How to Compare Hotel Rates in Barcelona

Located in the southeast corner of Spain, the city of Barcelona offers sophisticated nightlife and many cultural activities. Outdoor enthusiasts will find plenty to do. You can indulge in waterside pleasures at the nearby beaches and marinas, hike and jog at parks like Montjuic and Collserola, or bicycle on the lanes that accompany many main roads. A variety of hotels, inns, and hostels at all price ranges populate the city. (REFERENCE 1: click various tabs)

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Table-making program like Excel or Word
Table-making program like Excel or Word

Step 1

Create a table of hotels using your favorite word processing or spreadsheet program. Then devote the first few columns to general information such as the hotel name, star rating, location, and website.

Step 2

Include a column for the price of a room that you intend to rent. You can add a second column to estimate Value Added Tax, which is typically not shown on any website, but is added to the final bill. For information on this tax, see Resources.

Step 3

Add columns for features that are important to your stay. This example uses the following:

Bath: rooms with shared baths are cheaper than those with private ones.

Elevator: these are typically available in taller and newer buildings with more expensive rates. However, they may be convenient if you carry a lot of sports gear.

Metro: the subway brings you to any point in the city cheaply and quickly. List the two closest stops.

Water: if you plan on playing in the waves, distance to the coast is a factor. Though rooms are more expensive at the beach, the Metro can take you there from any point in the city.

Step 4

Browse a website like Tripadvisor.com. Click the "Hotels" tab. Then, enter "Barcelona, Spain" as your city, the dates of travel, and the number of adults. Click "Find Hotels" for a list of places and their prices. (REFERENCE 2)

Step 5

Limit your search by specifying options in the left column. For example, if you want to stay in the main tourist areas, disable the "All" box under "Neighborhood" and check "Barceloneta," "Bari Gotic," "Diagonal" and "Diagonal Mar." The list changes to meet your settings.

Step 6

Click on the name of a suitable hotel to display its page. You'll find links to reviews, photos, details, and a map, so you can fill your table with information. If you need more information, browse the hotel's specific website, which you won't find on the page. Instead, use your favorite search engine to locate the property's home page.

Step 7

Check out the street view to see the hotel surroundings. Select and copy the address from the hotel page. Then browse Maps.google.com in a separate window. Paste the address into the box and click "Search" to display the map with the property represented as a pushpin. Click on the pushpin and choose "Street View" from the popup.

Resources

Value Added Tax

Article Written By Aurelio Locsin

Aurelio Locsin has been writing professionally since 1982. He published his first book in 1996 and is a frequent contributor to many online publications, specializing in consumer, business and technical topics. Locsin holds a Bachelor of Arts in scientific and technical communications from the University of Washington.

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