Hotel Claris, Barcelona, Spain

Hotel Claris offers plenty of options for the stylish traveler. In the first place, you’ll find yourself in an upscale neighborhood with high end shopping only a few blocks away. There’s also a number of great restaurants nearby. However, the hotel itself puts you within the lap of luxury, offering regular rooms, “duplexes,” and a number of amenities such as a rooftop pool that make your stay that much better.

At check in, the desk clerk informed me that I received an upgrade to one of the duplex rooms. What an excellent surprise! And what a dramatic space to stay. Here’s the lower level where I did most of my sleeping:

Sleeping area of a duplex room at Hotel Pau Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Sleeping area of a duplex room at Hotel Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Beside both sides of the bed, you’ll find an outlet as well as switches for the lights. The outlet comes in handy for charging your smartphone while sleeping. Note the railing on the right side of photos. There’s a staircase there that takes you up to the second level where you’ll find a couch, chair, TV, and minibar as seen here:

Entrance to and staircase inside duplex room at Hotel Pau Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Entrance to and staircase inside duplex room at Hotel Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Now for a look at that upper level, see the next photo:

Upper level of duplex style room at Hotel Pau Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Upper level of duplex style room at Hotel Pau Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Of course, a fantastic bathroom is part of this room:

Sink and shower in duplex room at Hotel Pau Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Sink and shower in duplex room at Hotel Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Marble and granite in the bathroom match the woodwork in the rest of the duplex.

Bidet and toilet in duplex room at Hotel Pau Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Bidet and toilet in duplex room at Hotel Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Finally, but also importantly, there is a nicely designed closet complete with safe, drawers, and racks for your clothes:

Closet in duplex style room at Hotel Pau Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Closet in duplex style room at Hotel Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Staff at Hotel Claris do a wonderful job making your stay pleasant and productive. They are true professionals, right down to the laundry service, which delivered my cleaned, pressed articles in a lovely basked like this:

Laundry perfectly cleaned and pressed at Hotel Pau Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

Laundry perfectly cleaned and pressed at Hotel Claris, Barcelona, Spain.

And there’s more! Hotel Claris has rooftop amenities that including a swimming pool, bar/lounge, and gym. I’ll put them in another post. Please check back frequently for more updates from Spain and around the world.

British Airways 2708 (Gatwick to Barcelona)

Departing England and traveling to Spain, I took British Airways flight 2708. This was done aboard an Airbus 319.

British Airways Airbus 319 at Gatwick Gate 101.

British Airways Airbus 319 at Gatwick Gate 101.

Seating is cramped to say the least. Although designated “business class” the seats are actually coach seats with the center seat not sold and armrests that move a few inches to the side. In terms of leg room, well, look at the photo:

Cramped seating in "business class" aboard British Airways 2708, Airbus 319.

Cramped seating in “business class” aboard British Airways 2708, Airbus 319.

Here’s a profile look at the seating arrangement:

Business class seat spacing aboard British Airways Flight 2708.

Business class seat spacing aboard British Airways Flight 2708.

The flight proceeded quite smoothly, with this meal served:

Meal served in "business class" aboard British Airways Flight 2708.

Meal served in “business class” aboard British Airways Flight 2708.

Cabin staff was generally friendly and helpful, but it is a difficult situation considering the cramped nature of the seating, spartan meal, and parade from coach to the lavatory. And here’s the view on approach to Barcelona, Spain.

View of Spanish coast on approach to Barcelona Airport from British Airways Flight 2708.

View of Spanish coast on approach to Barcelona Airport from British Airways Flight 2708.

Thankfully, this was a relatively short flight, and Spain is a wonderful country to visit.

British Airways Lounge, Gatwick Airport

British Airways operates a very pleasant lounge at Gatwick Airport. Here you can relax, do some business, and have a snack. As per my usual habit, let’s start with the snacks as I found them one recent morning. There’s a sort of breakfast bar that you see here:

Breakfast foods at the British Airways Lounge, Gatwick Airport.

Breakfast foods at the British Airways Lounge, Gatwick Airport.

At another counter there was a selection of breakfast pastry shown in the next photo.

Breakfast pastry in the British Airways Lounge, Gatwick Airport.

Breakfast pastry in the British Airways Lounge, Gatwick Airport.

Then there was the well-stocked and help-yourself bar shown here:

Bar at British Airways Lounge, Gatwick Airport.

Bar at British Airways Lounge, Gatwick Airport.

If you prefer coffee or tea, simply make your selection at one of these machines:

 

Coffee and tea makers in the British Airways Lounge, Gatwick Airport.

Coffee and tea makers in the British Airways Lounge, Gatwick Airport.

Additionally, you’ll find a nice selection of beer and soft drinks in coolers:

Beer and soft drinks at the British Airways Lounge, Gatwick Airport.

Beer and soft drinks at the British Airways Lounge, Gatwick Airport.

Finally, and on a more serious note, there are computers and a copy machine for those who need to get a bit of work done or connect with the outside world.

Computer stations at the British Airways Lounge, Gatwick Airport.

Computer stations at the British Airways Lounge, Gatwick Airport.

A well run lounge like this makes travel much easier and enjoyable. Avail yourself of such facilities at every opportunity.

Clarence Hotel, Windsor, England

The Clarence Hotel in Windsor, England, was a lucky find. It is located only a few blocks from the beginning of a nice pedestrian shopping/dining area, and only a few minutes more walking to Windsor Castle.

Clarence Hotel, Windsor, England.

Clarence Hotel, Windsor, England.

This is a cozy place with friendly and helpful staff. Because I stayed two different nights several days apart, I had the benefit of two different rooms. Here’s a look at the first room:

First floor room at Clarence Hotel, Windsor, England.

First floor room at Clarence Hotel, Windsor, England.

During my second stay, I was in this room, which I believe was called the “Emma Suite.”

Emma Suite at Clarence Hotel, Windsor, England.

Emma Suite at Clarence Hotel, Windsor, England.

And here’s a look at the bathroom, which was kind of like the one you might find on a cruise ship:

Bathroom of the Emma Suite at Clarence Hotel, Windsor, England.

Bathroom of the Emma Suite at Clarence Hotel, Windsor, England.

There’s a lovely garden on the grounds, a great place to relax, enjoy a beverage, and recuperate from a day of sightseeing.

Garden at Clarence Hotel, Windsor, England.

Garden at Clarence Hotel, Windsor, England.

As mentioned above, staff are very helpful, assisting me with the printing of my boarding pass, as well as providing a “full English” breakfast that you see in the next photo:

"Full English" breakfast at Clarence Hotel, Windsor England.

“Full English” breakfast at Clarence Hotel, Windsor England.

A big breakfast is part of my day, and The Clarence Hotel did a great job with the one you see above. I would recommend this place for those looking to have the comfortable bed and breakfast experience. Enjoy the journey and all the stops along the way.