Axel Hotel Barcelona - Adults Only

I love Axel Hotels. They are hotels that are LGBTQ friendly with style, class and sexy. Axel Hotel Barcelona fits that description. Extremely good location, lots of restaurants and nightlife nearby. The rooftop bar is lively and the breakfast buffet is massive. Service was excellent. The front desk crew is exceptional, helpful and friendly. Always a smile. Joaquin was amazing, so charming and cute, he was a delight to see everytime I passed the front desk. Always helpful, professional with a smile that will make you fall in love. Axel Hotel is the place for any LGBTQ traveler to stay in Barcelona. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

When I stayed at the Axel Barcelona for the first time hardly anyone knew about the place. After two decennia of visiting this hotel some two or three times a year it may be obvious that I love this place. If you want to know why I recommend to read my many previous reviews from which you’ll learn about the fantastic location, the great atmosphere, the liberal mindset and above all the staff who carry out the shining of the hotel stars. The superb service-with-a-smile of Joaquin and the entire front desk team is unprecedented. The hospitable presence of General Manager Carlos and Region Manager Efraim who are around in the breakfast room every morning makes you feel a valued guest while the breakfast itself is a feast for the eye as well as for the stomach. Here it is Elisabeth and José who take care of you with full attention. Yes, I know all their names … and they know mine … that means something, doesn’t it? The street on which the Axel hotel is located alongside, has undergone a total reconstruction the recent years, turning Carrer del Concell de Cent into a pedestrian area, inviting to a pleasant walk almost all the way to Sagrada Familia. The Axel hotel itself is renovating all the time (this year the rooftop plunge pool and the sauna in the basement). All this makes the Axel Barcelona gain popularity … and not only among the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s evident that the entire straight market has found its way to this “hetero friendly” hotel. So if you want stay here you better be quick … !

I stayed at Axel Hotel Barcelona recently and the hotel was the only disappointing part of my trip. I chose the hotel largely because it’s marketed as a spa hotel, with amenities like the pool, jacuzzi, and spa area. On top of that, it’s an LGBTQ+ hotel and I really value supporting businesses that are part of our community, so this one honestly hurts to write. However, I was informed only after I had already checked in that none of these amenities were available during my stay. This wasn’t communicated before arrival, so I didn’t have the opportunity to make an informed decision about staying there. After checking in, I went to confirm the situation myself and realized the pool, jacuzzi, and spa facilities were totally under construction. I tried to address the issue right away and even asked about the possibility of leaving and staying somewhere else, but I never received a timely solution and ended up feeling stuck with the reservation. What was most frustrating was how the situation was handled. I received the exact same email twice, without any reasonable options, which made it feel like my comments were being dismissed. The responses felt very copy-and-paste and didn’t actually address any of the concerns I had raised. Barcelona itself was amazing and I had a wonderful time exploring the city, but unfortunately the hotel did not contribute positively to the experience I had hoped for. In my opinion, the service and overall experience did not reflect what I would expect from a “four-star hotel”.

I want to share my experience with this hotel so that other travelers are aware. Due to the current war situation in Israel and the closure of Israeli airspace, it was physically impossible for me to travel. This is a clear case of force majeure and completely beyond my control. Despite explaining the situation and providing full context, the hotel chose to show absolutely no understanding or basic human consideration. Instead of acting with empathy during a very difficult and dangerous situation, they insisted on enforcing cancellation fees. What makes this even more disappointing is that I had previously received written confirmation that the cancellation fees would be waived once the cancellation was requested. Despite this, the hotel later reversed their position. In a time when people are dealing with war, missile attacks, and closed airspace, I expected at least minimal understanding and decency. Unfortunately, the response I received was the exact opposite. Travelers should be aware of how this property treats guests in extreme circumstances. I sincerely hope no one else has to go through a similar experience.

My experience was extremely negative and distressing. During my stay, I became trapped inside the bathroom of my room because the door handle was defective. I was traveling alone and experienced moments of real panic, screaming for help until someone could hear me. Eventually, a housekeeping staff member heard my cries and alerted the Head of Housekeeping, who intervened immediately. Shortly afterward, a person who introduced himself as the Director and said his name was Carlos came to the room, entered the bathroom, and personally verified that the door handle was not functioning properly, confirming it was a maintenance failure. However, the way the situation was handled afterward was even more disappointing. At the reception desk, the staff member who identified himself as Joaquín told me that I needed to send an email to formally report the incident. When I did so, the hotel responded by denying the facts and falsely claiming that I had manipulated the door handle myself — a statement that directly contradicts what was personally verified at the time. In addition, when I requested the official complaint book, I was told that it did not exist, which is very concerning. I received no proper follow-up, no formal acknowledgment of responsibility, and no offer of compensation for such a serious incident. Beyond the maintenance issue itself, what is truly unacceptable is the lack of accountability, the denial of the facts, and the absence of empathy toward a guest who experienced a frightening situation while traveling alone. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this hotel.

As ever there was a warm welcome and the room was great. Access is ok, parking around the corner, and it’s very central. Still think the fridge could be raised and better placed for access by someone in a wheelchair. Likewise the level entrance side door needs a swipe card or key code entry so chair users can get in without the need to attract attention of staff. We love the first floor adapted room with access via a courtyard which allows sitting out, or even smoking.