We loved the location of this hotel, near the beach and the water and the base of Las Ramblas. The hotel is above a restaurant. There are no frills -- no wireless, not much staff, and our shower was tempermental. There weren't even any basics -- bring your own soap, shampoo and blowdryer. The television got maybe 3 channels and the bed took up essentially the whole room.

But the place was clean and the price was right and we weren't spending much time in our hotel room anyway. It was right around the corner from the best bombas in town (we ate there twice, delicious). The owners (who also own the Restaurant Peru downstairs) were nice and gave us a complimentary bottle of cava on our first night. For us, given the price, it was near-perfect (I'd say perfect if it hadn't been for the tempermental shower).

Good points:
-well located for Metro & 10 mins walk to Centre
-cheap & very clean
-staff friendly when there
-close to Marina
Not so good points:
-noisy position on busy road & over noisy bar/restaurant. Ear plugs weren't enough for me.
-poor entrance but that's unimportant
-staff speak almost no English (why should they?!)
-communicating with the hotel is difficult as often no one there. I emailed Sunday & didn't get a reply until Wednesday & was told no one was there.
-on arrival I got a key for outside door & that was the last I saw of anyone (not a problem but just a pity & they run the restaurant downstairs so you can get hold of someone there)
-reserved with VISA but wasn't told they'd insist on payment by cash. Went to the cashpoint to get cash & on return I was asked by someone else whether I wanted to pay by cash or VISA so mixed message there.
-If you get a Marina view, it is in fact blocked by a large tree so when in leaf all you really see is the outside seating of the bar/restaurants on the street below.
-no a/c so I imagine it's hot in the summer & too noisy to open windows.
Would I stay again? If genuinely just staying in the room for sleep & not in the heart of summer then this is clean & cheap, leaving more money to spend on having fun. I'm personally not going to stay here again. Barcelona is noisy but there will be quieter still central locations where everything is just a bit more professional & I personally like to spend a few hours in the hotel to recuperate pre evening meal.
Difficult to get email address so here it is: marinafolchbcn@hotmail.com
If you've already booked then have fun- the place is fine!

We stayed at the Marina Folch hotel for a week. We were at first a bit discouraged by the main entrance to the building, which smelled of damp, and were prepared for worse once in the hotel. But as we entered the hotel area and our room, we were relieved. The first night we were in a room with a window facing an enclosed area, which we did not like because of lack of fresh air, but they told us immediately that we would be given another room with a balcony the following day. This one we really liked; the balcony was facing Carrer de Mar, a narrow charming street of Barceloneta. As we saw later, there are rooms overlooking the Marina, which I definitely recommend. We paid €65 a night, no breakfast.
The rooms had two single beds put together, so no real double beds. The floors were white ceramic tiles. The bathroom with a bath tub was very clean, as well as the entire room, all impeccably clean. The staff were very friendly, although they did not speak English well.
The only problem we had with the heating; it was working occasionally, we did not now how to turn it on, but then again we did not ask either. I suppose this could have been solved too.
The location is really good; la Rambla is within walking distance (approx. 10 mins), the metro station is just a few minutes away and the beach is quite close too. There is a supermarket and lots of restaurants around. Only, one should be prepared for a bit of a smell while walking the streets of Barceloneta due to the old sewerage system.
Recommended.

The Marina El Folch was recommended as a simple, clean, bargain place to stay in Barcelona - and it proved to be just that! We had 3 rooms between our party and they were all very clean, spacious enough and with en-suite bathrooms (with a bath) - our rooms also had balcomies which looked out over the marina (Port Vell) which was really good.

The price (we paid €60 a night) did not include breakfast but as there is a supermarket about 2 minutes walk away, this was not a problem. The location is great (in Barcelonetta) and easily accessible to the sites - either by the tourist bus stops (would recommend) or by foot - the Ramblas is about a 10 minute walk along the marina so despite being a busy road, it is a nice area.

The staff were also really friendly and nice, making us feel very welcome. They actually run the Restaurant Peru, and that is how you find "reception" - it is pretty much opposite the old museum. The beach is about 1.5km walk away and there are plenty of eating options nearby.

Be prepared for a run down entrance to the rooms (accessed by a communal building) which does smell of damp - but when you enter the hotel area (through another door) it is immaculate and absolutely fine - just don't be put off by the first incorrect impression!

I would definitely recommend asking for a front room with a balcony overlooking the main road and marina - but it has the usual issue regarding noise (although fine when the patio doors are shut) - so if you sleep very lightly, maybe a back room would be better.

All in all, we had a great stay and would definitely go back there if we were to return to Barcelona.