GHT Balmes Hotel, Apartaments & Splash

The hotel is housed in a large white corner building with blue trim, built in 1956. Recent renovations updated the lobby and added a big splash pool playground with interactive features for the kids, but the hotel shows its age and is generally dated throughout. Glass doors slide open to a reception area with glossy stone floors and a reception desk, and around the corner, there's a lounge with cushioned wicker chairs and couches and an old tube TV. Picture windows along the walls make it immediately clear where all the action is, outside in a central courtyard where the pools are. The area is mostly covered in artificial turf, with a few large shade trees, and a wooden boardwalk that cuts across the courtyard from the outdoor terrace to the splash pool. Families tend to make up the bulk of guests, along with some couples. 

The hotel is located in a residential area of Calella about a nine-minute walk from the beach. The pedestrianized streets of the old town are lined with bars, cafes, and stores, and the closest -- Carrer de l'Esglesia -- is about a four-minute walk away. The Calella train station is an eight-minute walk from the property, and the Municipal Archive Museum is 16 minutes away on foot. It's about a 50-minute drive from Barcelona, and connections to Barcelona leave from the bus stop on Carrer de St. Jaume, which is a four-minute walk from the hotel. 

The hotel has 174 guest rooms and apartments that all open to small private balconies furnished with plastic chairs and tables. Decor is dated throughout, with simple tiled floors, plain walls except for colored accent walls, and basic chain furniture. Standard rooms start with tiny Single Rooms that have twin beds and small desk tables with benches. Double Rooms come with either two twin beds or double beds, plus extra chairs. The Family rooms, which sleep up to four people, feature living areas that have sofa beds. Free Wi-Fi is included, but there's a fee to use mini-fridges and electronic safes. Some units have old tube TVs, while others have flat-screens. Studio and one-bedroom apartments add kitchenettes (without the mini-fridge fee) with dining tables, and also have living areas with sofa beds. Bathrooms vary widely; some have rainfall showers, while others have dated shower/tub combos, and some have bidets. Some units suffer from noise coming from the pool area and the interior hallways. 

This family-friendly hotel has entertainment and children's activities in the high season (roughly mid-June to mid-September), some of which take place off-site at the beach. On-site there's a kids' club and the newest addition is a splash pool complete with a playground of interactive water features and a small a waterslide. The adjacent courtyard has an artificial turf lawn with loungers and umbrellas around an outdoor pool, a hot tub, and a small kiddy pool. The pool bar opens onto an outdoor terrace with plastic tables and chairs and a  pool table, and there's another sunken terrace a few steps down from the pool with more seating. Inside, a counter with stools and a cramped area with tables essentially shares the same space with the kids' club. There's a cafe with a second bar and another pool table, along with a large buffet restaurant. The hotel also caters to cyclotourists with a secure bike storage room that's equipped with a toolkit, tire pump, and a maintenance workbench. Wi-Fi is free throughout.