel in the Sant Gervasi neighborhood in Barelona. We like that it was small and out of the way; i.e. - off the tourist-beaten track. You'll be in a neighborhood with the locals, local restaurants, etc. Half a block from the Linea 7 metro stop, an easy 4 stop ride to Plaza Catalunya. Minimalist decor, which we appreciated, and very helpful staff. They have an evening coffee service (6 to 9 PM), just the thing to charge your batteries before going out. Rates when we there were about 200 euros a night, and we felt this was a fair rate. We would definitely recommend this place, and would return again.

We booked Hotel Rekord after reading the positive reviews on Trip Advisor. We were after a 'boutique style' hotel in Barcelona in an area that didn't have the constant hustle and bustle of 'La Rambla' or the 'Gothic Quarter' and we certainly chose well. The location of this hotel is perfect if you want to stay somewhere that is a little quieter and isn't surrounded by tourist-trap bars and restaurants. It's not a hotel for lads or ladies on a party weekend as it's a little out of the way for access to hip entertainment areas such as 'el ravel' and 'el born'.

The hotel is about 50 metres from the Muntaner FGC station which is only 3 stops from Placa Catalunya (it takes no more than 10 mins to get there). The Aerobus operates from Placa Catalunya which is a very cheap and convenient way to get to and from the airport. We found the FGC and Metro to be very efficient and easy to use (we always make a point of using the subway / metro / undergound systems wherever we travel so we are well used to reading the maps and making changeovers to get to our location). Francesc Macia Square is a 5 min walk from the hotel and you can catch the Bus Turistic here for both Northern and Southern routes. We would recommend the Bus Turistic as the best way to see the many sights and attractions Barcelona has to offer. Passeig de Gracia is about a 15 or 20 min walk away if you fancy a stroll in the sun rather than going underground on the FGC.

We booked our hotel through the hotel website. Check-in was efficient and staff were always courteous. We knew very little Spanish or Catalan but this wasn't an issue as staff had an excellent grasp of English which made things a lot easier for us. The hotel lobby is very stylish yet small. There is only 1 lift to take guests to their room although this is adequate given the hotel's size and the fact there are only has 2 rooms per floor.

We stayed in room 502 which was a 'Junior Suite' which was made up of a living area, bedroom and ensuite bathroom. The room was stylishly decorated in modern colours and felt every bit a 4 star hotel room. The room was immaculately clean and felt very spacious and airy. The complimentary 'plate of fruit' was very nice and the bathrobes and slippers set for each guest are little extra's that make you feel more than just another number through the door. The living area had a TV as did the bedroom. We didn't watch much TV at all (we never do when away) and although the selection of channels seemed fairly decent there was only 1 channel broadcasting in English (CNN). The room had a cabled internet connection and an eletronic safe both of which were very handy to have. My only gripe with the room was the bed which looked so inviting yet i never really had a comfortable night's sleep in it. It was harder than i'm used to and the pillows were a bit too soft and flimsy.

Breakfast was included in our room rate and was excellent. The breakfast room is small yet comfortable and the selection and quality of food on offer was really good. It was a buffet style breakfast with all of the usual fruit, bread, cereals and cold meats on offer. There were also some hot food items available (eggs, sausages and bacon) although we didn't try these. There is an adjoining TV / reading area which is very cosy and offers complimentary tea/ coffee and biscuits etc from 6pm every evening. Both areas had wireless internet connections which i used without any difficulty.

There were several restaurants in the area although we only visited 1 which was an Italian restaurant directly across the road (we fancied a change from all the tapas we were eating). We had to queue for some time even though we had made a reservation so it seems to be very popular with the locals. The food was very good and if you like Italian food you could do a whole lot worse than eat here. We also found a few places in the area selling lovely pastries and cakes if you have a sweet tooth.

All in all, we had a great time in Barcelona and our stay at Hotel Rekord was everything we were after and more.