Hotel Review: Vincci Bit in Barcelona, Spain

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Heading to Barcelona for a conference, I stumbled across a funky-looking hotel less than a mile away from the CCIB conference center. As a last-minute deal, the four-star hotel was running €91 (US$105) per night with breakfast. So, I was sold. It turned out to be much more than just a great deal.

Booking

I booked the hotel as a last-minute deal on Booking.com. As a frequent user, I've achieved "Genius" status — scoring me an additional 10% off the already-discounted price.

Since it was going to be a four-night stay, I checked Citi Concierge's website to see how much the hotel would cost after a fourth-night free. However, the hotel wasn't available through the travel portal. I could've called or emailed the Citi Concierge, but I didn't want to risk losing this deal and needed to lock down my hotel for the conference. So, I booked through Booking.com.

To secure the low price, I needed to agree to a non-cancellable rate, which I paid for using my Chase Sapphire Reserve for the no foreign transaction fees and 3x Ultimate Rewards points for the travel purchase.

Decor

The hotel's decor is truly unlike any other hotel. The lobby, hallways and common areas of the hotel are fascinating. Each floor's decor was left to a different modern artist. The lobby and dining room walls were filled with trippy black-and-white characters and scenes:

I was assigned a room on the third floor, which was decorated by Catalan visual artist Aleix Gordo.

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Inside my third-floor room, one wall was white and the other white with black stripes. Framed pieces of art dotted the wall. The curtains stuck with the black-and-white theme but weren't nearly as plain. The lighting fixtures added to the room's flair.

The room didn't just look good; it was functional with a comfortable bed and plenty of European power plugs scattered throughout.

The room featured several lighting options. In addition to the self-explanatory "On," there's an option for "Relax," where some lights are turned off and others dimmed for a relaxing atmosphere. For whatever reason, "TV" is the brightest setting. If you're headed into the bathroom, you can press "WC" to dim the room lights and turn on the bathroom lights. Or you can just hit the switch in the bathroom if you don't want to dim the room lights.

Bathroom and Amenities

The modern design continues in the bathroom with art and unique touches.

The Enjabónate ("Lather Up") shower gel and Desmelénate ("Tousle") shampoo were satisfactory. Instead of a washcloth, the hotel provides a packaged body sponge.

The shower would definitely be TPG-approved, with the shower head spraying water from an ~8 foot ceiling. There's also a handheld shower head.

The bathroom also contained a bag of amenities available for use: a comb, a tube of "body milk," a shower cap and a variety of cotton swabs. In the wardrobe, the hotel has included a free, PIN-based safe for storing valuables during your stay.

Food & Drink

Breakfast is not included in all rates, but I was able to tack it onto this reservation for around $10/night. And I was glad that I did, because I could not find any reasonable breakfast options between the hotel and the conference center. I got a hearty Spanish-style breakfast heavy on the meats, cheeses and breads. You have the option of sitting inside a funky-designed indoor dining area or outside on a patio.

The in-room mini-bar doesn't provide much of a selection, but sells at very reasonable prices. Small bottles of water cost €1.5 (US$1.75) and mini-bottles of Coke and juice cost €2 (US$2.34). Likewise, a 11oz (330ml) Carlsberg will only set you back €2. Cocktail nuts, gummy bears and knock-off Pringles cost €2 each. While these are reasonable for a mini-bar, you can also just head two minutes down the street to a corner market for even cheaper snacks and drinks.

On my last night, I ordered room service around 10pm local time. The menu notes "at least 25 minutes of waiting," but in less than 15 minutes there was a knock on my door. My order of "Pasta Penne with Carbonara sauce" cost €12 (US$14) plus a €3 (US$3.51) delivery fee. The pasta dish was large and was accompanied with a small bread roll, Parmesan cheese and little salt/pepper shakers. While the carbonara sauce was overly rich and creamy, the meal was certainly satisfying.

If you want to get out of the room, the same food is served with drinks in the lobby bar and restaurant that doubles as a sitting/working area during the day.

Service

Front-desk service was straightforward and somewhat friendly each time I came in contact. Check-in and check-out didn't take long and any questions or requests were promptly handled.

The maid service was thorough yet invisible. Each day, the room was reset with fresh towels, amenities and the bed was made.

Wi-Fi

The hotel Wi-Fi runs on a freemium model. Basic ~3mbps download/upload speeds are provided free of charge with your room.

A premium service can be purchased. When I asked about internet speeds at check-in — noting that I needed a fast connection for work — the agent comped a 3-day premium pass which otherwise seemed to cost €20 (US$23). I neglected to do a speedtest before my pass ran out, but I was able to work at full speed while streaming music — indicating at least 25mbps.

Overall Impression

I'm was very pleasantly surprised by my stay. Vincci Bit provided exactly what I needed for the conference and did so with flair. The hotel satisfied at each touch point. In addition to a reasonable room rate, the extras were all priced fairly — certainly for a 4-star hotel. While this particular hotel isn't convenient for sightseeing, I'll certainly be looking to it first if I'm back in Barcelona for a conference at CCIB.