Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments Gran Vía Suites

The apartment was in a great location on the Gran Via, with lots of supermarkets and restaurants nearby, and quick access to local transport (Metro over the road and Airport Bus 5 minutes walk at Placa de Espanya). Twenty minutes walk to La Rambla. The facilities for self-catering were excellent and the standard of cleaning was also excellent. The apartment was quiet with very little noise from neighbours and has an excellent blackout blind system (which you can't discern from the photos). We had a lot more space than we would have done for two people staying in a hotel room.

Sadly we found the bed to be uncomfortable. We have a firm mattress at home (John Lewis), but I would rate this as being hard. It didn't give us any back pain, but it was the kind of mattress you sleep quite rigidly on top of. Unfortunately that was enough for us to decide that we wouldn't return to the Erik Vokel apartments, which is such a shame, as otherwise they are fantastic. Additionally, being on the 7th floor I found that my vertigo was triggered as the bathroom and kitchen windows open to a vertical drop without there being any safety barriers. I also had similar issues with the beautiful old-fashioned open lift shaft, that the stairs wrap around. If you have a similar issue with heights/drops, you may want to ask for a lower level room. Finally, the price brought down my overall score, but that is reflective of the cost of staying in Barcelona!