Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Faithful to the concept and style of Axel-design, comfortable, cosmopolitan atmosphere, is a good value for price. The 101 rooms combine the touch of decoration from Modernism with the warmth and elegance of the Mediterranean. New spaces at Axel Hotel Barcelona, will become the urban meeting point of the heterofriendly.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Hidden Gem
Great View
Languages Spoken
English, French, Spanish, Catalan and 3 more
Location
Carrer d'Aribau 33, 08011 Barcelona Spain
Name/address in local language
Axel Hotel Barcelona
3,711 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled in the heart of Barcelona's Eixample district, Axel Hotel garners acclaim for its excellent location and spotless facilities. However, the value proposition is a point of contention among guests, who feel the room rates and additional fees do not align with their expectations. The hotel's amenities, including the popular Sky Bar and terrace, are well-regarded, although some guests have raised concerns about privacy and accessibility.
Service quality appears to be hit or miss, resulting in varied guest experiences. While rooms are generally praised for their cleanliness, criticisms arise over issues with size, privacy, and dated features.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Eclectic
Rooms
Cramped
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Clean
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
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Hotel. The Axel is a decent hotel.It's not amazing and could work a little bit harder on customer service. It's work checking out the range of rooms, previously I have stayed in a corner room with a lovely alcove window and would recommend that. This time we stayed in a quirky room just above the entrance canopy. This was fine apart from really irritating water in pipe sounds as other guests flushed toilets and used showers. The roof bar is lovely. Room service was good.
Location. The best thing about the hotel is its location in the centre of Barcelona's gay area. It's an easy walk (and more importantly) easy drunken walk back from bars and clubs. There are gay shops and restaurants nearby too. If you're also considering the Axel Two, bear in mind that the Axel is better located (in my view). You're a 15 minute walk from the main shopping areas and about a 50 minute walk from the beach but there are taxis everywhere and the metro is not far (5 mins).
While in Barcelona watch out for people trying to rob you. They are everywhere.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Try and get a room with a balcony window
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marc Sancho, Encargado del hostal at Axel Hotel Barcelona
Responded 26 Feb 2020
Dear Chris Thank you very much for your review, we are sorry if your stay was not as satisfactory as the previous one and also for any inconveniences experienced. We will be glad if you could offer us a second chance to show you that the hotel offers very good facilities and service standards. We would like to welcome you again in the future. Kindest Regards Marc - Hotel Manager
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On checking I was greeted by a very polite friendly gentleman (Juanma) who gave me an upgrade free of charge simply due to the fact that I had to wait for my room to be ready which was a very kind gesture. The room was amazing and had a balcony. All the staff were super friendly and helpful and very knowledgeable of the local area. The hotel has a lovely sky bar again very friendly staff. The only negative I can say was the experience I had when I use the gym! I’m not sure if it’s owned or run by the hotel... from the moment I got there it felt like I was constantly being penalised! The lady was very rude and was literally chasing me across the gym telling me to be quiet when lifting weights:/ i’m not the type that makes excessive noise in the gym and was extra quiet because of the spa and relaxation area they had however the lady was being unnecessarily rude. Would advise going somewhere else to use the gym locally.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from AXEL BARCELONA AXEL, Otros at Axel Hotel Barcelona
Responded 28 Aug 2020
Dear customer Thank you very much for your positive review about your stay and the staff. We are sorry for the inconveniences experienced with a member of the gym crew, although an external company is running this service, we always assure the same service standards that we provide at the hotel. We will be glad if you could offer us a second chance with a new future booking as we would like to see you again. Kindest Regards Marc - Hotel Manager manager.bcn@axelhotels.com
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We stayed here for a few days in May (Sunday - Wednesday). The hotel itself is in a great location for getting around Barcelona and is a beautiful building. The staff we met were all lovely, check in was quick and easy. We had booked a premium room and was given room 504. When we got to the room, we, at first, thought we were given the wrong room, it seemed small for a premium room but after checking the website rooms, it seemed to be correct, just a bit small and basic, no robes, slippers etc although no real problem as we didn’t plan on spending much time in it. When we checked in we were given 2 vouchers for a glass of Cava at the terrace bar, it was lovely, the bar and sun terrace are really nice, fab views, comfy sun loungers, good atmosphere. great shame the bar is only open at weekends, couldn’t really understand why as there were people using the sun terrace ever day during our stay and there was no bar service at all. Also the towels for the sun terrace are located on the cleaners trolly, nobody told us this or any other guest as when we realised where we could get them, other guests were asking us where to get a towel from. Later that evening we had a drink at the bar on the 7th floor, it was busy, lively and a good end to an evening, shame it’s not open during the day for even a coffee. Breakfast was ok, basic in its choice, nice coffee though. We’ve stayed at both Axel hotels in Barcelona, Axel Two was the better hotel although the location wasn’t as good. Would we stay here again…. Probably not.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from AXEL BARCELONA AXEL, Otros at Axel Hotel Barcelona
Responded 25 May 2022
Dear Simon, thank you so much for the time invested in sharing your opinion about your stay. We are really sorry to know that your stay was not as good as expected and we would love that you could give us a second chance so you can check that our quality standards are really high and we take care of all our customers. Best regards, Jorge - Hotel Manager
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The Axel Hotel offers a convenient location in Barcelona’s Eixample district (just a 15-minute walk from Plaça Catalunya), but in my opinion falls short on customer service. While the room was clean, its compact size may not suit guests needing extra space. Specially for placing the luggage without obstructing the passage between the entrance, bathroom and bed.
Despite the hotel’s breakfast buffet offered good value for money, I found neighboring cafes offer better options, with superior coffee and beverage choices and also a wider selection of vegan and vegetarian dishes.
Unfortunately, my stay was marred by leaving my Bluetooth headphones behind in the room, with the hotel failing to notify me or provide satisfactory assistance when I called for information. This lack of communication and accountability from the staff left a bitter impression, revealing areas for improvement in their purported four-star service.
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Remember to double check your things before leaving your room for the last time.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from AXEL BARCELONA AXEL, Other at Axel Hotel Barcelona
Responded 1 Mar 2024
Dear guest, Thank you so much for the invested time in sharing your opinion. We are so sorry to inform you that we could not give you a positive answer about your headphones but we couldn't find them in the room. I am really sorry that this problem left you a bitter impression about the service. Best regards Jorge - Hotel Manager
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So the positives - nicely decorated hotel and room (far nicer and less gawdy than the AXEL in Madrid). Staff are excellent - Dani and Eric on reception and the guy supervising the gym/spa (sorry I didn't find out your name). Check in and check out were very efficient. Location great with many bars/cafes nearby, and not far from airport bus, metro stations.
Less good - noisy. This isn't the fault of the hotel but the other customers who were insistent on slamming doors at all times of night and the coming and going in and out of rooms. I also wasn't keen on the adjoining balconies. Gym and spa were both very reasonable but the changing facilities need urgent upgrade as the showers in the changing rooms were terrible, dirty and not usable.
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Date of stay: January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from AXEL BARCELONA AXEL, Otros at Axel Hotel Barcelona
Responded 10 Jan 2022
Dear AndyH60, We really appreciate your review. We will take some actions in regards to your comments in order to improve our service. We will be glad if you could give us a second chance to show you that we take our customers comments very seriously. It will be a pleasure to host you again in the near future. Yours Sincerely, Jorge - Hotel Manager
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Hotel service is excellent, everyone delivers an amazing customer service. Breakfast is adequate and noise levels are acceptable for a hotel in this area. The only downside is the room which needs an urgent renovation, especially the bed mattress and linens up to a Marriott or Westin Standard. For the price of the room, you would expect a good size smart TV, a more ample lavatory and a high quality new bed.
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Date of stay: December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from AxelHotelbarcelona, Gerente at Axel Hotel Barcelona
Responded 6 Jan 2020
Dear Giancarlo We really appreciate your review. We will take some actions in regards to your comments in order to improve our service. We will be glad if you could give us a second chance to show you that we take our customers comments very seriously. It will be a pleasure to host you again in the near future. Yours Sincerely, Marc - Hotel Manager Axel Hotel Barcelona
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Was in town for 9 nights around the MWC convention and the location was perfect in the center of the city with easy access to metro going to and from the convention center.
The room was as expected with a clean room, comfortable bed and lots of storage spaces for an extended stay. I sampled the breakfast a few days while I was there and they put out a decent spread of fruit, pastries, meat and cheese as well as some hot egg dishes, yogurts, juices and coffee or tea. While just a little more expensive than just going elsewhere, in the end the convenience was worth it.
The standout of the visit however was the staff. They went above and beyond when I arrived earlier than checkin after traveling all night and morning on cramped planes and connections to get a room available to me as soon as they had one and were friendly and helpful for the entire stay.
I may have lucked out since I got a room on the opposite side of the street that is undergoing construction so some of the noise complaints I saw in previous reviews were not an issue in my room.
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Date of stay: February 2023
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Ask for a room not facing the road that's under construction if they have one available.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from AXEL BARCELONA AXEL, Other at Axel Hotel Barcelona
Responded 28 Mar 2023
Dear guest, Thank you so much for your amazing review. We are so glad to know that you had a lovely stay with us and you could enjoy the hotel after the long work days in MWC. We can't wait to welcome you back again soon in Axel Hotel Barcelona Best regards Jorge - Hotel Manager
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Beautiful, playful, social, comfortable: These words all describe our stay. As a general rule, I don't chit-chat much beyond being polite when I travel, but the rooftop bar & pool were great! The staff members were super friendly, the guests were all having fun, and the weather made for a perfect escape from the city's busy streets. Our room decor was not perfect, but the open space and beautiful stained-glass windows made up for it. I love the Barcelona, and I especially love the Axel Hotel.
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Date of stay: September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Marc Sancho, Encargado del hostal at Axel Hotel Barcelona
Responded 18 Mar 2020
Dear guest, We are delighted with your feedback about your stay at the Axel Hotel Barcelona posted on Tripadvisor. Our main goal is providing an excellent service and comments like yours are very appreciated. We are looking forward to welcoming you again very soon and we will be thankful if you could recommend the hotel to other travellers. Kindest Regards Marc - Hotel Manager Axel Hotel Barcelona
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First time in Barcelona, and we booked through Axel Hotel because of the excellent reviews. It did not disappoint and the whole team went beyond and above, excellent service. We were also here for our honeymoon and Daniel was so kind to upgrade us to a suite, all complimentary. We stayed here for more than a week.
In addition, we really enjoyed many of Axel hotel amenities. From their excellent breakfast to their fantastic bar on the 7th floor, their staff everyday, regardless what time it was, always consistently provided best in class service. Our room was always spotless and thank you to Axel's staff for making sure, our room was always beautiful and clean.
Best of all, Axel is centrally located to many excellent restaurants in the area, one in particular, La Flauta. Delicious tapas, and we actually had dinner here four times. It was that good. Also, Axel is also located only minutes away from the Universitat metro, near Plaza de Gracia for high end shopping, and many, many more.
If you are looking for excellent and personalized service, close to all delicious restaurants and train station, I highly recommend you stay here.
Special thanks to Daniel and Marc Sancho for their warm hospitality. We are truly very grateful.
Cheers!
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from AxelHotelbarcelona, Front Office Manager at Axel Hotel Barcelona
Responded 2 Feb 2020
"Dear Edwin, We are happy to hear your opinion about the staff at the hotel, our main goal is providing an excellent service and comments like yours are very appreciated. Thank you for sharing your days with us. It was a really pleasure to meet you. We are looking forward to welcoming you again in the future. Kindest Regards Daniel González - Front Office Manager Axel Hotel Barcelona"
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Lovely gay hotel in Barcelona. The staff is really friendly and helpful. The breakfast was next door at Nikkei. The gym and spa were also sort of next door but can be reached through the elevator (even though this did not work for us). For the gym you need to make a reservation 24hrs before and is shared with people not staying at the hotel. It was inconvenient that you could not go the the gym whenever. The spa was also on reservation only and costs 15,- per person per hour, which I think is very very overpriced. The rooms were alright and the bathroom nice. The balcony was shared with the neighbours which was nice for us, but perhaps not for everyone. The pool on the roof is small but very nice to cool off with a drink. The bar on the roof was closed however.
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Date of stay: May 2021
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:Ask for a room with city view, these have the lovely balcony.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from AXEL BARCELONA AXEL, Otros at Axel Hotel Barcelona
Responded 1 Jun 2021
Dear guest, We really appreciate your review about the hotel. We are glad you are overall satisfied with facilities and services provided. We will be glad if you could recommend us and happy to welcome you again in the near future. Regards from all the team. Marc - General Manager Axel Hotel Barcelona
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Havant, United Kingdom40 contributions8 helpful votes
Apologies if this is too late.
The bathroom in our room was completely private. There was a heavy curtain across a frosted window. There was definitely a door. I hope this helps.
Edinburgh, United Kingdom23 contributions45 helpful votes
It’s Heterofriendly. Yea it’s marketed as a gay hotel chain but there were many straight couples as well as heterosexual friends staying there so don’t see any issues with you staying there with your mother.
There are more places to choose from in the Barcelona area.
PRICE RANGE
RM 378 - RM 895 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
axel hotel barcelona
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Axel Hotel Barcelona & Urban Spa
LOCATION
SpainCataloniaProvince of BarcelonaBarcelonaEixample / L'Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample
NUMBER OF ROOMS
101
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Are there any historical sites close to Axel Hotel Barcelona?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar (1.8 km), Reial Monestir de Santa Maria de Pedralbes (3.9 km), and Ciutat Vella (1.4 km).
