"Hotel 1898 manages to stay calm and comfortable despite the steady ruckus outside on Las Ramblas, the city's touristy center. Business and pleasure travelers come to this four-star favorite for dependable rooms, excellent tapas, gin and tonics, and a heated rooftop pool with 360-degree views, stretching from the old port all the way to the top of Montjuïc. The Deluxe rooms are fairly standard. But they're spacious and, most importantly, some have a private terrace. The view of the rooftops and streets toward the back of the hotel is peaceful, unlike the buzz of tourists and street vendors on the other side. The room is respectable, but besides the terrace, nothing much to write home about—a good, solid hotel room. The 1898 combines exceptional public spaces with solid rooms, all slap-bang in the middle of Las Ramblas." - Gemma Askham, Isabelle Kliger
