Barcelona Hotel Guide: The Hotel Banys Orientals

Monica Guy, our own younger, blonder, more attractive but still curmudgeonly version of Andy Rooney has returned yet again. This time, she's giving us the lowdown on the Barcelona hotel scene. Enjoy.

We were going to tell you all about the Hotel Arts, the most extravagant, ridiculous, luxury hotel in Barcelona. As everyone knows.
But we're sorry to announce that our Barcelona hotel snoop got hit by the prices while enjoying a G&T at their bar, and is currently in a critical condition in hospital. Our prayers are with her.
The Arts charges €475 ($700) for the cheapest room with the ugliest views. Enough to knock anyone out. €12,000 ($17,600) for a Royal Suite. Bet if it got out that the Spanish royal family stayed there regularly, there'd be a revolution.
So here instead, on a silver tray, we offer you one of the newest, shiniest pearls of the Barcelona hotel scene: the Hotel Banys Orientals.
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The Banys Orientals is more style and sophistication than luxury. The exterior is 18th century, a stony contrast to the minimalist black tiled and chrome interior. Your room doesn't have any fluff or frills - just a clean, comfortable bed, a small television, a desk and chair and soft, glowing lights. Not much more.
It doesn't sound like much, but it feels great. There's a calming atmosphere as soon as you enter. Partly because the staff, all young, attractive and enthusiastic, make you feel that way. And it smells fresh and nice. No snobbery and no pretensions. Unpretentious prices - get a  double room for $98 ($140), or hire their newly-opened suite across the road for just €129 ($190).
No snobbery in the street outside, either. The Banys Orientals is on a small but superbly fun street leading up from the harbour to the Old Town and Gothic district. It's packed with individual shops and jewellery stands, and tiny, little tapas bars that used to be smoky dens with carpets of fag-butts until the Spanish smoking ban came in.
Opened only in May 2002, it quickly crept into Conde Nast's Top 50 hotels in the world the year after, and into their Top 10 in the Med in 2004.
Stay there and you'll see why. If only it actually had some oriental baths....
[Photo: Boccina]