Discount Barcelona Hotels

Barcelona Hotels and accommodation

The ancient Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and Europe's largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Its rich culture, welcoming natural setting and immense wealth of shopping and business opportunities make it one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. There are literally hundreds of hotels in Barcelona, with some of the best deals available through go4hotels.com.

The city enjoys a pleasant Mediterranean climate with mild, humid winters and - particularly attractive to sunbathers - warm, dry summers. Off-season, the room rates can be considerbly lower but in-season prior booking is recommended and can offer significant discounts.

Barcelona occupies a plateau between the sea, the mountains, and two rivers, and its rugged terrain with many hills now urbanized creates some amazing views - quite a few hotels in Barcelona provide a chance to enjoy the cityscapes from terraces or even swimming pools.

Barcelona has dozens of parks covering about one-tenth of the urban landscape. The largest is on the Montjuïc hill, home to several sporting and cultural venues, and an old fortress which is now a museum. Park Güell was designed by the famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and is considered one of Barcelona's most beautiful. Other Barcelona landmarks created by Gaudí include immense church of the Sagrada Família, under construction since 1882 and due for completion in 2026, and his La Pedrera building at the Passeig de Gracia.

There are seven beaches in Barcelona, some of which were constructed following demolition of industrial buildings in the run-up to the 1992 Summer Olympics. Most of the Barcelona beach hotels are located in the Olympic Port area though some are close to the older, more popular beaches. The old port area hosts the largest aquarium in Europe.

Barcelona is also uniquely positioned within easy reach of the Pyrenées ski resorts, only 125 kilometres from the city.

The Barcelona International Airport (BCN) is the second largest in Spain and handles over 30 million passengers a year. Some of the cheap accomodations in Barcelona are located in close vicinity of the El Prat airport. The city is also one of Europe's principal Mediterranean ports, with many cruise ships stopping by.

The mists of time hide the founding of Barcelona; one legend attributes it to Hercules. The Romans, who built a military camp there, liked beautiful location, excellent harbour and great wine that was made there. Some remains of the Roman walls have been incorporated into the cathedral which is said to have been founded in 343 AD. Barcelona became the capital of the Visigoth Kings and then of Counts of Barcelona and ruled much of the Mediterranean by the 13th century.

The area around the Catalunya Square is the historical centre of Barcelona and with the upper half of Diagonal Avenue forms the main commercial area of the city. Gothic Quarter with its many medieval buildings is the heart of Barcelona's old city. Some Barcelona hotels offers lodging in these areas.

Barcelona was one of the first cities in Europe to experience large-scale industrialization which made it one of the more developed cities in Spain. The economical prosperity reflected in the growth of arts. Some of the most famous Spanish artists like Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro lived in Barcelona, and there are museums collecting their works, as well as other Catalan and Spanish art and historical artefacts. Some Barcelona hotels offer original artworks for their guests to enjoy. One of the most visited museums in Catalonia is that of the FC Barcelona football team.

Also renowned are Art Nouveau architectural masterpieces that have been designated World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Many of the more boutique Barcelona hotels are housed in modernism-era buildings. The 1888 Universal Exposition was a major boost for construction in the city.

During the Spanish civil war most of the industry in Barcelona was taken over by workers. George Orwell described the effect it had on the service industry: "Waiters and shop-walkers looked you in the face and treated you as an equal... Tipping was forbidden by law; almost my first experience was receiving a lecture from a hotel manager for trying to tip a lift-boy." The city was bombed during the war but most of Barcelona remained intact. It remained relatively industrialised and prosperous which led to rapid urbanisation.

It is thought however that Barcelona had been punished under Franco for its support of the Republican government, with the Catalan culture and language suppressed. Upon return to democracy, the autonomy of Catalonia has been restored. The process of urban regeneration since 1980s has been rapid, aided by a greatly increased international reputation of the city as a tourist destination.

The long-running tradition of creative art and craftsmanship in Barcelona manifests itself in the city's award-winning industrial design. The tallest of Barcelona's several skyscrapers is the Hotel Arts and its twin the Torre Mapfre, both standing 154 metres high. The city also has several congress halls of which Fira de Barcelona (Trade Fair) is the largest. New convention hotels in Barcelona open rather regularly as the number of national and international events that the city hosts is constantly growing. Some of them offer discounts for groups.

Barcelona has many venues for live music and theatre, including the world-renowned Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house. There are two major annual pop festivals taking place in Barcelona, Sonar and Primavera Sound. Low-priced accomodation in Barcelona is in great demand when these are held.