Hotel Cuatro Naciones

The Hotel Cuatro Naciones is housed in a beige 18th-century building on a pretty tree-lined street. Its curved wood reception desk sits under yellow pendant lights in a lobby with marble floors and fluted, polished-wood columns. The family-owned property has a wall of photos and other memorabilia commemorating the stays of some of its more famous guests. Its common room, with club chairs and a fireplace under an elaborately painted ceiling, is named after Chopin, who reportedly once stayed here. But the vending machine in the corner brings the vibe down a notch. The property has high ceilings with crown molding and ornate wrought-iron work, including, most prominently, a split marble staircase with a window at the landing. The breakfast room has a checkerboard floor, peach walls, and windows to the street. Guests are primarily tourists in search of affordable lodging with easy access to city center attractions.

Hotel Cuatro Naciones is in the Las Ramblas neighborhood of Barcelona, within walking distance of many significant attractions as well as bars, restaurants, and shops. The hotel is a one-minute walk to Teatre Principal and two minutes on foot to Gran Teatre. It takes three minutes to reach Liceu metro station, and it's an 11-minute walk to Plaza Catalunya. The Picasso Museum is a 12-minute walk away, and L'Aquarium and the waterfront are 15 minutes away on foot. The Paseo de Gracia is an 11-minute drive or 12 minutes on public transportation. Gaudi's Sagrada Familia is an 18-minute drive or 29 minutes by train. Gaudi's other major landmark, Park Guell, is a 25 minutes by car and 34 minutes on public transportation. Barcelona Airport can be reached in a half-hour drive or 37 minutes on public transportation. 

Rooms at the Hotel Cuatro Naciones are plain, but with a retro feel that includes herringbone-patterned bedspreads and old-fashioned lamps and armoires. Of its 54 rooms, 14 have broad views of Las Ramblas. Others may look onto a gloomy alley or a courtyard with a frosted-glass roof. Walls in the rooms tend to be pale pink or cream, with long drapes, shiny wood headboards, armoires, and desks, all of decent, but not luxurious, materials. Room sizes are average and can accommodate families of three or four people, but single rooms are tiny and feel a bit bleak. All rooms have air-conditioning, safes, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. Irons and ironing boards are available from the front desk. The bathrooms are unstylish, with beige fixtures and curtained shower/tub combos, some with grout in need of a good scrubbing. Toiletries and hair dryers are provided. Accessible rooms are available.

As a budget property, the Hotel Cuatros Naciones doesn't offer a ton of amenities, but they do have a free buffet breakfast and hotel-wide Wi-Fi. There are also a few books to borrow from the "Chopin Room." The front desk offers basic concierge services and luggage storage. There's also a computer station in the lobby and a basic meeting room in addition to free hotel-wide Wi-Fi.