Axel TWO Barcelona

There is much to recommend this hotel and I’ll happily stay here again. A few small changes would make this a perfect spot. Check in easy, if quite time-consuming. Lovely rooms with super comfortable beds and black out curtains. My room smelled a bit of stale cigarette smoke, though it didn’t bother me particularly. WiFi is normally very fast but sometimes is “temporarily unavailable”. Gym is small and basic and missing a few weights and a mirror- but otherwise functional. Big negative was the lack of almost any shade on the roof. There is one parasol which provides shade for two sun loungers. Anywhere else and you’re sizzling in the full Catalonian sun. And the only place to retreat from the sun is your hotel room - so please acquire another parasol or two! The plastic grass is also scorching in the heat. It would be so great if hotels didn’t use this tacky stuff. The pool area generally could do with a bit of TLC. I paid a very reasonable rate in August and found the location to be spot on. So I hope to come back (and experience just a little occasional shade on the roof).

I only stayed at Axel TWO for one night, but I enjoyed my stay. The staff was friendly and helpful. The rooms have an open floor plan, so DO NOT stay here if you are sharing a room with family or friends, unless you want them to see you in your full glory. My wife and I had no problem with the design of the room, and found it intimate and charming. The hotel is hetero-friendly, which I didn't know prior to booking, just from the simply fact that I didn't read😁 but I had no problem with it, and loved ❤️❤️❤️ My only issue was being on the ground level floor. No view. But a personal preference won't take away from the overall experience.

Great hotel, very central. The staff is very welcoming, the rooms are spacious and quiet. The rooftop has a pool, which you can enjoy and meet new people. No children is definitely a plus.

I booked Axel Two Barcelona through Booking.com, and this was by far the worst hotel experience I’ve ever had. This hotel claims to be 4-star, but whoever rated it that way clearly has no idea what a real 4-star hotel is supposed to offer. The bed was squeaky and uncomfortable, the bathroom had no privacy (just a glass wall), and the shower had no barrier—flooding the entire floor every time. None of this was shown properly in the listing photos. Basic amenities were missing—no soap, no tissues, no slippers. Even worse, toiletries were not refilled after housekeeping, and when we asked, staff told us our booking didn’t include free toiletries. How is that even possible in a supposed 4-star hotel? Our Booking.com confirmation clearly showed they were included, but they insisted otherwise. I had to go out and buy soap at 9 PM, which is ridiculous. They also didn’t provide clean coffee mugs after room cleaning—just left the dirty ones in place. When we asked, they told us we were responsible for washing them ourselves. We witnessed guests openly smoking marijuana at the pool, right in front of staff. When we complained, they said “it’s not our responsibility.” Apparently, the only thing they do take responsibility for is getting your money. The backyard was unsecured, and from our ground-floor room, we could clearly see a homeless person just outside our window. It felt unsafe and inappropriate. The listing says “Adults Only,” but the hotel specifically caters to an LGBTQ clientele. While that’s absolutely not a problem in itself, the issue is that the hotel was not transparent about this in the listing, which is consistent with how misleading the entire experience was. Finally, they forced us to pay extra city tax at check-out, even though our Booking.com confirmation clearly stated we had already paid in full and that no payment would be collected by the property. When we showed them proof, they rudely threatened to call the police if we didn’t pay. This hotel is completely misrepresented, poorly managed, and nowhere near 4-star quality. Rude, dishonest, and unprofessional. Avoid at all costs.

My second visit to Axel TWO and definitely still fantastic. Modern appointed rooms that are well furnished. Very friendly staff. Very nice pool area and deck on the roof, and there's a small compact gym as well. The location is pretty much as good as you're going to get with walking distance to many attractions, cycling or public transport easily accessible (both metro and bus). There is a coffee shop or cafe on almost every corner, with 2 smaller supermarkets close by. You can't go wrong with Axel and it's premium location makes it suitable as a starting point to visit central Barcelona and the Gothic quarter. Strong recommendation.

A couple of condoms on the nightstand don’t make it gay. We were genuinely excited for our first stay at Axel, expecting a vibrant, LGBTQ+ haven as marketed on their website. Instead, it felt like any other generic hotel. We’ve stayed in mainstream hotels that radiated more queer energy than this one. The location is great and right at the heart of the lgbt+ neighbourhood. The rooms are fun, quirky, and yes, a little sexy, but beyond that, the atmosphere was flat. No music, no events, no buzz in the social areas. It was all very… meh. As for the facilities, they didn’t live up to the 4-star promise and did not feel like they were good value for money. No complimentary water in the rooms (a basic touch), issues like a broken safe going unresolved, dirty towels pilling up on the side of the pool. Even the pool jets had to be manually requested every day, and the steam room was plagued by a loud, grating noise that made it unusable. We stayed in various hotels this summer, this was also the only one that did not adequately disclose city tax on booking.com. Axel promises a queer experience, but delivers a lukewarm stay. If you’re looking for community, connection, or even just a bit of sparkle, you might want to look elsewhere.

Thank you to Axel Two for these first time visitors to Barcelona. We were made to feel very comfortable and welcome. The continental breakfast was of the highest quality. The room was sweet and decor very fun. The staff throughout the hotel were the kindest and most helpful of staff I have ever met in my travels. The front desk help guided us in the nicest way to find all the things we couldn’t figure out, banks, restaurants, public transportation. I would absolutely stay here again.

I loved my stay at Axel. There are no words. I loved my room. The location was perfect, regardless of how many times I got lost. I made friends with the overnight market guy next to the hotel. The staff and cleaning ladies were lovely. My only complaint was that the gym needs a major overhaul. Perhaps a stair master and an Elliptical. I was there for two weeks and I already miss everyone. I hope to return.

I had a bag stolen from the lobby while checking in. They would only look at security camera tape if the police asked them to look at it.