Not a 5 star hotel

we stayed at the Claris in october2003.The suite was shabby and dark ,it needed up grading.the hotel is cutting edge modern in its public rooms. The waterfall, the bonzai area a nice touch to view from the glass elevators. The 47 dinning room and staff were excellent.We would not stay there again it is a very cold place. We moved to the Avendia Palace which we found to be a much more comodious hotel.The claris does not seem to care very much for its patrons

Sublime

I have stayed at the Claris three times and have been disappointed yet.

The entire staff speaks english , the rooms are small but very nicely furnished. Be nice to the staff and they will upgrade you. The rooftop terrace at night ( summer ) has a live DJ. You will not want to leave.

Style over function....

Have just got back from a weekend at the Claris and I have to say I was not overly impressed.

A good hotel...but not 5 star, it is interesting to see that my thoughts concur with a lot of what has been written, to summarise; indifferent reception staff, nice rooms but you would expect that for the price....giving CD players to people is fine....but not at 3am when you are trying to sleep.....the soundproving if there is any is rubbish.....hot buffet was anything but...and the "gym" is laughable...

On a more positive note....the doorman/barman were helpful and the bar is nice..East 47 produces some stylish food...visually the hotel is excellent....complimentry wine nice...

You can but hope for considerate neighbours....

Andrew, UK

Ultimately disappointing

Spent 4 nights at the Claris in July. My wife and I stayed in a 'Junior Suite' and our children (21 and 16) in a twin. Doorman excellent, reception throughout our stay generally poor - slow, not efficient and not helpful. The first 5 star luxury hotel I've ever stayed in with no Concierge. With poor in room information and no concierge you need good reception staff in an unfamiliar City. Doorman and excellent barman in downstairs bar did the best they could to help us (and others) find restauarants, attractions etc. Our suite was a poor room. Spacious enough but infacing and dark. Do not be tempted to pay the extra money for a suite. Our childrens much cheaper room was bright and outward facing and much more attractively designed and furnished. Most of the frills you would expect from a 5 star - robes, slippers and good toiletries. Shower in the bathtup even in the suite must be a minus.

Very comfortable beds. Breakfast excellent with service to match.

Driven out of the rooftop terrace bar/restaurant by rude manager so didn't eat there. East 47 as good as they say. Took forever to check out. In general a hotel that thinks it's a lot better than it really is. A good 4 star overall, certainly when working seemingly at half pace in off season July. We will stay at the Majestic next time

Expensive and only so-so

We stayed at the Claris for 5 nights of our Honeymoon. We decided to splurge for this special occastion and stayed at the Claris (in particular because it was one of the few in Barcelona with a pool).

They advertise sound-proofed rooms, but we doubt that (maybe from the street only). We could hear one of our neighbors' radio and called the front desk to have them address the problem 3 times and finally asked to switch rooms because the noise was still there (because the front desk never handled the problem?)

The rooftop pool was cool, but very small. The rooms were also very modern and clean with tub/shower, a toilet, and a bidet. Cleaning service was adequate. We ordered room service one night and it was sub-standard. Our suite was bi-level with the sitting area on the upper area that was about 8 steps up (very, very inconvenient for room service as we had to carry everything up there - or eat on the bed), and the bed was in the lower area. Decent location, but we wouldn't stay there again - just too expensive for what we thought would be a very "cool" hotel.

The Claris is superb

The Claris is a contemporary hotel with all the fine touches. They were able to accommodate me with an early check-in at 8:30 AM, which was much appreciated.

The lobby has 3 full size glass elevators that were always available.

Our room may have been a touch small as compared to a US hotel but is relatively large for a European City hotel. The bathrooms are exquisite as they are done in marble with all the trimmings. Double sinks, luxurious bathrobes, slippers and a bottle of wine were all there to greet us. At night the beds are turned down with chocolate mints left on the pillow. The room windows have motorized shutters that act as room darkeners along with eliminating any city noise.

We took advantage of the rooftop pool daily. Also, the two complimentary computers that were located off the lobby were equipped with Internet Service, making E-mail a breeze. One other surprise was the complimentary fax service (Transmission from Spain to the USA) that they provided. They fulfilled any and all requests of my party.

Breakfast in the morning ranged from smoked salmon to fresh fruit. All in all, this Hotel has a great location and earns its 5 Star G.L.

rating.

Great hotel

Geat hotel in an ecellent location. Loved the roof top swimming pool and the close proximity to things. About a 15-20 minute walk to Los Rambles. Staff was mostly very fiendly.

Cool, but Too Expensive

Spent two nights here. Our Junior Suite consisted of a 3 inch step-down from bed area to sitting area. Teeny closet. Large bathroom, but bath/shower combo & no separate toilet. Staff were sometimes friendly, sometimes cool. Doormen & porters were excellent. Excellent room service. Enjoyed the bar & Restaurant 47 - casual, yet hip & good food, friendly service. Don't know if I'd stay here again for the price. Nice location.

Disgraceful service for a 5-star hotel

Having staying for two night at the Claris last month, I can honestly say I have never experienced such rudesss, off-handedness and indifference. If I sound disgruntled, imagine having you wife barked at at check-in, a bag going missing from you hotel room, spending three hours in a police station compiling a report on this theft, and then being told amongst other things that the Claris they don't believe that have done any wrong. We were not even offered any compensation, being told business was business. I am not a demanding person, and this was supposed to be a relaxing and special weekend away. I have stayed in anything from hostels in Wales to Sea villas in the Maldives. Naturally I will never stay at the Claris hotel again, and I just wanted to warn you of our experience as there are very few methods of come-back for what we went through. feel feel to e-mail if you ant to hear more details ! Given the number of superb hotels in Barcelona, I'd suggest staying elsewhere. I have since stayed at the Tryo Apollo which was superb.

The best in the city!

Fantastic hotel but expensive. However, luxury bedrooms, spacious and stylish public areas, excellent food and wines, attentive and friendly staff and a stunning interior never came cheap. The Egyptian museum on the first floor is worth a visit and the rooftop terrace gives fine views over the city. Probably the best hotel in Barcelona.