Acta City47

The anonymous concrete block housing the Hotel Acta CITY47 isn't much from the outside, but the interior is a different story. Light floods the lobby, where a dark-green marble
staircase swoops down into a green and white bull’s eye on the floor, and a mix
of antique and contemporary furniture is arranged throughout the space. There's a cozy seating area with tufted leather chairs and a mock fireplace next to
a Mac-outfitted computer station with white-plastic Eames chairs. A reclaimed wood coffee table and wrinkled black leather chaise add to the space's hip and lovingly distressed charm. By contrast, the on-site Nass City Restaurant is a riot of orange and electric blue with a cafeteria vibe and outdoor seating; it's surprisingly quiet and attracts only hotel guests, most of whom are couples and solo tourists, though the hotel gets its share of families and business travelers too. 

Situated on a leafy plaza
along an unremarkable street in Barcelona’s Sants neighborhood, there are shops
and restaurants in every direction. Barcelona Sants train station, the city’s
main rail hub, is six minutes away on foot, and the Sants Estacio metro
stop is right around the corner, a four-minute walk from the hotel. From there,
trips across the city are simple and fast, and the metro reaches Plaza
Catalunya in 10 minutes or Sagrada Familia in 20 minutes. Across the Sants
neighborhood are former factories that have been converted into cultural
hot spots, like Can Batllo, a performance and art space, which is a 20-minute
walk from the hotel. Espanya Industrial Park, another reclaimed venue, is less
than 10 minutes away on foot and is great for travelers with kids. El Prat
International Airport can be reached by using the Aerobus at Plaza Espanya in
40 minutes, or in 20 minutes by taxi.

Guest rooms offer a blend
of contemporary accents and retro design, from the curvilinear glass desks to
the warm chestnut Art Deco headboards with chrome accents. Light-wood laminate
floors contrast with dark closet doors to create a sleek, vintage-looking space, though
some furniture, like the glass-topped desks, have a somewhat cheap, mass-produced appearance. All
rooms have key-access safes, minibars, air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. Bright, expressionist art hangs on the
mostly neutral walls, and seating areas with leather chairs near the windows provide room to stretch out. Bathrooms are outfitted in floor-to-ceiling light and dark
marble, but not all of it is in good condition as some of the tiles around the bathtub faucets were broken, and some of the grout was dirty. All bathrooms have large vanities, toiletries, wall-mounted hairdryers, and
bathtub/shower combos. The hotel has an array of room sizes,
from compact Single Rooms to larger Triple Rooms that can accommodate small
groups or families, though all rooms have the same decor.

The hotel includes a mezzanine
lounge above the lobby, which serves as a reading room and is filled with
high-backed tufted armchairs and a distressed bookcase loaded with
knickknacks. It’s a great place to sit with a coffee or a drink from Nass City
Restaurant just below, which serves the hotel’s hot and cold breakfast buffet (included in some room packages), and has a bar. The restaurant provides lunch, dinner, and room service throughout the day, though guest
reviews vary wildly. The hotel has a small, windowless fitness center. With a mere three cardio machines and free water, it's purely functional. There are two neutral-toned meeting and event rooms
on-site, one of which can accommodate larger gatherings and gets good natural
light. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, and there are two public Mac
computers in the lobby. The hotel has a 24-hour front desk that provides
concierge services, and cribs are available for guests with small children.