Background
When I was searching for a hotel Barcelona I had two requirements: good value and location. Last time I was in the city, I stayed at the Level at Melia Barcelona Sky. It ended up being too far east for my taste. For this trip, I booked a stay at the TRYP Barcelona Apolo. It’s walking distance to Ramblas and the Gothic Quarter so I thought it would be a solid location.
The Check-In Process
Thankfully, check-in was quick. I was told since I booked direct with Melia I’d get 10 euro a night for incidentals (room upgrade, breakfast, room service). I inquired how much breakfast would be as I didn’t book a rate for breakfast. To my excitement, the agent said it was 11 euros and I could use my 10 euro credit! Since it was just me and a friend I thought that essentially paying just one breakfast for the both of us was a good deal.
TRYP Barcelona Apolo Room
Our room was on the 3rd floor pretty much above the lobby. That’s good, as I’ve read reviews that said that rooms located above the club are very noisy at night. I’d be really worried because even our room vibrated whenever the metro underneath passed by. The insulation was pretty bad. We heard lots of door slamming and hallway noise but our neighbors were quite courteous. Thankfully, there wasn’t any room to room noise.
The room was very spacious for Europe standards. We had two twins beds, and it even had a table and a spinning chair. The room itself looked very fancy, but it lacked a lot of finishing touches. I think that’s the whole vision for TRYP; nice, modern rooms but selected services and amenities.
For starters, the bathroom didn’t offer a great range of personal care items. We were allotted one combined “Hair Wash + Shower Gel Combo” and a bar of soap for the sink counter. Very cheap. They don’t even provide hand lotion which I’ve never seen before for a self-prescribed 4 star hotel.
Additionally, there was no personal fridge or hot water/ coffee maker! Thank goodness I got the buffet breakfast. Only a mini bar filled with their drinks. Talk about limited amenities!
I have to say though, the bed and linens were amazing and definitely the best I had my entire trip! Definitely 4 stars on the bedding!
Note: the AC didn’t work at all! Thankfully the window opened up, and it was 60 degrees outside so we got a nice breeze in. But still , yikes. They better turn it on during the summer…
Amenities
There are really none, but they do give you access to the gym that’s a 10 minute walk away. Kind of far!
Breakfast
For 11 euros a person, the breakfast buffet is solid with many choices and even an omelette station. Not the best tasting, but overall worth the price.
Location
The location is pretty decent. Like I mentioned in the beginning, it’s only a few blocks from Ramblas and easily walkable to the Gothic Quarter. The metro station Parallel is just beneath the hotel so you can access public transport easily as well.
The Verdict
Would I stay here again? For the right price I don’t see why not! But again, there are many choices in Barcelona and it wasn’t great enough of an experience to come running back to this property.
Have you stayed at the TRYP Barcelona Apolo before? Comment below!
Happy travels,
Ty
Have any questions? Comment below or email me at [email protected]. Thanks for stopping by!
