Fabulous Florida!

The hotel Gran Florida is an exceptional experience, from the wonderful staff to the beautifully furnished rooms, not forgetting the fantastic pool/spa area.

Well known ´faces´abound, forget the Hotel Arts, this is THE place to stay when in Blarcelona!

The view is amazing.......although it isn't in the city there is a shuttle service to town and isn't it nice to be away from the crowds once in a while?!

An example to all boutique hotels.....

The Gran Hotel La Florida doesn't pretend that it's in the centre of Barcelona, so don't go if you're looking for a city centre hotel.

Part of the beauty of this place is it's rural peaceful location with fantastic views over the city, all within a complimentary 15 minute transfer of the centre. Even the basic rooms are a good size and very chic, with stunning bathrooms and plasma TVs. The pool area is fabulous and the spa facilities are excellent. The hotel restaurant is very romantic, dining on the terrace is a particular pleasure and the Sunday brunch buffet with Cava included is a great way to while away a Sunday afternoon.

My wife and I stayed for three nights at the end of August and although we didn't have great weather we really enjoyed our stay and will definitely return. I couldn't recommend this place more highly for a relaxing romantic break in a luxurious and comfortable environment.

TERRIBLY LOCATED

If what you want is to visit the city. Do not stay in this hotel. No taxis nothing to do around the hotel. Nice rooms but very boiring weekend... For a taxi you need to wait minimun 30 minutes ... Terribel experience!! Check the location in a CITY MAP before booking a room here !!!

Stunning views, beautiful hotel.

We stayed at La Florida to celebrate our 10th Wedding anniversary after much research of hotels in Barcelona (inc this site). We chose La Florida as it offered the 'retreat' feel as well as being 'in' Barcelona. 15/20 mins (15/20 euros) in a cab and your in the center of everything. The hotel runs a shuttle bus up and down the montain about 10 times throughout the day and night, but you would be wise to book as on one occasion it was full, all other times just the two of us.

We opted to book a car with driver from the airport (service offered by hotel) which was a great start to the break. It was 70 euros (inc tax) which is around twice the cost of a taxi, but well worth it. A very polite and informative driver in a beautiful E class mercedes. As you wind your way up the mountain, you keep getting glimpes of the hotel, purching at the top pumping your intrique as to what it's going to be like. From the front, the hotel doesn't look 'that' special, but as soon as you pass through the doors, you know you have arrived somwhere very special. We were seated in two high backed comfy chairs and handed a rather delightful refreshing drink (never did find out what it was) whilst we went through the checking in formalities. We were then given a brief overview and history of the hotel before being shown to our room. I felt that the receptionist (front of house person) who intoduced us to the hotel was very proud of La Florida and he seemed genuinely pleased to be showing us its many charms and features. We had a Garden room (#3) which had a big garden and decked area with a large table and four chairs & parasol, 2 steamer chairs and a jucuzzi. Fantastic views of Barcelona and the sea beyond. They have blinds / awnings that you can pull over all the decked areas so those with balconies above can not see you giving you a feeling of total privacy. The room was very nicely furnished with a huge comfy bed with fantastic pillows and realy soft linen, 2 armchairs, desk etc with Plasma TV on the wall at the end of the bed. 3 different huge doors lead to the garden which had the sun in it from morning until late afternoon. The bathroom was huge with a bath, two sinks, fantastic shower room (huge!), a toilet/bidet room and a copious amount of thick towels, bathrobes and slippers. The room was fantastic, however when lying in bed, you could here doors closing and footsteps in the hall as most common parts has stone/marble floors.

In my opinion the jewel of the hotel is the terrace which cascades down the mountain. Its beautifully furnished, with lots of thickly cushioned steamer chairs all with fresh towels, parasols tables etc. At the top by the bar area their are lots of different seating options with patio heaters and 'massive' sun canopies. The service here was particuly attentive and polite. In the evening their are lots of candles all the way down the terrace. A DJ, who appears to hide behind the bushes played mellow 'contempory' jazz at a low volume. It was nice for us (mid thirties) but the kind of music that would have my parents muttering discontent. Breakfasts were served either on the terrace in the morning sunshine or inside. Fantastic coffee, freshly squeezed juices and all of the trimmings including a good choice of newspapers from all around the world. We had dinner in the 'Orangry' restaurant on the Friday evening and although it was very busy the service was very good. We sampled the chefs tasting menu for 70 euros a head which was pretty good, but what was better was we opted for the tasting menu with wine for 100 euros which exposed us to five (one for each course) fantastic wines. The somelier explained each one to us in detail and if you liked it, he kept topping up your glass, so we were suitably lubricated as we left.

We arrived on a Thursday, and left on a Sunday. On the Thursday and Friday, it felt like we had the hotel pretty much to ourselves along with a few other decerning travelers and the few business people. On Saturday morning it felt very different, rather busy with a mix of European couples on 'celebratory' weekends (alot of British) and a few families. Also the fair ground across the mountain opens at the weekned, resulting in a lot of traffic (hardly any during the week) and the noise from the fair (not intrusive but there).

Everywhere was spotless, the health spa and the pool are very difficult the expalain...very 'cool' The hotel has a nice personable feel to it. We took a look at the arts hotel...no thanks...to business like. La Florida is a fantastic hotel to start the day, then to head into town on the free shuttle (don't forget to book) do some sights, have a few beers and tapas, some shopping and when you start to tire know that you can return to La Florida and look down onto the city with a real sense of contentment that you chose this hotel.

We would definitely return and recommend, although would try and incorporate some weekdays for the 'special' feel.

Pure Catalan pleasure....a "must stay" hotel

We flew BA business class to Barcelona, so straight away we were being subjected to indulgence, so when we arrived at the hotel we knew we were not going to be disappointed. The hotel is set ina hilltop, over-looking Barcelona city, which is a must to capture on camera. The staff are attentive to the extreme...you certainly are treated like royalty. The decor is second to none. The artwork is asthetically pleasing to the eye. Although the rooms are tastefully decorated, some can seem quite small for such a grandour hotel, so it wasn't a problem for us to be up-graded to a suite (it's worth asking). The marble used in the bathroom is exquisite..the shower-room alone was vast. We had a room with an extensive balcony, with sun-loungers, which gave a fantastic view over Barcelona city. A courtesy bus is provided by the hotel to take you down to the city if you haven't got transport (recommend you get a hire car), however, it is worth booking this well in advance, as it only takes 16 guests.

The Orangery restaurant is excellent. Their monkfish is to die for, and their lamb is wrapped and baked in clay,which they present to you at the table. Their wine list is excellent. The somelier is very knowledgeable and I would recommend asking that he recommends a locally produced Cava. They even have a 1914 fortified wine which is an excellent accompanyment to their vast array of cheeses from around the world.

It is worth asking the front desk to recommend a local vineyard. We visited one in the Pennes region, who spent over 3 hours with us showing his very private vineyard. This was at the most, the highlight of our break.

There must be around 3 staff to each set of guests. This hotel is pure pleasure and a must be stay.

We even had the opportunity to breakfast next to Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal fame).

I would recommend a massage at least. This is a great finish to the whole experience the hotel provides. It certainly is another world!

Feel Like a Princess

Gran Hotel La Florida is a beautiful five-star hotel overlooking Barcelona. Customer service was top-notch and very friendly. Spa facilities including workout room, massages and indoor/outdoor pool were fantastic! I was wowed by the bathroom in our room! My friend and I had a cooking class with the chef and enjoyed every bite! I highly recommend this hotel and will definitely return in the future!

TOTALLY LOVELY

I have just left this hotel and am on my way back to the UK. It is really excellent. The food is wonderful, service in the restaurant slow, however the view is enjoyable! - once the food has arrived it is very much worth waiting for.

Rooms are well designed and clean. The journey to Barcelona central is 15mins max but the hotel supply a shuttle service if you don't want to pay for a taxi - if you have been to this city before, it is a lavish place ideal for relaxing in luxury! This is a great place for a 2 day stay.

Swimiing pool and spa facilities are lovely - nicest swimming pool I have ever seen!

Gorgeous and inviting -

This place is worth every penny - I found a special 1-year anniversary rate and was quite pleased with the service, cleanliness, and overall polished yet unpretentious image. Sure, it's a 15 euro cab ride from passeig de gracia (center of the city), but don't count that against them - you should go into it knowing that it's not centrically located. If you're willing to pay the extra cab fares to sit in the lap of luxury, then this is the perfect spot. Stunning views of the city, and a really great indoor/outdoor pool. We had a standard room that was spacious and beautifully decorated. It'll be interesting to see if people like staying here despite it's distance from the city, but I recommend it for a night or two - just for some pampering. If you're going to barcelona to sightsee, and dont want to stay so far away, try the hotel arts.

Far and Away

After all the press about this hotel, we decided to splurge and stay here on our recent trip to Barcelona. We thought it was really pretty inside, but not very quiet. We could hear all the noise in the hall as the rooms are around an open court. The restraunt was alwful. I would go out for dinner, but therein lies the problem. You are as far from anyplace as you can be. Looking down over the city is nice, but if you want to be in the city, do not stay here. A bit disorganized and not the nicest manager. We won't stay here again. Way too expensive and stuffy. Cabs are cheap, but can take an hour or longer to get there. We felt trapped.

Hotel on the hill

This hotel location is its greatest asset and biggest drawback. The hotel overlooks the and is not accessible by direct subway or other public transportation. It can be reached via three rail, trolley and lift transfer. Take a cab or car if you want to get anywhere on time.It is an excellant retreat overlooking the City. Almost a country hotel for a City trip.The rooms and common areas have been completely remodeled in a very tasteful fashion.The spa is well equiped with high tech machines and the pool is over the top. The service is pleasant but could use a little polish. Spa and steam rooms were not turned on and I had to find someone to open exercise room in the morning. I think a good check list could overcome the problems. Breakfast on the terrace overlooking the City is great. I did not have dinner but the restaurant was always crowded at dinner, people eating under the stars and above the clounds.Overall an excellant choice if you want to be away from the bussle of the City. A 15 minute cab ride, 15 euros if you want the bussle.