Presenting itself as a trendy gay hotel and located smack in the middle of Eixample, Axel Hotel has a thoughtfully inclusive catch marketing phrase - HETEROFRIENDLY - that has nabbed it even more business than the typically cash heavy queer demographic already throws at it. Many single women travelers have grown fond of staying here, partly because they won't have to worry about being hit on by other travelers and hotel staff, and partly because they know that gay guys really know how to have a good time. There are two rooftop parties around the pool and bar area weekly, as well as live entertainment and drag shows scheduled most other nights on the stage located in the ground floor restaurant.
Axel Hotel is so gay that even our in-room safe was naked. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
We always stay here and haven't tried anywhere else in Barcelona,
but we love the neighborhood surrounding the hotel, it's an easy walk
to most other areas and, let's face it, the staff of gorgeous Spanish
men lining the place doesn't hurt...so why even try anywhere else? And yes, this is the
location of my infamous clothes-free post-hot tub tumble across the gym floor. Moving right along ...
The one drawback to staying here, or any gay hotel really, is that service can be a bit, um, sloooooooooooooow. It's fine, they're in Spain where things are a little more laid back to begin with, they're beautiful, I get it. But it can be a bit wearing when you're trying to sit down to breakfast and the lone waiter has trotted off to take a smoke break, hook up with a hotel guest in the back, or who knows. If there was one area that needed some tweaking, having the staff be a little more on the mark in the service area couldn't hurt.
And speaking of breakfast - it's a simple, help yourself assortment of fruits, cereal canisters that are so tiny I had to wipe out the hotel's entire stash just to fill one bowl, breads, eggs and flaccid slices of bacon that Europe still has no idea how to crisp properly. At 15 euros, that makes it worth skipping and heading to La Boqueria along Las Ramblas for breakfast instead.
My final two complaints? The internet can only connect one computer per room, which is frustrating when you've traveled with your partner and two laptops. It would be simple for them to allow two devices per room to be connected and they should change that. My other complaint is about the lighting in the elevator - BLUE! It's entirely aggravating not only because it's a dark shade of blue that could almost act as a black light that would, in this hotel in particular, reveal all sorts of weird and potentially embarrassing stains, but also because it's a slooooooooooooow elevator, and because it's also cramped and not nearly as cute as the service, I can't forgive it. It's high time to change the bulbs.
** There's one last half-complaint: The gym that is on the top floor of the building kind of sucks (the lone clunky elliptical machine nearly killed me with its jolting motions and surely needs serviced, if not replaced altogether), but the upside is that they give access, for ten euros, to a beautiful gym just a block down the street called Holmes Place. Don't miss it - it's a fun spot filled with excellent equipment, people watching galore, a huge swimming pool, classes ... the works, really. **
But like I said, who stays here for the food or service? I give Axel Hotel an A- for its smartly appointed rooms, friendly staff and central location and would recommend it to anyone gay or ... er ... HETEROFRIENDLY.
AXEL HOTEL BARCELONA
Aribau, 33
08011 Barcelona - Spain
Phone: (+34) 93 323 93 93
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