Barcelona is an amazing city to visit, and one of the biggest benefits is that the port in Barcelona – Port Vell – commences at the end of Barcelona’s La Rambla right by the Columbus monument, a city landmark since 1886.

Last fall I had the opportunity to go on a Mediterranean cruise departing Barcelona, and was able to visit the Le Méridien Barcelona as my pre-cruise hotel for 12,000 Starpoints a night.

If you’re looking for a way to earn even more Starpoints, you may want to consider the Starwood credit cards, Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express and the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express.

The hotel is situated on the northern end of the La Rambla Рthe 3/4 mile tree lined pedestrian mall, and one of the most popular streets in central Barcelona. The hotel was a short walk from the Pla̤a de Catalunya, which happens to be a transportation hub, and further down the boulevard is the Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vell.

The Le Méridien is currently a SPG Category 5, but going up to Category 6 on March 1 2016. The good news is that you can still book at the current redemption rate by March 1,2016 for stays after the category changes go into effect.

The lobby is filled with art, and interesting things, including a cafe.

We were booked into a 27-square-meter Deluxe Room in the back of the hotel with a view of  pretty much nothing.

The view.

Oddly enough, when I look back at the room, it felt a lot like a basic stateroom on a cruise ship.

While I was a little underwhelmed with the room, I found it hard to complain for a few reasons.  First, we were checked into the hotel before 9am.  Next, I knew that other than sleeping, we weren’t going to spend much time in the room. Lastly, I was pretty impressed with the bathroom.  It was spacious by European standards, and I really liked the large shower with the rain shower head.

We chose the amenity which was good for two cocktails at the CentOnze Restaurant.  We chose a Manhattan and an Espresso Martini.

Bottom Line:

I would highly recommend this hotel for a pre-cruise or post-cruise stay.  The location – close to the port, and on the La Rambla was an unbeatable combination.  In fact, I took advantage of the Category 5 designation and booked friends into the Le Méridien Barcelona after their honeymoon Mediterranean cruise in May 2016.

Have you stayed at the Le Méridien Barcelona before? Feel free to share your thoughts below!