By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight reviews, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. Flight Summary My first flight on a 777-200 was the best American Airlines I have ever taken. My experience reinforces how stark the differences are in equipment and service American Airlines offers at its various hubs and aircraft. Pros- Great in-flight entertainment, good food, friendly flight attendants, mood lighting, widely available power plugs, efficient boarding. Cons- Low quality wine selection Trip Overview: European Adventures 2018 Flight Review: American Airlines A330-300 Economy CLT-LHR Hotel Review: London Marriott Regent's Park Food in London Flight Review: British Airways A319 Economy LGW-BCN Hotel Review: AC Hotel Irla Barcelona Train Review: Renfe Clase Turista Barcelona-Valencia Exploring Life in Valencia Exploring Life in Barcelona Flight Review: American Airlines 777-200 Economy BCN-JFK Flight Review: American Airlines A321T Business Class Seats JFK-DCA Check In After our terrible stay at the AC Hotel Irla Barcelona we eagerly checked out of the hotel and headed to the Barcelona El Prat airport (BCN). The airport is located on the western edge of Barcelona and we took a taxi to the airport which cost about 41 dollars (35 euros). Barcelona El Prat has two terminals and Terminal Two primarily serves low cost carriers. Our flight departed out of Terminal One which was built in 2009 and I was impressed by the bright, beautiful, and modern terminal. We checked in at the American Airlines desk which was manned by contract workers. As was our experience at London Gatwick, the priority line was longer than the standard check in line but this time we waited in the priority line. After checking in we headed to security. One note of caution, once you clear security at this airport you once again need to pass through passport control to get to your flight at gate C or Gate D.  BCN Duty Free Shopping Joan Miró VIP Lounge Barcelona El Prat has four VIP lounges, three of which are in Terminal One. These lounges serve many of the travelers flying in business or first class leaving on flights in their respective terminals. However, these lounges are all also accessible to passengers with Priority Pass membership. I am going to talk about the benefits of Priority Pass in future post but for frequent international traveling companions it is a potent membership.  Elevator to Joan Miró VIP Lounge We had access to the Joan Miró VIP since we departed on an international flight. We took an elevator down one floor from the departure level to second floor to access the lounge. The check-in agent scanned our boarding passes and we quickly entered the lounge. This was the nicest lounge I have ever been to though I don't have much to compare it to since most of my lounge experience has been Admirals Clubs in the U.S. The lounge had a rest area which was dark and quiet. This was a great place for a weary traveller to take a nap. The lounge also had a small kid's play area with pink and blue chairs though no kids were in the lounge during our visit. Other amenities in the lounge included a shoe shine machine, the first time I have ever seen one, and shower stalls. The main part of the lounge featured worn but comfortable large black leather chairs. This part of the lounge also had views of the terminal and lots of natural light.  Lounge Seating The lounge had a separate dining area which had several food stations. These stations featured cold items such as Iberian ham, various cheeses, bananas, oranges, chocolate cookies, and chocolate croissants. The lounge's drink selection was particularly impressive and included a variety of alcohol and alcoholic drinks such as beer, wine, juices, soda, and chocolate milk.
My biggest disappointment was the lounge did not have any hot food items. However, I was able to piece together a decent breakfast from the variety of cold food items. Overall, the lounge was comfortable and a good place to spend time waiting for our flight. The meal and drink selection was extensive enough that we did not buy breakfast or any drinks in the terminal. I would recommend that anyone with a Priority Pass membership departing on an international flight from BCN visit the Joan Miró VIP Lounge. Boarding Our flight departed out of D21 the closest gate to the lounge which was very convenient and allowed us to maximize our time in the lounge. Boarding for our flight began two minutes late and was very efficient even though one boarding machine was broken. No one boarded when group one and two were called and after a small group three we boarded very quickly in group four as this flight was very elite lite in economy.
 AA 777-200 Plane and Seats We boarded the plane through the second door on the left side of the plane walked straight and turned right and passed through the rear business class cabin. I was immediately impressed by how modern this plane felt compared to the A330-300 we flew to London. The business class seats were lie flat and very impressive and I hope to try them on a future flight. We passed through the business class cabin and took our main cabin extra seats 14 J and K on the right side of the plane. The economy cabin had five lavatories. Three of these were at the center of the economy cabin and two were at the rear of the cabin while the business class cabin had two bathrooms at the center of the cabin and one at the front. This design was much more intuitive than the A330-300 and meant that the closest lavatory to someone at the front of the cabin was in the economy cabin and not in business class.  777-200 Economy Cabin Christina and I once again were able to score complimentary main cabin extra seats at check in thanks to our American Airlines Gold status. The main cabin extra seats had about 5-6 inches of additional pitch on the 777-200. The additional legroom made a huge difference on this eight and a half hour flight. However, unlike our flight from Charlotte (CLT) to London Heathrow (LHR) we chose seats in row 14 and not the bulkhead which I think was definitely the right decision on this aircraft. While bulkhead seats offer additional legroom they do not have moveable armrests which prevented us from putting up the armrest on our flight from CLT. This is an annoying feature if you are traveling with a traveling companion. Also, the bulkhead seats had in-flight entertainment (IFE) screens stowed in the arm rest which means that the seat width is reduced and you are unable to watch the in-fight entertainment gate-to-gate. I think we made the right decision choosing row 14 main cabin extra seats.  7770-200 Main Cabin Extra Legroom However, a word of caution if you fly on a future American Airlines 777-200. American Airlines is streamlining its fleet of 777-200 aircraft and plans to install premium economy on all 777-200 aircraft. This means that row 14 will no longer be Main Cabin Extra and instead will have premium economy seats. While it is positive that American Airlines is giving customers a choice between economy and business class on international flights this mean a reduction of the number of main cabin extra seats for elites and other willing to pay for additional legroom. If you fly the 777-200 the plan is to start the economy cabin start at row 17 and feature this seat map.  777-200 Cabin In Flight Entertainment Our seats featured seat back in-flight entertainment (IFE) monitors with one USB and one standard charger below the screen at each seat. This allowed for the charging of multiple devices at each seat and did not require sharing outlets which is common on American Airlines domestic flights.  In-Flight Entertainment System These monitors were touchscreen and similar to the monitors you will find on some American Airlines A321s and 737-300s with a few enhancements. First, they had a remote which could be used to scroll through and select media on the touchscreen. I found the touchscreen easy to use and very responsive so I primarily used the touchscreen to control the IFE but I appreciated having the option to use the remote. Second, the selection of movies and TV shows was significantly expanded over what is an already impressive selection on American Airlines' domestic IFE. Third, the screens allowed for a second person to plug into your IFE monitor and watch the same movie, TV show, or listen to the same music. The ability to share entertainment on the same screen with a traveling companion was a very cool feature. Meals Lunch meal service began with a bag of mini pretzels. Before the entree was served the flight attendants announced the entree choices in English, Spanish, and Catalan. The choices were turkey chorizo meatballs in tomato sauce or pasta penne with yogurt sauce. I appreciated that the flight attendants actually announced the ingredients in the dishes unlike the flight from Charlotte where they simply said chicken or pasta. Given my experience with the pasta dish on the flight from Charlotte I chose the turkey chorizo meatballs and it was a very good decision. The meatballs came with a serving of rice and vegetables including carrots, corn, and green beans. This was a very good entree particularly for an economy meal on a U.S. airline. The meal service also included a side salad which was boring and a piece of bread which was okay. The meal also came with cherry crumble cake for dessert which was good.  AA Economy Lunch BCN-JFK As I mentioned previously, on flights to Europe and select international destinations American Airlines offers free wine and beer in the main cabin. On the flight from Charlotte I selected red wine and I did not enjoy it so this time around I chose white wine and it was just as bad. The wine was way too sharp and after two fails I have learned my lesson in economy on American Airlines flights don't order wine. About four hours into the flight the flight attendants served a snack of vanilla bean ice cream which of course was very good!
Service The biggest surprise of this flight was the great service by the flight attendants. I am so used to dismissive if not mean service from American Airlines flight attendants in economy that this service surprised me. The flight attendants were very efficient and completed meal service for the 215 seat economy cabin in less than one hour. They also worked really hard and passed through the cabin for three drinks services and two snack services. Also, the flight attendants were actually friendly. The flight attendant working our aisle noticed that Christina was cold and asked is she wanted another blanket. I believe that a significant factor in the improved service was that we were served by a New York John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) based crew. JFK is a legacy American Airlines hub while Charlotte is a legacy U.S. Airways Hub and nearly four and a half years into the merger the flight scheduling for the flight attendants has not been merged. This means that legacy U.S. Airways flight attendants can only work legacy U.S. Airways aircraft and vice versa. I believe this really shows up in the service provided by the legacy U.S. Airways versus legacy American Airlines crew. American Airlines plans to merge it flight attendant scheduling system in October 2018. However, until then I would strongly encourage you to connect through legacy American Airlines hubs to improve your chances of getting better equipment and service. However, flying through JFK in American Airlines is going to be more difficult as American Airlines continues to reduce their presence at JFK. Take Away This flight showed American Airlines at its best and I would definitely take this flight again. I really enjoyed my first flight on the 777-200 and the plane was modern, had ample power, and great in-flight entertainment. The crew surprised me with their friendly and efficient service. This further reinforced the inconsistency of American Airlines fleet and service. I would recommend that you take the flight out of JFK if you are flying to or from Barcelona.
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By ChristinaChristina writes and edits Travelling Companion. Her writing covers expeditions, food, and culture for the blog. Trip Overview: European Adventures 2018 Flight Review: American Airlines A330-300 Economy CLT-LHR Hotel Review: London Marriott Regent's Park Food in London Flight Review: British Airways A319 Economy LGW-BCN Hotel Review: AC Hotel Irla Barcelona Train Review: Renfe Clase Turista Barcelona-Valencia Exploring Life in Valencia Exploring Life in Barcelona Flight Review: American Airlines 777-200 Economy BCN-JFK Flight Review: American Airlines A321T Business Class Seats JFK-DCA Back in Barcelona we had more misses with the meals. I think it was partly our fault for not doing research before heading to Barcelona. I assumed the food experience would generally be an easy win, but we had a few let downs. Also, food is much more expensive in Barcelona than in London. Our first night we went to a restaurant called 4Latas. We ordered some wine with a few appetizers. Nothing was memorable from our meal but the service was friendly.  After visiting La Sagrada Familia, we stoped at Bodega Monumental. Our game plan was to move further away from the tourist traps near La Sagrada Familia, and find something quiet and authentic. The restaurant was cute and quaint. It looked promising from the outside and we entered excited. We had the table red wine, which was served chilled, some chips that reminded me of chicarones, a Barcelona bomb (a bread shaped into a circle and stuffed with meat and drowned in a tomato sauce), mini toast with butter, mediocre calamari, raw salmon slices, and Ramon had separately a plate with raw ham, potatoes and eggs. Nothing was really of note, and at best it was C grade. Ramon liked his plate of eggs and ham, but I was bored with it. One piece of advice is that almost everywhere in Europe, tips aren’t needed or expected, and that was the case in Barcelona.  Chicarones Style Chips One of the food related things that Barcelona had going for it was lovely cafes around every corner. While I purchased cellular internet access though AT&T, it rarely worked. If we needed to grab tickets, or find our way around the city with Google Maps, we would duck in a cafe, grab a delicious coffee, and connect to their WiFi. It worked really well, and we were able to people watch. I would recommend that you forgo buying a data plan in Barcelona and instead enjoy the cafe experience.
Our favorite dining experience in Barcelona was at Medio o Pinto. This restaurant was right across the street from our hotel. We were exhausted after walking 11 Miles in the city (most of it up hill) and decided to give this place a shot. We came in around 7:30 pm and it was dead. Most Spaniards eat dinner closer to 9:30pm, so we expected an empty restaurant.
 Appetizers Then we had mini maiz pancake, with Venezuelan cheese. This was so simple and the favors were unique. Additional mini corn made pancakes came out as a kind gesture from the chef. One was topped with shrimp and another topped with carne. I don't know how the carne tasted because Ramon ate it with such gusto that I couldn't sample it. The shrimp mini maiz was great. The flavor of the corn balanced well with the salty-sweet taste of fresh shrimp that tasted like it was caught three hours before our meal.  Mini Pancakes topped with Meat and Fish For the main course, Ramon had leg of beef topped with sweet mole. No knife was needed and the meat fell apart with the touch of the fork. The side dish was a sweet potato with a crisp apple. That seemed like an odd pairing at first, but with a dash of mole, my mouth was super duper happy. I was able to steal a bite of Ramon’s dish before he finished and it was A plus. I’ve never had a leg of beef where the meat was so tender and flavorful. It was soaked in slow cooked in herbs for 16 hours. And boy, did it show.  Leg of Beef with Sweet Mole We decided to order another glass of table red, and try their dessert. Ramon ordered a desert covered in various flavors of chocolate. I had a Lost in Translation moment and ordered something with coconut. I hate coconut. Ramon was so sweet and pretend that he liked the coconut dessert so I could eat his chocolate dessert. However, Ramon did not finish it and the server noticed we didn’t like the coconut desert, so she sent over a new desert. The way she explained it sounded like a churro. So I asked, "Is it a churro?" She promised it was better than a churro and it was. It had a soft dough outside with Nutella inside. Medio o Pinto hit the trifecta. It had great atmosphere, great service, and great food. When we return to Barcelona we will definitely make the trek to eat there again.
Life While we know a lot of people who spent time in Barcelona, most of the suggestions we received were tailored to summertime fun. While it was not very cold in Barcelona, it was February and not beach season. I was a little worried we would run out of things to see and do, but that definitely was not an issue.  Nativity Facade of Sagrada Familia La Sagrada Família is arguably the best known tourist attraction in Barcelona, and rightfully so. While it was very impressive and spiritual, it is not the typical European church. The architecture is breathtaking, especially from the inside. The gospel story was delivered though light and glass. I found it moving and profound, something I did not get visiting other churches.  Inside La Sagrada Familia We bought a special ticket which allowed us to climb a tower of the church. This gave us breathtaking views of the city, and allowed us to see how large this city truly is. However, I would stay on ground level if you have a fear of heights. Ramon and I spent over three hours enjoying the church.  View of Barcelona from La Sagrada Familia The person you will learn the most about in Barcelona is Gaudi. Gaudi this, Gaudi that. Gaudi is the architect of La Sagrada Família, and a legend in Catalonia, the region in Spain which includes Barcelona. If you are really into architecture, you can spend a week visiting every single building that Gaudi touched. If you are like me and my travelling companion, and just want to get enough of a feel to understand the hype, then you should visit Park Güell . This is a lovely park, with a whimsical touch. The house where Gaudi lived is within this park, along with additional buildings he designed. After going through the park, it was easy to spot Gaudi’s work while walking throughout Barcelona.  View of Barcelona from Parc Güell
Ramon especially loved the Barcelona Museum of History and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the city. We could easily spend another five days and still have more things to see and do.  Roman Ruins at the Barcelona City Museum of History Take Away
Both Barcelona and Valencia pride themselves on their distinct culture and language. In Barcelona, speaking Catalan is king, English second, and further down is Spanish. We would find the Catalan flag everywhere along with protests and political art. There was a fever in the air to succeed from Spain. While we both have an elementary grasp of the Spanish language, it was not the best place to practice our skill. Also, we walked everywhere. There is a metro and bus option, but Ramon and I love to walk because you get to see a city in a much more intimate way, and make your self open to letting the life within the city surprise you. We walked between 10-12 miles a day, which allowed us to eat our meals without any hesitation. Barcelona is a wonderful city. I hope to try it again in summertime. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight reviews, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. Train Summary Our train ride on Renfe was comfortable but could use a refresh and was similar to an Amtrak coach experience. Pros- Good leg room, comfortable seats, good recline, and solid food options for purchase. Cons-Old train interiors, slow train equipment, no power outlets, hot train cars, and dated entertainment system. Trip Overview: European Adventures 2018 Flight Review: American Airlines A330-300 Economy CLT-LHR Hotel Review: London Marriott Regent's Park Food in London Flight Review: British Airways A319 Economy LGW-BCN Hotel Review: AC Hotel Irla Barcelona Train Review: Renfe Clase Turista Barcelona-Valencia Exploring Life in Valencia Exploring Life in Barcelona Flight Review: American Airlines 777-200 Economy BCN-JFK Flight Review: American Airlines A321T Business Class Seats JFK-DCA Check In During our stay in Barcelona Christina and I took a day trip from Barcelona to Valencia Spain to visit Christina's family living in Valencia. We decided to take Renfe which is the national train system of Spain and bought advanced tickets in Clase Turista (economy class). I was excited to take an intra-European train for the first time. We walked from our hotel to the Barcelona Sants Station located in the northwestern section of Barcelona. This is the main train station in Barcelona and I found it to be crowded as we rushed to catch our train. I would recommend that you arrive at the station early because Barcelona Sants station is large and can be confusing for a first time rider. We ran to our gate and handed the check-in agent our boarding passes and we able to make our train.  Barcelona Sants Station Train and Seats  Renfe Train The train departed Barcelona Sants right on time and we made it on board with only a few minutes to spare. Renfe's Clase Turista does not have assigned seating so we grabbed two of the seats on the left side of train hoping to catch a view of the ocean for our over three hour journey.  Renfe Clase Turista My initial impression of the train was that it was similar to Amtrak's older regional train cars. The train seats were laid out in a 2-2 seat layout perfect for travelling companions. The seats were old but very comfortable and had very good recline. The seats featured a mesh pocket, tray table, and a foot rest similar to premium economy seats on airplanes. The seats had no power outlets at all and we resorted to charging our phones using a portable power brick. One of my biggest complaints about the train was that it was too hot and did not have individual air vents. The lack of air conditioning seemed to be a recurring issue in Spain and I think points to different expectations for travel amenities in the United States versus Spain.  Renfe Clase Turista Seats One of best parts about this train ride was the views of the sea and the Spanish countryside. The views made me want to come back to Spain during the summer to try out the beaches and explore the rest of the country.  View of the Spanish Countryside Entertainment and Food The train featured overhead entertainment on circa 1990 screens similar to old American Airlines in-flight entertainment monitors. Near the start of the train ride Renfe employees came through the aisle to offer earbuds. The entertainment provided was Spanish only movies and the screens had poor resolution. Because of our early departure time Christina and I were hungry and I went up to the Cafeteria car to purchase breakfast. I ate an Iberian ham and cheese sandwich which was delicious! Christina's enjoyed her coffee but did not like her cold sandwich.  Iberian Ham Sandwich Even with the views out the window I found the train ride to be very slow. This was due to the fact that the train itself was slow and that it made numerous stops at cities and towns throughout eastern Spain. Towards the end of the trip I found myself wishing for an express train with limited stops between Barcelona and Valencia.
Valencia Joaquín Sorolla Train Station On our journey back we arrived several hours early at Valencia Joaquin Sorrla train station. One note of caution is that if you buy the "Promo" fare which is the cheapest fare you cannot change to a different train. Because we bought this fare we ended waiting around at the train station for several hours. However, during our wait I was impressed by the modern train station which featured many restaurants and stores. The design of the station was very sleek and impressive for a relatively small city such as Valencia. Take Away When I thought about European trains I envisioned high speed and modern trains whisking people from place to place in Europe. This train was more akin to an old regional Amtrak train with slightly better food but perfectly comfortable for our trip to Valencia. If I needed to explore cities in Spain I would take Renfe again. However, when possible I would opt for the high speed train and hope to get a more modern train car. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight reviews, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. Hotel Overview Mentioned in my review of the The AC Hotel New Orleans: The AC brand is native to Spain and I was excited to check out the brand in its homeland, however, our stay was terrible and AC Hotel Irla in Barcelona was one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed in. Pros- Affordable price Cons-The hotel was old, rooms had no air conditioning or room temperature control, the service was terrible, the room service food was overpriced and horrible, and beds were uncomfortable Trip Overview: European Adventures 2018 Flight Review: American Airlines A330-300 Economy CLT-LHR Hotel Review: London Marriott Regent's Park Food in London Flight Review: British Airways A319 Economy LGW-BCN Hotel Review: AC Hotel Irla Barcelona Train Review: Renfe Clase Turista Barcelona-Valencia Exploring Life in Valencia Exploring Life in Barcelona Flight Review: American Airlines 777-200 Economy BCN-JFK Flight Review: American Airlines A321T Business Class Seats JFK-DCA Location AC Hotel Irla is located in the Northwestern portion of Barcelona near Avinguda Diagonal, a major road in the city. We took a taxi from the Barcelona El Prat Airport which is about 20 minutes away and cost $12. One thing to note is that at the time we were in Barcelona in February 2018 Uber was effectively banned but resumed to the city in March 2018. The hotel is about two miles away from major Barcelona sights such as La Sagrada Familia. If you are up to walking Barcelona is a very walkable city and the hotel's location is convenient to many shops and restaurants. However, if you are not up for walking and would like to stay close to the tourist sights or the beach, this hotel would not be an ideal location.  AC Hotel Irla Check In After stepping out of our taxi I was surprised how busy the streets around the hotel were and this would prove to be a problem throughout our stay. The exterior of the hotel looked very similar to the AC Hotel New Orleans but that is where the similarities ended as the interior was very dated.  Street Outside of AC Hotel Irla We walked up to the check-in desk and began the check-in process first in Spanish and then switched to English when the conversation grew too advanced. The front desk attendant spoke both Spanish and English but was not very friendly. The check-in process was very slow even though there were no other guests waiting to check in. While Christina continued the check in process I looked at the assorted travel sized items such as deodorant or toothpaste which were on a stand next to the front desk. I found the items to be overpriced and I would recommend walking to any of the nearby stores to purchase these instead.  Items for Sale at the Front Desk The rest of the lobby was dark, (a trend that would continue throughout our stay), and unimpressive with a number of chairs scattered around four round tables. Overall the lobby was uninviting. The front desk attendant proceeded to ask us a series of questions and tried to up sell us on breakfast which we declined. She also scanned our passports (a first for us) it made me very uncomfortable having to turn over this personal information to the hotel. Later on I read that it is common in the European Union because of a requirement that hotel's identify their guests.  AC Hotel Irla Lobby Rooms Once we completed the check-in process we proceeded to our room using the elevator. The elevator was old and very small with the ability to hold at most four guests with suitcases. As we walked to the room we noticed that the hallways were very dark and gloomy.  AC Hotel Irla Hallway Upon entering the room we could not turn on any lights and realized that in order to turn on the lights you were required to keep your key card inserted into a slot at the entrance to the room. This was very inconvenient and could lead to guests getting locked out of there rooms after forgetting to remove the key. My first impression of the room was that it was tiny. It is easily the smallest hotel room I had ever stayed in. Worse yet, as Christina pointed out, the hotel did not use the small space very well. The room had a queen size bed and desk in the corner of the room near the window. Also, on the desk were two complimentary bottles of water, which I appreciated, and a room service menu. The closet in the room was so small that our suitcases could not fit and we just left them on the floor.  Complimentary Bottles of Water The interior of the room was very old and it included almost none of the modern amenities of a hotel room despite the hotel and the AC brand advertising themselves as modern. One of the biggest missing items was the lack of international outlets or USB plugs. This forced us to go out on the first night to buy a international adapter.  Spanish Plug The bathroom had a shower and numerous AC branded amenities including a comb, lotion, body wash, and a very small bottle of toothpaste. I appreciated that the hotel provided all of these amenities. The bathroom also had the same glass sink you will find in all AC brand hotels and AC branded towels.  AC Branded Amenities However, the problems with this room continued in bathroom. After taking a shower I came out to a completely soaked floor. After inspecting the shower I realized that that the door to the shower was not closing correctly and had flooded our bathroom floor. I was really annoyed but we used our towels to mop it up and continued to try and get some rest.  Room #1 Bathroom The room was hot so we turned the nob on what we thought was the central heating and cooling system to adjust the temperature since it had no electronic display. However, the room seemed to only get hotter so we opened the window to allow some cool air to come in but this also brought in the significant noise from the busy street below. The room grew so hot and noisy that we could not get much sleep. Furthermore, the bed was very hard and had no sheet only a quilt. Because the room had no air conditioning this meant sleeping without any blankets or overheating under the quilt. After not one but two problems we were so frustrated that we asked to switch rooms the next morning.  Room #1 Bed To the hotel's credit after asking they switched us to a room across the hall. This room was marginally bigger since it was a corner room and the shower doors closed correctly further preventing flooding. However, it suffered from all of the other problems of the previous room in that it had no USB plugs, was hot, and had no air conditioning forcing us to sleep with the window open exposed to the street noise. We found out later that the entire hotel had no individual room temperature control and during the winter, spring, and fall had NO AIR CONDITIONING! So in fact we were turning on the heat the first night. This was truly shocking to us and it is the first hotel I have ever stayed in that had no air conditioning offered during a stay. Between the hard bed, lack of sufficient bedding options, street noise, and heat Christina and I slept terribly throughout our stay at this hotel even after we switched rooms.  Room #2 Bathroom Room Service and Gym Christina and I did not try out the breakfast during our stay but one night when we were so exhausted from walking around Barcelona that we decided to try the room service which was offered 24 hours a day. The room service menu offered various dishes including starters, "bits and bobs", desserts, wine, and spirits.
Given our poor experience with the hotel thus far we decided to play it safe and only order dishes with ham since that is a Spanish speciality and we thought there was no way they could mess that up. We were wrong. The process started off badly as we ordered a bottle of water along with our food and the food showed up without the bottle of water. The silverware used for the room service seemed legitimate but as soon as I opened the top and saw the food that positive impression went way. The ham and cheese sandwich I ordered cost 11.20 euros ($13) and the ham tasted like Lunchables ham and the cheese tasted like slices of Kraft singles. The chips that came with the sandwich were literally plated Pringles and the salad included no cheese and was completely flavorless. My sandwich was so bad that I ended up leaving most of it on the plate save the Pringles. Christina ordered the Iberian ham with breadsticks which cost 15.30 euros (~$18) was not much better. For this price she got a plate of what was certainly the worse Iberian ham we had the whole trip and hard breadsticks. I must say that this was the worse meal I have ever had at any hotel and if this is the best that the hotel could offer for room service they just shouldn't offer it.
The hotel did not have many amenities and did not even have an AC Lounge, which is the bar featured in many other AC hotels. However, it did have a gym. We did not use the gym during our stay but I did check it out before we left and it was small but appropriate for a hotel of this size. The gym had three cardio machines, one of which was broken during our stay. On the positive side it did offer free bottles of water, a sauna, and a shower.
Service and Hotel Response The service at this hotel was just terrible. As I stated we had numerous problems throughout our stay and honestly I got the impression that the hotel simply did not care. First, when we complained about the water flooding onto our floor and the hot temperature in our room no one ever followed up to see if the second room was better or to apologize for the leak. Second, when the room service showed up without the water we ordered we called down to the front desk and they said that we could come down and get the bottle. We declined and just made sure it wasn't charged to our room. Third, one day we showed up to hotel and our key cards were all deactivated. This has happened to me in the past but never to multiple key cards from the same room. We went downstairs to get them reactivated and they asked to reconfirm how long we were staying. This implied to me that the key cards were activated for the wrong length of time at check-in. Finally, after numerous issues at check-out were were never asked how our stay went. The impression I got was that the hotel did not care. We had such a bad experience that for our first time ever we wrote to Marriott customer service to complain about our stay. Very disappointedly Marriott customer service simply forwarded our complaint to the hotel. The hotel responded back saying the following which I have paraphrased from their response. First, the hotel said that some of their rooms have international plugs and USBs but one must have not been available when we checked in. However, they sell international adapters at the front desk. Second, that hotel only offers heat during the winter and air conditioning during the summer and that guests have no individual control of temperature in their rooms. Third, some rooms in the hotel had been undergoing a renovation so the shower issue is common when they renovate rooms. Fourth, the key cards likely deactivated when put next to an electronic device so the hotel staff always asks to confirm the departure date when guests get new cards. Finally, the hotel asked for more details about the issues with the room service meal and said they would forward the feedback on the room service to the proper department. I must say I was extremely disappointed by this response from the hotel. After numerous problems over five nights at the hotel we were offered no compensation at all. Instead what we got were very weak responses and excuses. Honestly, if this hotel doesn't even have individual temperature control how can it advertise as having "modern rooms"? Take Away The AC Hotel Irla was one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed in and if I ever find myself in Barcelona again I would never even consider staying at this hotel again no matter the price. This hotel was only built in 2003 yet it looks like it hasn't been updated since the 1990's. After a decent stay at the AC Hotel in New Orleans the stay at the AC Hotel Irla really hurt my impression of the AC brand. Thankfully, as you will see in a future trip report about our visit to Puerto Rico, my faith in the brand was restored after a great stay at AC Hotel San Juan Condado! By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. Trip Overview: European Adventures 2018 Flight Review: American Airlines A330-300 Economy CLT-LHR Hotel Review: London Marriott Regent's Park Food in London Flight Review: British Airways A319 Economy LGW-BCN Hotel Review: AC Hotel Irla Barcelona Train Review: Renfe Clase Turista Barcelona-Valencia Exploring Life in Valencia Exploring Life in Barcelona Flight Review: American Airlines 777-200 Economy BCN-JFK Flight Review: American Airlines A321T Business Class Seats JFK-DCA Introduction Christina and I headed to Europe for our longest and furthest trip together yet, a 9 day vacation in February. This was my first trip ever to Europe and Christina's first trip to the United Kingdom and Spain. Our plan was to spend three days and two nights in London which would give us a chance to see some of the tourist sights and visit friends in the city. We then planned to spend five days and five nights in Barcelona with a day trip to Valencia to see Christina's cousin. We booked this trip back in July so our excitement was building for months. I was especially looking forward to checking out La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona which I remember studying as a child, but it was even more stunning than I imagined and I would recommend anyone visiting Barcelona to get a ticket in advance for a tour.  The interior of La Sagrada Familia Basilica Booking Flights and Train I was able to find a deal for two tickets departing out of Washington National (DCA) to London Heathrow (LHR) through Charlotte (CLT) and returning from Barcelona (BCN) to DCA through New York John F. Kennedy (JFK). These tickets cost about $616 each a great fare for a full-service carrier to Europe and it even allowed us to begin an international trip at our home airport DCA. This fare was part of a trend of fare sales to Europe in 2017. Full service carriers such as American Airlines lowered their transatlantic fares in order to compete with low-cost carriers such as WOW, Norweigan, Icelandair, and AerLingus. The competition is making transatlantic travel accessible to more people. The down side is that the unbundling of airfare form ancillary charges such as baggage fees, meals, and seat selection can result in higher overall prices. American Airlines announced this month that they will be introducing their own version of a "basic economy" fare on some flights to Europe starting in April. When booking your ticket on any airline, take into account these additional fees because the airfare is only one aspect of the cost. American Airlines did not offer basic economy on this route so we did not have to worry about any of these fees. After booking our tickets to London and our return from Barcelona we looked at our options to get from London to Barcelona. The route had a choice of Ryan Air, Norwegian, EasyJet, Vueling and "full-service" carrier British Airways. Because British Airways and American Airlines are both part of the One World Alliance, we chose British Airways so that we could get free seat selection in advance and earn miles. We paid 52 pounds each (about $66 at the time) for the one-way tickets which included one piece of checked luggage each. British Airways also offers cheaper tickets which include carry-on luggage only. We needed to check luggage, so the more expensive fare made the most sense. In total we earned 9168 Elite Qualify Miles, 570 Elite Qualifying Dollars, and 3,984 Award Miles for all of the flights. Below is a map of our final routing.  European Adventure Flight RoutingMap generated using the Great Circle Mapper-copyright Karl L. Swartz Finally, we booked our train tickets on Renfe from Barcelona to Valencia using Loco2. I tried to book the fare directly on Renfe's site and found the website difficult to navigate . After spending a long time navigating and numerous unsuccessful attempts to pay, I booked the tickets via Loco2. I recommend that you save yourself the hassle and use Loco2. Renfe offered two classes on our train to Valencia Clase Turista (Economy Class) and Clase Prefente (First Class) which cost nearly double Clase Turista. We booked two tickets in Clase Turista for 33 euros each (about $38 at the time). Booking Hotels In total we needed seven nights rooms, two in London and five in Barcelona. We only looked at Marriott hotels since Christina needed nine more nights for the fast track to Marriott Gold status promotion. London has numerous Marriott hotels but the city is also notorious for high hotel prices. The prices were high during our stay even though it was the off season. In order to save money, we ended up booking a pre-paid hotel reservation at the London Marriott Regent's Park at a cost of 228 pounds (about $302 at booking) for two nights. We planned to stay at an AC Hotel in Barcelona, as I mentioned during my review of the AC Hotel New Orleans. Originally, we planned to stay at the AC Hotel Barcelona Forum but we ended up changing our reservation to the AC Hotel Irla. I will detail why it was a decision we would later regret.  London Marriott Regent's Park During this trip report I plan to review four flights, two hotels, and for the first time a train.This trip report will also include my first time ever in a lie-flat seat (though it was for only about one hour). Christina will also be joining Travelling Companion and blogging about our experience with food in our destinations. We plan to post reviews over the next two month so please subscribe by clicking the subscribe button at the top of the blog so that you can see our latest post. Hope you enjoy coming along on our adventures!
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