AC Marriott Forum in Barcelona, Spain
After 8 ½ hours in the air (add to that long TSA lines and weather delays) you want to know that you’ll at some point soon after your arrival, have a clean and comfortable bed awaiting you.
Just a short cab ride from the airport was our host hotel in Barcelona, the AC Marriott Forum. We have stayed at Marriott brand hotels throughout the United States, but never in Europe. This was our first experience with AC Hotels by Marriott and it was a great location to stay before we boarded our Mediterranean Cruise.
The AC brand is a lifestyle hotel brand, aimed at appealing to the design conscious, business and leisure traveler who is looking to experience the culture of the city.
Five Things We Absolutely Loved
1) Breakfast: The coffee was terrific. Strong, hot and flavorful. They also had hot milk to accompany the coffee, which was a home run. The breakfast was buffet style and had a nice selection of meats, cheeses, bread, pastries, juices and bottled water.
2) Location: We arrived early morning and there was no traffic, just about 20 minutes door to door. The metro station is around the block and just a few stops from the infamous Los Ramblas. The hotel is directly next to the conference center and across from the mall. It’s walkable: One of our favorite ways to get acquainted with any neighborhood is to walk it. There wasn’t the hustle bustle of the heavily frequented tourist hot spots in Barcelona and it was a casual stroll to museums, bakeries and a cafés.
3) Staying Connected: They have free wifi in the lobby (we love free wifi) and common areas of the hotel, but you can get wireless in guest rooms for a fee.
4) Clean and Comfortable: The beds were very comfortable, with fresh, crisp linens and incredibly inviting after a long flight. The oversized marble bathrooms were a welcome surprise.
5) The 13th Floor: You will find beautiful views of the city and the sea here. The open-air pool is on this level, a café and the gym. We sat up here waiting for our rooms to be ready and it was so relaxing. Also a great spot for people watching!
We ALMOST stayed there!