In Incomparable Barcelona, NH Hotels Have Got You Covered

The unique Catalonian capital of Barcelona attracts many millions of tourists annually, so narrowing down hotel choices can pose a challenge. Fortunately, as we have noted elsewhere on Hotel Scoop, the NH chain is ubiquitous throughout Spain — and especially in Barcelona, with no fewer than nine properties from which to choose. 

This review will focus primarily on NH Sants Barcelona, one of the chain’s four four-star properties in the city. There are an additional four three-star hotels and even one NH Collection property boasting five stars. 

All of the NH hotels are located in strategic points throughout the city. The NH Sants Barcelona is situated conveniently close to the city’s adjacent main railway and interurban bus terminals, and even though the hotel is located in a decidedly non-touristy residential neighborhood, it is extremely well-connected to everywhere you want to go in the city, by means of the very efficient urban transportation system (or affordable taxis). 

For the tourist, NH Sants Barcelona is also near one of the stops of the city’s Barcelona Bus Turistic hop-on, hop-off double-decker sightseeing vehicles. The Bus Turistic system operates two routes, which together take passengers to virtually every landmark in the city, with audio explanations of what you are seeing recorded in a dozen different languages. 

Discounted tickets for Bus Turistic may be purchased in advance at the comprehensive online tourism transportation portal Hola Barcelona, an invaluable resource for all travel needs and desires in the city and surroundings – from mass transit to cable cars to organized tours. The website, as well as the app, also offers discounts to the majority of the city’s most popular attractions, including Barcelona’s nine UNESCO World Heritage sites. 

Location: One of Many 

It is perhaps not coincidental that there is a certain symmetry in the fact that there are nine UNESCO World Heritage sites in Barcelona and nine NH hotels in the city. Somewhere in the proximity of nearly every important sightseeing landmark – many of which are associated with the modernist creations of architectural genius Antoni Gaudi – you are bound to find an NH property or one that is conveniently reached via public transportation. 

The NH Sants, as an example, is in walking distance not only to the Bus Turistic but also to a subway station with intersecting lines, not to mention city bus stops both right across the street and around the corner. And for those wishing to explore Catalonia’s attractions beyond the municipal boundaries – such as the picturesque medieval towns of Girona or Tarragona, the beckoning beaches of the Costa Brava, or the many hiking trails of the Pyrenees Mountains – it is a straight shot of an easy walk from the hotel to both the regional train and bus terminals.     

Welcoming Staff

An intangible perk of a stay at NH Sants Barcelona is the friendly and professional staff, who will greet guests at a reception desk flanked by counters laden with refreshing flavored water, candies, and a coffee machine. The lobby itself is particularly welcoming, with a long, handsome work table and a couple of cozy alcoves – one featuring an electronic “fireplace” and the other a giant television.

Not to be outdone, the dining room staff is as accommodating as their colleagues at the front desk: each night that we requested ice for our room, we were served graciously and with a smile. 

Comfortable Accommodations

NH Sants Barcelona comprises 203 rooms and suites, all of them furnished with every amenity that one expects in a four-star establishment: choices of comfortable twin, queen or king-sized beds, user-friendly A/C and climate control, large flat screen television with multi-channel and multi-lingual programming, laptop-sized electronic safe for valuables, and refreshment corner with complimentary mineral water, mini-refrigerator and electric kettle for making coffee and tea. Free WiFi extends to all guest rooms, as well as public spaces. 

Bathrooms are fastidiously clean, with pampering proprietary NH toiletries, hair dryers, and make-up mirrors. In all categories of rooms above standard, bathrobes and slippers complement the thirsty bath towels. Similarly, in suites, one may luxuriate on furnished terraces and drink espresso coffee from dedicated machines.  

The hotel is both family-friendly, with a number of room configurations ideal for parents traveling with children, and pet-friendly, with dogs and cats allowed for an additional charge. There is also on-site indoor parking, as well as a small but adequate fitness room. 

Dining

The lavish breakfast buffet at NH Sants Barcelona is highly recommended (despite the extra charge), especially for its cava and wine availability (make your own mimosa with fresh squeezed orange juice) and its unparalleled spread of healthful (including gluten-free) foods. Lunch and dinner are also served in the hotel’s restaurant, and while I did not get a chance to try those meals on this trip, judging from our previous experience at an NH Tablafina branch, the food must be exceptional.

In fact, there is a Tablafina at a sister hotel in Barcelona, the NH Collection Calderon. In general, NH – the Madrid-headquartered chain under the umbrella of the global hospitality giant Minor Hotels – should be your go-to option for accommodations throughout Spain. With its dozens of hotels and resorts in cities large and small, as well as along the beaches of the entire Iberian peninsula, if you are planning to be anywhere in the country, you can count on the NH brand to be there with a property that lives up to the highest standards. Moreover, members of the NH Discovery loyalty program (free to join) receive discounts and other perks.

Room rates at NH Sants Barcelona begin at approximately $125.00 per night for a double room and vary seasonally. The price for a room with the breakfast buffet included would entail an additional charge of approximately $25.00. 

Check rates for the NH Sants Barcelona online at Expedia, Booking.com, or Hotels.com.

Text and photos by Buzzy Gordon, who was a guest of NH Sants Barcelona, for purposes of review. Additional photos courtesy of NH Sants Barcelona. As always, the opinions expressed are his own.