All good things come to an end and the same goes for this trip. My final home of this whirlwind 45 days in Europe comes to Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona where I will be staying here for the last 4 nights before flying back to Singapore. Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona is located in Diagonal Mar, all the way to the east of the city, it is much quieter than the city centre but does have good transportation links. There are 3 different Hilton properties in Barcelona, two Hiltons and one Curio Collection. While the curio presents the best location in town only the two Hiltons have an executive lounge and I have heard great stuff about the Diagonal Mar. Furthermore, the hotel has a Sixt branch on location which will be perfect for me. This will be the last hotel of my trip and I have to end it with a bang. The stay certainly doesn’t disappoint and check out the suite that I was assigned!
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I book directly with Hilton using my Citi Prestige card. I got the base-level guest room and my nightly rate was around 134 SGD including taxes. That’s a heck of a deal. This was brought down by utilising my Citi Prestige 4th-night free benefit. Citi Prestige does have its value despite much criticism these days. When you use it well you can save a lot while on the road. A couple of days out, I can see from the app that I have been upgraded to a One Bedroom Suite and then further to an Executive Panorama Suite the night before. That’s awesome elite treatment and a great upgrade. I have literally got the suite just below the presidential suite. Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona features 433 guest rooms and suites and is spread across 10 categories. You can find the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Executive Lounge Access | Bathtub |
|---|---|---|
| Guest | No | Maybe |
| Pool View | No | Maybe |
| Sea View | No | Maybe |
| Deluxe | No | Maybe |
| Executive | Yes | Maybe |
| Executive Sea View | Yes | Maybe |
| King with Sofa Bed | No | Maybe |
| One Bedroom Suite | Yes | Yes |
| Executive Panorama Suite | Yes | Yes |
| Presidential Suite | Yes | Yes |
Checking In
The hotel was operating on very low occupancy when I was there, it is the festive period and the height of the Omicron variant time. January is also the low season for Barcelona. I arrive at around 4.30pm in the evening. I was helped immediately by the front desk who also assisted in keeping the car keys for rental returns. The car park was pretty easy to find and you can access the lobby directly from there. They even have some preferred lots reserved for diamond members. That is a nice touch. The hotel looks really chic and bright. I love the lobby, there are plenty of seatings and it looks great. Check-in was fast and prompt. I was informed of all the service changes currently and the executive lounge replacement where it will be served by the lobby bar Ma’i due to low occupancy.
Executive Panorama Suite
I had a fantastic upgrade here and was assigned one of the 6 Executive Panorama Suites in the hotel. This is just a level below the presidential suite. This will usually cost 392 Euros a night. The suite was super spacious. I got one on a high floor and was assigned suite 2017 on the 20th floor. The suite have a spacious entrance and you always know that you are in for a treat when you have double doors. I love it upon entering and those views, at first sight, were jaw-dropping. It has an L-shaped entrance with one side leading to the bathroom and the other to the dining and living room area.
Near the entryway is a full-length mirror which is awesome. I do wish they have some hooks or a coat stand near the door as well. That will be very convenient.
Although this is categorised as a full suite, it doesn’t come with a half bath as the design and orientation of the place don’t call for one. The bathroom can be accessed from both sides and the bedroom is pretty spacious. It comes with a separate bathtub and standing shower. Amenities are from Crabtree and Evelyn as per the norm at Hilton hotels. The standing shower comes equipped with a rainforest shower head and a handheld one. Water pressure is pretty good as well as the temperature control.
First up, let me share the dining room. It is in a squarish shape and the full-size circular dining table can easily fit 6 people. This place will be so lovely to host a cosy gathering or party. The dining area boasts an amazing view of the Mediterranean Sea and the coastline of Barcelona. I caught some of the best sunsets and sunrises here. They were captivating. Given the corner location, the views are especially good.
A sliding door separated the dining area from the bedroom and living room area. The bedroom and living room area are in the same room so here it’s more of like a junior suite. First, you have a working desk lined up alongside one of those windows facing the ocean. The desk is super comfortable to work from and outlets can be easily found here. They even have USB chargers installed. The chair while not a proper ergonomics office chair still offers great back support. Wifi was fast and easy to connect to.
The living room area consists of a long sofa that seats 3 people comfortable and 2 armchairs on either side. It surrounds a coffee table. From here you have an amazing view of the entire Diagonal Mar area and a panoramic view of both the city and the coastline. The view is especially wide since this is a corner suite.
A huge high-definition smart TV is mounted on the wall and it comes with a good selection of cable TV channels. You can also connect your laptop to the TV. It’s a good size for a suite this big. The placement of the TV allows it to be viewed both from the living area and from the bed.
The wardrobe and the minibar are located to the side of the bedroom. It is rather basic for a premium suite. In the wardrobe, you can find bath slippers, plenty of hangers and a safe. The minibar comes with complimentary drinking water and a kettle. There is also a fridge that is left empty for your use. I am disappointed not to have an actual coffee machine. A Nespresso machine shouldn’t be too hard to ask for in a premium suite.
The plush king-size bed is up against the wall and it’s one of the comfiest I have ever slept in. The sheets are smooth and of high quality. I do wish that the pillows can be better as they are rather mush. These need a refresh. Luckily, extra pillows can be requested from the hotel. Nights stands are located on both sides of the bed and I am happy to see that power outlet and even USD outlets can be found here. This should be the benchmark for all hotels. Controls for the lights can be conveniently found here but I do wish that the blinds and curtains are electronically controlled too.
I have already shared extensive about how lovely the view of the suite is and while it is not unblocked, by being so high up, you kinda get the feeling that you are right in front of the sea. It is so amazing when you can see the waters from the bed. Housekeeping was a mixed bag here, empty water bottles and used coffee cups are not removed.
Executive Lounge
Due to the low season and occupancy, the executive lounge is currently closed or being used as the breakfast location. All-day drinks and evening cocktails are in fact served at the lobby bar Ma’i. All-day non-alcoholic drinks are available till 8pm and evening cocktails are from 5 to 7pm and you can order 2 drinks each. Here are some pictures of the lobby bar.
I check out the evening cocktails on a couple of days and you have your choice of beer, red, white and rose wine. Spirits options consist of vodka, gin, whisky and rum. They can do simple mixers as well. It felt a bit stingy compared to the actual lounge.
The red wine was super tasty and the staff brought over some tapas and snacks as well consisting of some couscous with tofu, focaccia and beef slider. Later on, some sweets consisting of some chocolate and an apple tart were brought over too. I appreciate that the options changes from day to day.
Pool & Beachclub
The hotel does have a beach club and a pool but they are open seasonally. I didn’t manage to check it out since I was there in January.
Fitness Centre
The fitness centre is open from 6am to 8pm and is located on the second floor. It came equipped and has all sorts of types of equipment that you might need for a workout. I did feel that the place is a little gloomy and not feel welcoming. Some natural light will be very much welcomed.
Breakfast
Due to the low occupancy, the main restaurant is closed when I stayed. The hotel is actually using the executive lounge as an alternative venue as the place is smaller. Breakfast is served from 7.30am to 10.30am on weekdays and till 11am on weekends. It is not too bad as the views are better here as well. However, I do feel that the offering might be able diluted because of this. I was let in after informing my room number. The lady working the reception at the lounge/ breakfast venue wasn’t that friendly and was rather nonchalant. You have your choice of both indoor and outdoor seats although at this point of the year and this early, it is way too cold.
The place is comfortable and bright with tons of natural light. It’s a gem to check out the place and this is the actual executive lounge. I do love having breakfast while checking out the sunrise. You have a bread counter just alongside the wall and here you can find some pastries, cakes and doughnuts.
At the far end is the drinks counter with an assortment of juices and a coffee machine. The juices are pretty good and fresh but the coffee was lacklustre. I do wish they had one from a proper espresso machine. It is also rather cute to see one of those pancake machines in the lounge which brings back memories from the Alaska lounge.
They have a good selection of hot food consisting of baked beans, sausages, bacon and eggs. They are alright. Options do change slightly from day to day which is very much welcomed.
You can also find a good selection of cold cuts and cheese. Everything was good and fresh. Besides this, you can order freshly cooked eggs from the staff. I had an omelette and it’s pretty good.
You can also find the typical Spanish breakfast here. Fresh tomato, extra virgin olive oil and toasted bread. Yum! The breakfast was good but nothing memorable. I do appreciate having it included in a loyalty membership.
Conclusion
Awesome elite treatment here at Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona. It is a nice touch but I am also staying during a period of low occupancy. I had a comfortable stay. It might be out of the city centre but the location is still really good. There is a huge mall directly opposite the hotel with tons of stalls and food options. The metro is also just a 5 mins walk away and there are good bus connections too. Both Hiltons are not in the city centre. If that is what you want the Curio will be a better bet. I will still choose this over the other Hilton since this comes with an awesome sea view. But if I am in Barcelona the next time and have a short stay, I might just try the Curio for convenience purposes. I do wish that the actual lounge and restaurant will be open so that I can have a holistic review. Both offerings could be improved as well.
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