My stay at Feel at home plaza apartments, Barcelona
During my week in Barcelona, I stayed at the Feel at home plaza apartments in a superior, two bedroom apartment with two double beds and a double sofa bed in the living room. We were with four persons and it was spacious enough for us. I was lucky to have one bedroom with a wide double bed, all for myself. The other bedroom also had a small balcony with a chair and a small table, but we never got to use it, since it was either too cold or it was raining. I can imagine it to be really nice during the summer. Having some bread and a coffee for breakfast, outside in the sun. However, our mornings were still really great, as we could have breakfast in our large living room with fully equipped kitchen.
The kitchen had a large fridge and freezer, a four pit stove, an oven, a microwave, all kinds of cutlery (a cake knife! and wine opener), pots and pans, dishes, bowls, glasses, a wide and flat paella pan, and even a pitcher to make your own sangria in. There was nothing that we really missed for our cooking.
There was also a large round dinner table with four chairs and a two seater couch, which can fold out as a double bed. The cushion and blankets can be found in the closet in one of the bedrooms. The rooms can all be closed by a door, so even if someone snores, you can all still have a good night of sleep. I slept quite well during my stay. Although I could still hear some sounds, it never disrupted my sleep. The bed was okay, not too soft or too hard. The air conditioning was not loud and the climate control was very good. The air was not too dry or too stuffy and the temperature was comfortable.
In my bedroom, there were small side tables at each side of the bed and a small, two door hanging closet with about 6 hangers that can be removed. I used one of the hangers to hang my outfit for the day or pajamas for the night in the bathroom, as there weren't enough hooks or space to put clothes there. I also couldn't understand how to operate the washer and dryer and resorted to drying my hand washed clothes on the hangers in the bathroom. So, the hangers were super useful.
The bathroom has a nice wide, rectangular bathroom sink with enough space to put things. The shower cabin is relatively small and the sliding door in our bathroom was loose on one side, so it was a bit hazardous. But we managed by carefully getting in and out, without possibly slipping by accident.
You can find some toilet paper rolls in the cabinet under the sink, but if it isn't enough, you can only get one or two more at the reception. More is expected to be bought by yourself, as it is a self-serving apartment. That's why, you may need to bring along one or two rolls extra from home. You don't really want to buy a 10-pack of toilet paper in the local supermarket, just because you need one extra. Also, bring some napkins, a few sheets of baking paper, and a couple of garbage bags, if you expect to cook a lot. Salt, pepper, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, dishwashing liquid, shampoo, shower gel, hand wash were things that were provided. We luckily brought our own toothbrush and toothpaste. We also experienced a shortage of olive oil by the end of our stay, but we really cooked a lot. So, we would bring a small bottle of cooking oil and soy sauce too, if we decide to stay here again.
Since there is no cleaning, you also need to take your own garbage out (a dumpster can be found in one of the street corners, diagonally across the street of the apartment), wash and dry your own towels (one set of hand towel and bath towel were supplied per person), and sweep the floor once in a while with the supplied broom. If you really want to feel at home, a pair of room slippers that you brought along yourself would close the deal.
I really liked the location of the Feel at home plaza apartments. The metro stop Hostafrancs was about a 3 minute walk away and Plaça d'Espanya was within reasonable walking distance (about 10 min. walk). Closeby, you can also find the Sants train station. There were three supermarkets nearby that I frequently visited and plenty of small bakeries and restaurants too. Getting to city center and famous sites didn't take too long either.
You do need to be aware of closing your door properly each time you enter and leave your apartment. You turn the door knob to the left twice to lock, when you leave, and once you enter, you need to turn the switch under the door handle. I think we forgot sometimes. But the main entrance can only be opened with a room card, so strangers cannot get in that easily. There is however no 24-hour reception (only office hours), so it is better to save their telephone number in your phone, in case, you need help with something.
After arriving at Plaça d'Espanya in a blink of an eye, you just need to walk straight ahead until you see a hamburger restaurant on your left (about 10 min. walk). The entrance of the Feel at home plaza apartments is just past that and it is a large glass door with an intercom and hotel card reader. It is not that obvious, so make sure not to walk past it without knowing.
Note: if you plan to ride the cablecar, make sure to take a free Aerobus Barcelona map (one per person!), as it contains a €3 discount coupon for that. You can find the maps in bins at the busstop.
The Aerobus busstop to get back to the airport is located across the street of where you were dropped off (cross the zebra crossing), when you arrived. It is a bit more in the middle, near the fountain.
The kitchen had a large fridge and freezer, a four pit stove, an oven, a microwave, all kinds of cutlery (a cake knife! and wine opener), pots and pans, dishes, bowls, glasses, a wide and flat paella pan, and even a pitcher to make your own sangria in. There was nothing that we really missed for our cooking.
There was also a large round dinner table with four chairs and a two seater couch, which can fold out as a double bed. The cushion and blankets can be found in the closet in one of the bedrooms. The rooms can all be closed by a door, so even if someone snores, you can all still have a good night of sleep. I slept quite well during my stay. Although I could still hear some sounds, it never disrupted my sleep. The bed was okay, not too soft or too hard. The air conditioning was not loud and the climate control was very good. The air was not too dry or too stuffy and the temperature was comfortable.
I deliberately took a picture of the living room in the dark to mask the mess.
In my bedroom, there were small side tables at each side of the bed and a small, two door hanging closet with about 6 hangers that can be removed. I used one of the hangers to hang my outfit for the day or pajamas for the night in the bathroom, as there weren't enough hooks or space to put clothes there. I also couldn't understand how to operate the washer and dryer and resorted to drying my hand washed clothes on the hangers in the bathroom. So, the hangers were super useful.
The bathroom has a nice wide, rectangular bathroom sink with enough space to put things. The shower cabin is relatively small and the sliding door in our bathroom was loose on one side, so it was a bit hazardous. But we managed by carefully getting in and out, without possibly slipping by accident.
You can find some toilet paper rolls in the cabinet under the sink, but if it isn't enough, you can only get one or two more at the reception. More is expected to be bought by yourself, as it is a self-serving apartment. That's why, you may need to bring along one or two rolls extra from home. You don't really want to buy a 10-pack of toilet paper in the local supermarket, just because you need one extra. Also, bring some napkins, a few sheets of baking paper, and a couple of garbage bags, if you expect to cook a lot. Salt, pepper, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, dishwashing liquid, shampoo, shower gel, hand wash were things that were provided. We luckily brought our own toothbrush and toothpaste. We also experienced a shortage of olive oil by the end of our stay, but we really cooked a lot. So, we would bring a small bottle of cooking oil and soy sauce too, if we decide to stay here again.
Since there is no cleaning, you also need to take your own garbage out (a dumpster can be found in one of the street corners, diagonally across the street of the apartment), wash and dry your own towels (one set of hand towel and bath towel were supplied per person), and sweep the floor once in a while with the supplied broom. If you really want to feel at home, a pair of room slippers that you brought along yourself would close the deal.
I really liked the location of the Feel at home plaza apartments. The metro stop Hostafrancs was about a 3 minute walk away and Plaça d'Espanya was within reasonable walking distance (about 10 min. walk). Closeby, you can also find the Sants train station. There were three supermarkets nearby that I frequently visited and plenty of small bakeries and restaurants too. Getting to city center and famous sites didn't take too long either.
You do need to be aware of closing your door properly each time you enter and leave your apartment. You turn the door knob to the left twice to lock, when you leave, and once you enter, you need to turn the switch under the door handle. I think we forgot sometimes. But the main entrance can only be opened with a room card, so strangers cannot get in that easily. There is however no 24-hour reception (only office hours), so it is better to save their telephone number in your phone, in case, you need help with something.
How to reach the Feel at home apartments from the airport (BCN - El Prat)
We went with the Aerobus (official airport bus), which took us to Plaça d'Espanya in less than half an hour. You can find the busstop at the airport by following the signs for the location of the buses and then take the escalator down on the left or right (not the one in the front). It costs €5.90 per person for a single ticket and €10.20 for a return ticket (within 15 days). There is a large luggage rack inside the bus to store luggage and the bus ride was very comfortable, as there was airconditioning, free wifi, and enough empty seats.After arriving at Plaça d'Espanya in a blink of an eye, you just need to walk straight ahead until you see a hamburger restaurant on your left (about 10 min. walk). The entrance of the Feel at home plaza apartments is just past that and it is a large glass door with an intercom and hotel card reader. It is not that obvious, so make sure not to walk past it without knowing.
Note: if you plan to ride the cablecar, make sure to take a free Aerobus Barcelona map (one per person!), as it contains a €3 discount coupon for that. You can find the maps in bins at the busstop.
The Aerobus busstop to get back to the airport is located across the street of where you were dropped off (cross the zebra crossing), when you arrived. It is a bit more in the middle, near the fountain.
