Digital News
New York Times
HOTEL CHIC&BASIC BORN
(Spain)
AFFORDABLE EUROPE: BARCELONA
Barcelona is the ultimate walking city. So much can be seen from the street -from Gaudí’s modernist treasures to the wild social scene along the open boulevards- flâneurs can momentarily forget that this is the most expensive city in Spain. Still, there are a number veritable steals to be had in this Mediterranean city.
Travelers have long believed there are only two options for sleeping in Barcelona: backpacker hostels or luxury high rises, and never the twain shall meet. Challenging that premise, the Chic and Basic company gives travelers three low-cost options: hotel, hostel and rental apartments sprinkled across downtown from Born to Plaza Catalunya to Gotico. All rooms are very bright, very white with an eye to sound design (iPod docks and television music channels) and basic needs, which in the jargon of Euro-travelers means bottles of water, plasma televisions and Internet access.