Occidental Atenea Mar - Adults Only

This spot is my favorite when I come to Barcelona. They never fail to impress me with the level of service they offer. The staff is friendly and willing to do whatever it takes to ensure I have a great experience. The location of the accommodation is also ideal.

The Occidental Atenea Mar - Adults Only Hotel in Barcelona is an excellent choice for those looking for a comfortable stay in the bustling Poblenou area. The rooms are on the small side, but provide just enough space for a comfortable stay. Although there was no iron and ironing board in the room, it was easily available upon request. The rooftop area is quite nice, but you'll have to get there early to secure a sunbed. The pool area is beautiful and great for a refreshing dip. The lobby area is quite attractive, and the gym is adequate for those who wish to stay active on their holiday. The hotel is also close to a great selection of restaurants and not far from the beach. Overall, this is a great place to stay and I would definitely stay here again - at the right price.

Just make sure you buy the correct tickets from the reception for the on - off bus!

We would stay here again, as it's adult only and there are limited adult only hotels in Barcelona. We enjoyed our stay, but were not impressed with our first greetings at the hotel and the advice given to us at reception. Short review: Pros> Nice rooftop pool and bar area > Nice clean rooms > Good for a beach location if you want to be out of the main tourist parts > Good option if you want adult only > You can book an on off bus from reception Cons > Building works are happening at the hotel so there was a man on a crane looking into our hotel room, nearly causing a few awkward moments when we got out of the shower > The welcome at reception was poor, and we were pretty much told to just come back at check in > Reception gave us an old map of the on and off bus and sent us to a bus stop that was out of use and a old route > Took us around 40 minutes to walk to the nearest on off bus stop > It's a one hour walk to the La Rambla and Plaça de Catalunya > The images are bit misleading. The hotel does face the beach, but there is a main motorway in front of the hotel and you have to cross the motorway to get to the beach > Traffic from the motorway can be an issue if you are a light sleeper Long review: We stayed here for a few days before going on a cruise, as we wanted to relax more than sightsee. When we arrived, we thought we were at the wrong hotel, as it's on a motorway. The photos gave the impression that it's on the beach, but there is a motorway between the hotel and the beach. You just walk over the motorway crossing and you're on the beach, so if you want the beach it's a great location. If you want more of the Plaça de Catalunya and La Sagrada Família, then I would stay closer to those places, which is more tourist. We spent a few days here for the beach, and then stayed more in town for the Placa de Catalunya.

We arrived at reception early, and the guy there just stood staring at us. He then asked us if we were checking out, and we informed him we were checking in. He then just replied come back at 3pm and started doing other stuff on his computer, not the warm welcome we expected. It was then down to me to ask where we can put our luggage, if we could use any of the facilities, and where we could get changed. It was as if I was asking something out of the ordinary and it was a struggle to get the information from him. Most hotels at least welcome you, take your details and let you know about the hotel/facilities you can use.

There was a man who takes the luggage, he was very nice, and there were toilets you could get changed in. They then gave us a card to get up to the roof top pool. The roof top pool was nice, don't expect a huge pool, it's a small pool but didn't feel too crowded. There are a lot of loungers, and we never struggled with getting one. They give out towels on the roof top so that was a plus. They serve drinks and food by the pool, and you can order at the bar.

We managed to get in our room around 4pm. The room was pretty standard, we had a sea view room. As mentioned previously, there is a motorway between the hotel and beach, so you can see the beach area but it looks quite far away. The main view is the cars, and the noise is loud. There was a crane across the window as they were doing works on the front of the hotel. We did feel uncomfortable relaxing, getting out of the shower etc, as the man would come up and down the crane a few times.

We had room service, which was lovely. The service was very good and they were accommodating. You can also buy drinks and some snacks at the reception.

We wanted to do the on off bus, so we asked at reception and were given a map. When we came back to book the tickets at reception, we spoke to a different person. She told us that we had been given the old map and some of the bus stops were not in use. We are glad she informed us, as the old map showed a bus stop near the hotel and in fact there wasn't one! We had to walk down the beach (right) as if you were walking into town, and around the the stop (30-40 minute walk).

Other things near by: When you come out of the hotel and turn right

This was a great stay! The room I had was modern and spacious, with a spectacular view. The staff at reception were especially friendly and helpful. Plus, the breakfast was delicious. The hotel is located close to the beach and is only a 40-minute walk away from some of Barcelona's key attractions, including the Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila. After sightseeing, you can take a sunbath either on the beach or near the pool on the hotel's sundeck, complete with comfy sunbeds. This was the perfect place for sightseeing and relaxation!

This hotel has a great location but the housekeeping left much to be desired. There were hair all over the toilet without any indication of a good cleaning. The floors were not mopped or the bathroom wiped. The bedsheets even had holes in them! The rooms were very outdated. The staff was friendly but there were no compensations for any issues we faced.