Luxury Hotels in Barcelona - Which One is Your Favourite?

We all like a bit luxury in our lives, right? Outdoor swimming pool, relaxing spa, perfect suite with a breathtaking view, fancy bars and excellent customer service are only a few things that make a visitor feel really special. This blog introduces you to some amazing five star luxury hotels in Barcelona. Interested in something more intimate? Check out this luxury property to rent before you make your choice !

Hotel W Barcelona

This fabulous hotel has become one of the best known landmarks of Barcelona and no wonder. Located by the oh-so beautiful Barceloneta beach you will be left speechless by the astonishing views it provides over the Mediterranean Sea. Hotel W Barcelona provides everything you need for your perfect holiday. You can dine in the hotel at  Michelin-star rated chef Carlos Abellán’s restaurant; enjoy some glamorous drinks at the rooftop bar on 26th floor; relax in Spain's first ever Bliss Spa; cool down by swimming in the pool, or check out Barceloneta from the beachfront access. Try W Barcelona virtual planner tour to see what is waiting for you. For real luxury lovers W Barcelona welcomes you to WOW suite with spectacular views over the sea and the city.

Mandarin Oriental Barcelona

At the beginning of this summer Mandarin Oriental Barcelona was inundated with huge crowds. It was because Rihanna was staying in this hotel during her summer concert in Barcelona. She made an excellent decision, because Mandarin Oriental Barcelona is for real stars. It is in a prime location on Passeig de Gracia next to Tiffany & Co. with the finest Penthouse Suite. This suite has fastastic views over Passeig de Gracia, it is perfect even for diamond lovers!

Hotel Arts Barcelona

This is another gorgeous hotel by Barceloneta which is popular with the rich and famous. It's terraced gardens and outdoor swimming pool, five restaurants, Six Senses Spa and gym located on the 42nd floor, and fine collection of Spanish contemporary art are only some of the reasons to choose the premium luxury Hotel Arts Barcelona. The outstanding service tops off what would most probably be an unforgettable experience here. The Arts Suite is one of the highest end choices Hotel Arts offers with panoramic views of the Mediterranean sea and the marina.

Eurostars Grand Marina Hotel

Eurostars Grand Marina Hotel has been compared to a leisure paradise and is very well located  by the harbour.  It provides an outdoor swimming pool with prominent city and port views, relaxing sauna and jacuzzi, well known buffet breakfast and a fantastic piano bar. Depending on your preferences there are variety of suites and rooms to choose from. However, the Presidential Suite is the jewel of Eurostars Grand Marina Hotel. You can be assured of a good nights sleep at the Eurostar Grand Marina Hotel by choosing the best model from the unique pillow menu.

El Palace Hotel

El Palace Hotel is a trademark of Barcelona’s hotels. It was built almost 100 years ago in 1919 but was totally refurbished in 2009. El Palace Hotel is luxurious from the first moment you step through the door and offers welcome snacks and drinks. Total comfort is assured and you can enjoy lunch inside the hotel at the Caelis Restaurant which has been awarded a Michelin Star. Classic Deluxe is the finest room complete with a romantic fireplace. You can relax even though the hotel is located in the middle of the busy centre because the room is completely soundproofed. El Palace Hotel brings the Caribbean Sea to Barcelona with the Mayan Luxury Spa. Relax and enjoy the luxurious surroundings that El Palace Hotel affords. Have you tried one of these spectacular hotels? We would like to hear about your experience. Have a relaxing holiday in Barcelona! Cheers, Essi

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Football Club Barcelona!

When it comes to the world of sports, Barcelona and football are synonymous.  As of 2012, Barcelona has won 21 La Liga, 25 Copa del Rey, 10 Supercopa de Espana, 3 Copa Eva Durate, and 2 Copa de la Liga trophies. Football Club Barcelona or FCB have won 4 UEFA Champions League, a record 4 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, 4 UEFA Super Cup, and a record 2 FIFA Club World Cup trophies. They also won a record 3 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup trophies, considered the predecessor to the UEFA Cup-Europa League. This championship teamis the only European club to have played continental football every season since 1955, and one of the only three clubs to have never been relegated from La Liga, along with Athletic Bilbao, and Real Madrid. In 2009, Barcelona became the first club in Spain to win the Treble consisting of La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Champions League. That same year, it also became the first football club ever to win six out of six competitions in a single year, thus completing the sextuple,comprising the aforementioned treble and the Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA World Cup.

The Beginnings of Football Club Barcelona

This world renowned football club got its remarkable start here in Barcelona at the Gimnasio Sole on November 29th, 1899. Joan Gamper placed an advertisement in the local newspaper asking if there were others in the area wanting to contribute the the founding of a new Barcelona football club. Gamper met Gualteri Wild, Lluís d'Ossó, Bartomeu Terrados, Otto Kunzle, Otto Maier, Enric Ducal, Pere Cabot, Carles Pujol, Josep Llobet, John Parsons and William Parsons. Eleven sportsmen gathered in order to found a football club. Gualteri Wild was appointed President. The new Barcelona football team played their first game March 14, 1909 against English ex-pats living in Barcelona. Barca lost 0-1.

Cathedral of Football (1900's - 1956)

The new Football Club Barcelona won their first championship that same year, in the Catalan Championship. The team would continue to win the Catalan Championship in 1910,1911,1912,1915,1918,1919,1920,1921, and the Spanish Championship in 1909, 1911, 1912,1919, and 1921. With such amazing records and winning streaks for such a new football organization crowds began following the team. In order to accomodate the new fans, Barca had a “Cathedral of Football” constructed in May of 1922. The new Les Corts Stadium opened May 20th, 1922, with a capacity to hold 30,000 specators. The club had an amazing beginning but the 1930’s had left some scars on the Football Club Barcelona. Founder Joan Gamper died July 30 1930.  After this several club owners left, the team created a losing streak and the Civil War of 1936 pushed heavily on Catalan identity. In March of 1938, the Franco Regime bombed the Les Corts Stadium in an effort to destroy the symbolism that the Football Club Barcelona held for Catalonia. The team saw a gradual recovery in the 1940’s as they began to once again win their battles. The Football Club Barcelona won the National League Titles in 1945, 1948, and 1949. In June of 1950, Ladislao Kubala arrived in Barcelona dramatically shifting the power and magic that the team already had. The Messi of the 1950’s, Kubala helped Barcelona win the Spanish League in 1951, 1952, and 1953. In 1952, Barca won the Five Cups: Spanish League, Spanish Cup, Latin Cup Eva Duarte and Martini Rossi trophies.

The Camp Nou Era Begins

With Kubala leading the dream team of Barcelona, the “Cathedral of Football” was no longer large enough to sustain the number of fans attending the games. in 1957 the new stadium, Camp Nou was erected. The new stadium had a capacity of 90,000 fans. It was during this time that Barca continued to win cups including the Spanish Leagues 1958-59 and 1959-60, and the Fairs' Cups 1957-1958 and 1959-60, coached by Helenio Herrera, with such excellent players as Kocsis, Czibor, Evaristo, Kubala, Eulogio Martínez, Suárez, Villaverde, Olivella, Gensana, Segarra, Gràcia, Vergés and Tejada. During this time, the popular Football Club Barcelona phrase “more than a club” was born. FCB had been stamped as a part of Catalan identity. In 1978, Josep Lluís Núñez became President of the Football Club Barcelona. The Club then began a considerable period of social and financial expansion. The increase in member numbers reached the 100,000 and many supporter's clubs were founded. The Football Club Barcelona was becoming the sports most important entity in the world. Barça were also provided with emblematic sports facilities: the Camp Nou expansion, the building of the Miniestadi, the Palau Blaugrana, and so on. The FC Barcelona is currently a sports entity which includes basketball, handball, hockey, ice-hockey, figure skating, indoor football, rugby, baseball, volleyball and women's football sections.

World Renowned Team

The Football Club Barcelona colors and symbol are recognized around the world as a leader in sports and as a successful club. People travel the globe to attend Barcelona football games. Barcelona has become a mecca to the football world and the jersey’s of Messi, Puyol, Alves, Valdes, Sanchez, Villa, Adriano, Keita, and Pinto. FCB helps give pride and definition to Barcelona as a city among cities. Is Barca your favorite football team too? Let us know who your favorite players are and what you think the club does for Barcelona. Thanks for reading. Cheers, Brett
Want more about sports? Take it! :) Sports shops in Barcelona FCB and Camp Nou

The Best Property to Rent near Barcelona!

SuiteLife Presents a Luxury Property to rent outside Barcelona. Wait till you see this!
Can you imagine living here? Wanna spend a few days for a special occasion with your friends in an amazing house close to Barcelona? Why not relax in a castle like this one! The SuiteLife team presents this beautiful house called Chateau Ivy Blue. This unique property is a breathtaking house full of modernity and typical Catalan modernism. If you're a fan checkout our blog on the Modernist movement.

15,000 € a Month?!

OK, we must admit it sounds a bit excessive, BUT this 1100m2 mansion has 8 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms with typical features of modernism.  You can also rent it by the week. Imagine gathering your closest friends and basking in the luxury of this beautiful secluded house for a week. Just look at these amazing photos!


Chateau Ivy Blue is in a great location in Castellar del Valles, about 35 km from Barcelona, as you can see on the map below:

Just SOME of the awesome features included:

• 3 Living Rooms.
• an enormous kitchen fit for a professional chef.
• your very own wine cellar.
• private gorgeous pool and huge garden.
• in case your time in the chateau gets a little dionysian, the house has it's very own chapel where you can repent for your sins the night before!
• this place sleeps up to 20 people

Anyway, this house can be the perfect place to spend a very special week or month with a bunch of friends or even with the whole family, because this unrivaled mansion is just that awesome! If you fell in love with this place as SuiteLife team did, don´t hesitate to contact us! Click to see the full listing. So isn't it the best property to rent ? Do you know a better place to stay? Let us know in the comments below! Thanks and enjoy your week! ~Ivet

IESE Barcelona : Bus Transportation Guide for IESE Students in Barcelona

We want to say Welcome to all IESE students in Barcelona, and answer that very common question of how do I get to IESE Barcelona? We made this article for you, so you will be able to navigate through the city more easily. We know that your campus isn't very near to the center of the city, but we did some research and wanted to show you that regardless of its location, the buses can be very helpful and you can really live in quite a wide array of Barcelona neighborhoods and still get to school in no time. IESE students in Barcelona, this is for you. Let's begin with Line 68 , the bus stop is near the IESE Campus and it goes all the way to Plaza Catalunya, which is just above La Rambla, the whole route takes 33 minutes, and you will find yourself in one of the liveliest places in the city. What's interesting to note is how many neighborhoods the bus line passes through. As you'll see with the other routes, taking the bus to IESE allows you to greatly enhance the scope of your apartment search to include neighborhoods such as Borne, Gótico, Eixample, Gracia, Sant Gervasi, and Sarria!
View Route on Google Maps Another good options for all of the IESE Students in Barcelona is bus Line 22 , For 40 minutes you can get to the center of the city. Very near to El Barri Gotic, and also during this route, there are many stops near metro stations and the bus passes through in many people's opinion the best district of the city Gracia, so it is very useful. An easy way to reach Parc Guell as well.
View Route on Google Maps by Clicking Here A bus that can take you to the heart of the city is 63. Which stops at Placa Universitat, which is very central and near Macba, Placa Catalunya and many other places . IESE Students in Barcelona using this route can go from the campus to the Placa for 37 minutes.
Clich Here to See the Route on Google Maps And finally a map where we mixed these 3 very mobile routes, so you can know exactly which one will help you the most in reaching your destination.
We hope IESE Students in Barcelona will find this article helpful. Enjoy your stay in one of the best cities in Europe guys!! If you are new in the city you might also want to check out our article on The Top Experiences That You Need to Have Whilst in the City Etien

Staying Healthy : How to Avoid Hospitals in Barcelona?

When you plan a vacation you never plan for a trip (no matter how quick that may be) to the emergency room. But illness is unpredictable and it is always a good idea to be prepared for the unexpected. These Health Tips should give you a good knowledge base to make your trip a safe and enjoyable one, far from Barcelona's hospitals.

Water

According to Aspasio.com, tap water in Barcelona is graded as ‘potable’ which means people can drink it. All over the city of Barcelona you will be able to find public fountains (especially in Plazas) where people can refill their water bottles which is understandable as Spain is a hot country and good access to fresh water is considered a neccesity rather than a luxury. However, the water might taste a little...weird due to the heavy calcium found in it, so long term residents filter tap water to reduce the calcium and the chlorine which can be a bit much. If you're like me and have an ultra sensitive stomach, then it would be safer to buy bottled water.

Asian Tiger Mosquitos

Probably as a tourist you need not worry about this black and white striped little annoying creature - as you would probably be sleeping in a hotel room with air conditioning. In the past couple of decades this species has invaded many countries throughout the world through the transport of goods and increasing international travel from the tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia. They have become a significant pest in many communities and can transmit pathogens and viruses i.e. the West Nile virus and Yellow fever virus.

Medical services

Everyone, foreigners and EU citizens alike, have the same right as Spaniards to emergency medical treatment in public hospitals. A EU citizen is entitled to the full range of health-care services in public hospitals but in order to obtain this, they must present a European Health Insurance Card. Even when they do show this card they may have to pay up front. Non-EU citizens have to pay for anything other than emergency treatment but not to worry as most travel-insurance policies include medical cover. Pharmaceuticals tend to be sold more freely without prescriptions for minor health problems. At least more freely than countries such as the USA, Australia or the UK. I remember asking the pharmacist how I could go about obtaining a prescription for antibiotics without going to the doctor and she replied that if I had proof such as copy of the prescription or the box then I only needed to pay for it. This comes in handy if you don't want to spend hours waiting for a doctor especially if its a reoccurring illness. Another thing that is good to know when travelling to Barcelona is that if your country has a consulate in here, its staff should be able to refer you to doctors who speak your language. Hospitals in Barcelona

• Hospital Clínic i Provincial (93 227 54 00; Carrer de Villarroel 170; Hospital Clínic)
• Hospital de la Santa Creu i de Sant Pau (93 291 90 00; Carrer de Sant Antoni Maria Claret 167; Hospital de Sant Pau)
• Hospital Dos de Maig (93 507 27 00; Carrer del Dos de Maig 301; Hospital de Sant Pau)

Some 24-hour pharmacies follow:

• Farmàcia Álvarez (93 302 11 24; Passeig de Gràcia 26)
• Farmàcia Clapés (93 301 28 43; La Rambla 98)
• Farmàcia Torres (93 453 92 20; www.farmaciaabierta 24h.com, in Spanish; Carrer d’Aribau 62)

STD Testing Clinics

The Most Famous Spanish Gay Films Set in Spain

Last week, I wrote a blog on Films Set in Barcelona. This article made me realize that up until now, I hadn't thought about writing a similar blog but on Gay Films Set in Spain for our 'From Behind the Rear' series! Below you will find a list of our top 5 gay films set in Spain !

1. Nico and Dani

We start our Gay Films Set in Spain list with Nico and Dani (2000) not because it takes place in the Catalan town of Castelldefels and in various locations in the country of Garraf but because it touches on a couple of original concepts rarely found in other gay movies. First of the title of the film doesn't refer to the character's name but to a form of mutual masturbation practiced between the two main characters. I got to admit that I had passed over this film several times, thinking it would be your cliche packed coming-of-age movie - the plot description didn't help one bit either (Two teenagers awakening sexually, with one coming to terms with his homosexuality and the other with his heterosexuality). Ugh, I heard those lines many time before. Don't get me wrong, it's not a world classic but was a huge step for the Spanish gay cinema.

2. ChuecaTown

There aren't many gay films that I could say are very original or down right entertaining but Chueca Town slapped me on the face and yelled that there are some Gay films out there worth watching if only I took the time to search for them. The movie is funny (if you like to laugh at yourself, that is) and very entertaining. As in all the Gay Films Set in Spain list, the cliches that are found abundandly on gay movies were left out on the street for this one - thank you very much! The movie revolves around the gay bear couple Leo (Pepon Nieto) and Rey (Carlos Fuentes) who lives in the Chueca neighborhood of Madrid. To begin with they're not your stereotypical gay couple as they are not interested in fashion or gyms but instead love football. On the other side of the spetrum there is Victor (Pablo Puyol) who owns a real estate agency and has the ambitious plan to make Chueca a town of young gays by assassinating all the old people and taking their apartments. When Victor murders the bear couple's elderly neighbor, Rey discover he has inherited the woman's property. The tension increases because Victor wants to buy it from Rey but Rey wants to give it to his mother Antonia (Concha Velasco) who hates Leo and has a goal to make his life miserable. This creates relationship problems and Victor decides to take advantage of the situation by getting up close and personal with Leo with the bigger picture of killing Antonia. Meanwhile the police thinks the events are isolated except for investigator Mila (Rosa Maria Sarda) who ridden by phobias is certain that all the victims were murdered by the same person who sprays them with an expensive perfume after they're dead. I highly recommend this movie if you want to be entertained and not bombarded by cliches.

3. Amor de Hombre

Probably this 1990 Spanish gay film resembles every gay man's relationship with their female best friend at one time or another. The story revolves around a strong friendship between a gay man and his female best friend is tested when he enters into a relationship with another man. The girlfriend (used to getting all the attention from her gay male friend) becomes jealous changing the lives and friendship of all the characters involved. Amor de Hombre or love for another man was written and directed by Yolanda Garcia Serrano and Juan Luis Iborra. Loles Leon, Andrea Occhipinti and Pedro Mari Sanchez starres in the movie.

4. Spinnin'

To my opinion, Madrid is the Spanish city that makes the most gay films and most times they make it right. This is true about Spinnin'. Although the movie was shot in 2007, the story settings takes place in Madrid, 1995 and it concerns the story of Garate and Omar a young gay couple who wants to have a baby. After failed attempts with their female pals, they befriend Raquel, a pregnant woman whose partner has died of aids. Normally I wouldn't give such a conventional storyline the light of day, however, writer and director Eusebio Pastrana took it to a whole new level and turned it into an entertaining and inventive adventure brought to live by actors Damian Alcolea, Matilde Alcazar, and Maria Brea.  And now with gay marriage becoming legal in many places around the world, lots of gay couple should give this movie a go.

5. Cachorro (Bear Cub)

This Spanish film tackles pretty hairy subjects...and not just the unshaven members of the gay bear scene. It is a movie is about a handsome, husky, and promiscuous bear chaser named Pedro (Jose Luis Garcia-Perez), who leads an active social life and have a big circle of friends, until he ends up as a guardian to his 9-year-old nephew, Bernando (David Castillo). When it appears as though it might become a permanent arrangement, Pedro turns to his friends for guidance as his nephew begins to forge a household together. As you can see the films touches on the subject of gay-parenting with a flair for the dramatics...but don't be fooled by the lightheartedness this films brings throughout its 100 minutes as the film also depicts sex. There are more Gay Films Set in Spain but they are few and far in between. Most of you will probably be upset to find out that Antonio Banderas also did a Spanish Gay film in 1987 (La Ley del Deseo/Law of Desire) where he portrays a film maker whose sexual disorientation jepordizes his latest project - and there is a great sex scene! This list focuses on the most recent of them all. Do you guys have any great movies that we could add to the list?? Let us know in the comments! ~Argenis

Films Set in Barcelona : The Most Famous Ones

Back in 2010, SuiteLife released their post on the Top 5 Films Set in Barcelona, needless to say it is time for an updated list of films set in Barcelona - as the city is slowly but steadily becoming a popular destination for filmmakers (we know Woody Allen, you love the city first!). Need any proof? Then keep on reading...

1. The Orphanage

Or better known as the Orfanato, is a 2007 Spanish horror film by J. A. Bayona. The film stars Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, and Roger Princep. The script was written by Sergio G. Sanchez in 1996 but brought to the attention of Bayona in 2004. Director Guillermo del Toro was asked to help produce the film and to double its buget and filming time. The film opened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 and received critical acclaim from the audiences in its native Spain helping them win seven Goya Awards and North America for the director's delivery and actors' performances leading to New Line Cinema bying the rights for an American remake. Laura (Belen) returns to her childhood home - an orphanage - which she plans to turn into a home for disabled children but after their adopted son Simon (Roger) argues with Laura about his imaginary masked friend named Tomás (with whom he will run away), he vanishes. The Orphanage is worth watching for their lack of 'cheap scares' alone and for being one of the great horror films set in Barcelona.

2. Biutiful

In 2010, the Mexican director, producer, and writer, Alejandro González Iñárritu, decided to make a movie set in Barcelona starring Javier Bardem. Unlike the movie of Woody Allen's 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' - Biutiful, the story of a man named Uxbal who's every action is guided by his ability to see his death, shows the audience a side of the city that tourists never get to see. González also directed the movie 'Babel' starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in 2006. We know that Vicky Cristina Barcelona is one of those classics that will always be featured on everyone lists of best films set in Barcelona because of it's popularity and romanticism. However, critics have bashed Woody Allen's darling for just showing Barcelona's most touristic of places and neglecting to show the darker side no one never get to experience when visiting Barcelona.

3. Rec 1 & 2

I first saw the American version of this movie (Quarantine) unknown to me that it was based on both of these movies. Got to admit both versions scared the crap out of me and that is not an easy feat for any movie to achieve. Rec is a supernatural horror film made back in 2007 by Spanish writers and director Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza. The movie is about a reporter documenting the working life of firefighter men during night shift in Barcelona, that night an emergency call takes them to a building which they allow the reporter to tag along  unknown to them, the building is infected with something that the government doesn't want to spread out of the perimeters. Anybody attempting to escape are shot down immediately, leaving no options to the characters than to fight for their life against the snipers outside and the zombies inside. The only thing that I didn't like about the movie was that the camerawork was shaky and used the 'found footage' style that has become so over used in horror movies these days but I admit it worked to their advantage as you didn't get no foreshadowing. Two sequels were released; Rec 2 in 2009 and Rec 3: Genesis in 2012. A third film, Rec 4: Apocalypse, is planned to end the franchise.

4. Buried

Kudos for a film that could keep me interested and at the edge of my seat throughout its entire 90 minutes. Not only because Ryan Reynolds plays the leading role in this film but because the creator did a great job considering the movie only has one person and  location - a coffin. Did I lose you already? Then here's a better explanation: Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds), an Iraq-based American civilian truck driver, finds himself buried alive in a wooden coffin after being attacked with nothing more than a lighter, flask, flashlight, knife, glowsticks, pen and a mobile phone to help him escape before the oxygen in the coffin runs out. The movie was directed by Rodrigo Cortes and written by Chris Sparling (who later failed miserably at delivering with his script 'ATM'). Ironically, the film was shot in two location (beats me why this happened) in Barcelona and America.

5. My Immortal - Evanescence Music Video

Discover which shops open on Sunday In Barcelona:

Some of you already know this and some don’t, but just to make sure that you aren't surprised: Shops are closed on Sunday. Yes that’s true, besides souvenir shops in the city center and restaurants, cafes, bars, cinemas; supermarkets and other shops are closed. So if your habit is shopping or simply to stuff your fridge with groceries for next week like me, kiss them good bye! But don’t freak-out. For those emergency situations, there are a small number of shops that acquire a special license to open on Sundays and Holidays in Barcelona and we have made a list of them for you.

Groceries store - Supercor expres

Supercor Expres is an express supermarket chain that belongs to El Corte Inglés Group. Here you can find basically everything offered in other stores from food, drinks, kitchen wares, cosmetics, drugstore etc. Opening every day from 8a.m till 2a.m on the next day, also available for home delivery, this good guy will keep your party going! Of course since it is express store, the prices will be slightly higher. Check their website here for shop locations in Barcelona.

Shopping mall – Maremagnum

This is an unique shopping complex by the sea, consists of shops, movie theatre, amusement park, and restaurants with great ocean views. Maremagnum has a special license due to its location in the harbor, allowing them to open every day of the year (Shops: 10a.m – 10p.m Restaurants: 11a.m – 1a.m). Shops range from famous fashion brands cosmetics, electronics, sport accessories etc. basically anything you might need. How to get there:

• By Metro: L3 Drassanes, L4 Barceloneta
• By Bus: 120, 64, 59, H16, D20, 14, 51, 17, 45, 39, V17, N6, N9, N12, N15
• By car: there is a 24h parking lot in Maremagnum, Free Parking from 10pm to 3am every day until September 30^th

More Info

Shopping mall – Anecblau

If you have a car and want to go shopping on weekends and holidays in Barcelona, then Anecblau is a good choice. The huge 30.000m2 mall is located in Castelldefels, 20km from Barcelona. Beside shops, restaurants and cinemas there is also a stage for shows, exhibitions and special activities in the central concourse of the mall. Opening hours: Shops: All days from 10h - 22h. Leisure and restaurants:

• From Sunday to Thursday and holidays 9h - 1,30h.
• Friday, Saturday and holiday eves 9h - 3,30h.
• Information point: Saturday, Sunday and holiday from 12h to 21h

Parking:

• From Sunday to Thursday and holidays 9h - 1,30h.
• Friday, Saturday and holiday eves 9h - 3,30h.

More info

24h Pharmacy

Beside grocery stores and shopping centers, these 24h Pharmacy will help a lot in emergency situations. Farmacia Bonanova Plaza Bonanova, 6, 08022 Barcelona Tel: 934-178-032 Farmacia Torres Calle Aribau, 62, 08011 Barcelona Tel: 934-539-220 Farmacia Cervera Muntaner, 254, 08021 Barcelona Tel: 932-000-996 Farmacia Clapés Antoja La Rambla, 98, 08001 Barcelona Tel: +34 934 124 985 Farmacia Lda. Maria Joaquina Laguna C/ Provença 459, 08025 Barcelona Tel: 934 551 207 Farmacia Alvarez Passeig de Gràcia 26, 08007 Barcelona Tel: +34 93 302 1124

Clothes stores during sale season

There are 8 special Sundays and other days a year when shops can independently chose to open. They are normally during summer sales or Christmas shopping season. For example Zara and many other apparel shops open all Sundays during their summer sale in July and August. So if you are desperately want to go shopping my advice is to check the special opening hours on the shops’ own website.

Basar shops

There are also some small, independent shops you will randomly hit on. They usually have the basar/supermercat sign and independently owned. Some of them open on Sunday, too. Is there any shops where missed? Let us know in the comments below, and don't forget to check out our free Barcelona Shopping Bible here peace! T.Vu

Barcelona Souvenirs: Where to find something authentic

Let us help you to decide, what to bring from Barcelona, when you are going home and want to bring the best Barcelona souvenirs for your family and friends! This way you can stay away from all the typical tourist JUNK!
Barcelona, much like all the other capitals and touristic places have plenty of those famously tacky souvenir stores and stands that offer you mostly cheap variations of popular magnets, pencils, ashtrays and miniatures of the Sagrada Familia. You can buy those if you want... just something small and easy for your weird uncle Bob or your cousins. If you want something actually Spanish or special, you should avoid the stores on La Rambla and instead explore a bit deeper into the Gótico or the Raval. Here we have some tips for you, what Barcelona souvenirs will your friends and relatives love.

Food and drink

Starting with the easiest part – you can't take a wrong step if you bring some nice Spanish wine or food, because, well, it´s delicious.

Sweets

If you decide for chocolate, you should visit the chocolate museum at c/ Comerç 36.  You will learn about turning the cocoa bean into a chocolate bar or a rabbit with a funny face and you can buy some pralines there as well. Another place that we love is the café and store Demasié at c/Princessa 28. They specialize in chocolate and cookies and their gift boxes are really beautiful and make the perfect present. Something sweet and traditional in Spain is turrón. Turrón is a Christmas sweet, but you can get it normally any time of the year in special turron stores (there are plenty of them in Gótico) and sometimes in supermarkets too. There are more types of turrón that differ in texture and flavor. One from Alicante is a hard, white sugar-like base with whole almonds in it; The one from Xixona is the most famous, it's soft, beige and made mostly from almond paste.

The pig´s leg and more

For Barcelona souvenirs for men, maybe you'll prefer something less sweet such as “Fuet”, the Spanish white-skin salami, red-coloured sausage “chorizo”, sausage-meat “sobrasada” or the very typical ham “pernil”. All of these meats are very strong in flavor and for someone, who is not used to them could be difficult to like them. For a meat lover though, they are quite the delicacy. Another food souvenir with a great reputation is the “queso de cabra” – goat´s cheese. It is very nice to bring a piece of the traditions and flavors as a souvenir from Barcelona, so what about buying some “brava” sauce. “Patatas bravas” are the easiest and most authentic tapas you can make for your friends.

Fashion

Desigual is a fashion brand that is very easy to recognize, because it is known for its colorful designs and patchwork style fashion. The brand has its quarters all over the world, but it´s originally from Barcelona. You will find less mainstream and more underground clothes in the streets of Raval, for example at c/Tallers and its surroundings. There are little fashion stores of young designers, funky hipster stores with second hand clothes or the black and metal gothic-style stores with clothes and accessories. Awesome design fashion is sold in the library and gallery Mutt at c/Comerç 15 where you will love the shopping and browsing. If you're looking for something old, original and on budget maybe go to the flea markets. Read about antique and second hand paradise in Barcelona. A more traditional type of Barcelona souvenirs might be a belt, handbag or handmade leather shoes, because leather is one of Spain´s most highly valued products. Have a look in Acosta, at Avingun Diagonal 262. It´s a family-run chain that offers a well-priced selection of leather goods. And if you can´t wait to stroll around at home in a genuine Catalan "barretina"  or a traditional low-key "campesino's beret", the place to look is Sombrería Obach in the old Jewish quarter of El Call.

Traditional items

Remember one thing when buying  Barcelona souvenirs such as fridge magnet and such things. The bulls are a spanish symbol, but the animal of Catalonia is a donkey, because it has a long tradition of helping on the farms. One very famous and a traditional item is the "Porrón", the special glass wine pitcher. Visiting Barcelona during Christmas? You won´t miss this weird Catalan Christmas character "Caganer" an Caga Tío. Read about them in Ben´s blog about The strangest Catalan Christmas traditions

Design Barcelona Souvenirs

If you decide that Flamenco dress, Gaudí style ashtray and the salamander magnet is not what you are looking for, you can find curious Barcelona souvenirs in the bookshops of the MACBA and CCCB museums and the art libraries such La Central at Muhba – that one is of our favourites as they have a lot of books, many cool design things and toys. You will find great Barcelona souvenirs in the store Wawas at c/ Carders 14, or Art Montfalcon at c/Boters 4 and Barceloning at c/ Mallorca 332.

Do not, we reapeat, do not buy a Mexican Sombrero!

This has to be one of our biggest pet peeves. Many drunk, or just unaware, tourists parade around Las Ramblas wearing very expensive Mexican sombreros to bring home as a souvenir.  News flash people!! There is nothing SPANISH about a Mexican hat! Just as we don't use the Peso here, you might wanna wait to make your next Mexican sombrero purchase when you're on that vacation in Cancún. Have you already found something really cool to bring home? Did we help you to decide? Leave us a note on the fridge, or better underneath the blog :) Sharka

Best Blogs About Barcelona: The Complete List

Have you ever spent a tremendous amount of time searching for  blogs about Barcelona? I have to say it's kind of frustrating and you wish you could find what you want in the blink of an eye instead of wasting time that you could be using to sip a fresh Mojito on one of Barcelona many beaches! With that in mind, we've handpicked our favourites and written a blog on the best blogs about Barcelona! We hope you will enjoy these entertaining sources of information as much as we do!

• Barcelona Photoblog

Barcelona photoblog is one of the blogs you definitely can not miss!

This blog will let you discover Barcelona through all the incredibly beautiful and unique pictures. And on top of that, each picture is explained and discussed by the author. For example if one picture is about a museum, you will find information about the museum: its history, location, what the author thought when he visited it etc...

In my opinion, this is what makes this photoblog stand out, as other photoblogs usually post beautiful pictures but do not give additional information on the things that were shot.

As a combination of aesthetic pictures of Barcelona and useful information about the daily life of the city, Barcelona Photoblog is worth having a look at so check it out here!!

• Standing in a Spanish Doorway

This blog is mainly about social and public issues and cultural life in Catalunya but it also covers these issues from a Spanish and European perspective.

Indeed, some of the social problems encountered in Catalunya are also present in other countries throughout Europe and it's always interesting to discuss things from a wider point of view.

The author's name is Brett Hetherington. He is an Australian journalist and is now working as a freelance writer, blogger and teacher in Catalunya. He also happens to be a regular commentator on Spain's social and cultural life for an Australian radio called "ABC Radio". The content is really interesting and diverse as it combines politics, social issues, economics, daily life and facts about Catalunya, Spain and Europe in general.

So if these topics are of interest to you, you definitely have to read this blog!

• Fleas and Dogs in Barcelona

Funny name for a blog isn't it? As you might have guessed, this blog is about Barcelona's daily life and features all the advantages and drawbacks of living in this city. As its slogan says, "Si quieres el perro, Acepta las Pulgas". In english,  "If you want the dog, you must accept the fleas"!

In my opinion, the name has been wisely chosen as this metaphor perfectly describes Barcelona. The dogs are the things that we see in tourist guides, the good sides of Barcelona, its charming streets, districts and monuments. On the other hand, the fleas are all the less savoury things that you don't hear about, such as the drunk tourists on the beach, the drug dealers, the squaters, the thieves etc...

If you want to know more about all the thrilling action happening every day in Barcelona, you must checkout this blog!

• Barça Blaugranes

This was inevitable! A football blog about FC Barcelona had to appear in my list of Barcelona best blogs!

In case you come from another planet, Barcelona happens to have one of the best (if not the best) football teams in the world and it can count on the unconditional support from Barcelona's citizens!

This blog will keep you up to date with the club's daily life, transfer rumours, match results, highlights and so on! What I like the most about it is that some articles in the blog are written and edited by fans and there is an impression of community when you browse the website making the blog highly interactive and 'live'.

I totally recommend it if you're a Barca fan! You can check it out here! PS: Visca el Barca i Visca Catalunya!

• Barcelona Street Art

This blog is dedicated to street art in Barcelona. It features many different creations from graffiti to urban sculptures. What I find really cool is that it is a way to discover Barcelona in an original manner as every creation is usually geolocalized meaning that its location is mentioned. So if one street art creation really catches your attention, you might be able to go and check it out for real! The only obstacle to fully enjoying this blog is that it's written in Spanish, but I guess it will be a good opportunity to practice your spanish and to be honest this blog is more about the pictures of street art. Barcelona street art reminds us that art is not only in museums! You can discover it here.

• Forever Barcelona

Written by passionate local tour guides, this blog's objective is to show you Barcelona in a way that you will always remember visiting it. Marta and her colleagues will give you advice on where to eat, what to see, where to go on a friday night or the best places to stay during your trip for example. This insider knowledge is always useful when coming to Barcelona!

Check it out here!

• Homage to BCN

Homage to BCN is a very complete blog where you can find a lot of different articles related to Barcelona. There is of course a lot of insider info on Barcelona such as "The top 5 Nightclubs in Barcelona" or "The best Barcelona bodegas" but also some interesting videos, infographics and fun facts about Barcelona!

My favourite section of this blog is the "BCN days" where people living in Barcelona describe their perfect day in the city to share what they love most about Barcelona.

Reading this blog is highly recommended!

• Barcelona Besotted

Besotted is a play on words with "beso" that means kiss in Spanish. As the author explains, she has been kissed by the beautiful city of Barcelona and is now living a love story with it! She shares why she fell in love with Barcelona by posting pictures of her favourite places, restaurants, bars, neighbourhoods etc...Check it out here!

• Bcn Bar Culture

A very interesting blog dedicated to the Barcelona bar scene. I truly enjoy this blog as it allows you to discover many Barcelona bars and the majority of them are not really famous but rather authentic and original bars that you don't often hear of. You can discover it here. Their instagram account is also worth a "follow"!

• Food Barcelona

Food Barcelona is a gastronomic blog providing reviews about Barcelona restaurants but also some attractive homemade recipes! Very useful if you wonder where to go for dinner in Barcelona. Food lovers, this blog is made for you!

• Guiri Girl in Barça

As you maybe already know, "guiri" means expatriate. This blog is written by a Scottish woman who moved to Barcelona a few years ago. Throughout her blog she shares her experience of living in Barcelona with her observations, feelings and the occasional funny story! Check it out!

• The Barcelona Bible

Last but not least, the SuiteLife Barcelona Bible!!! This blog is the most complete in terms of insider info about Barcelona. Updated every 2 days on average, it is also really active and always keeps up with what's happening right now in Barcelona. Amongst the numerous articles this blog has to offer, some are particularly worth a look!

The Barcelona Neighbourhood Guide will tell you everything you need to know about the city's different districts. Same for The Gaudi Guide that will make your Gaudi Tour much easier to organise! And I bet you want to discover the Top 10 hot Spanish Women, don't you? I won't make you wait any longer, you can browse this blog here!

That is it for our list of the best blogs about Barcelona!I hope you enjoyed reading this article and these blogs. If you know of any Barcelona blogs that could appear in this list, let us know in the comments section and we might include it!

Cheers, Rémi