Just returned from a 5 day stay at the Covadonga. Had a great time as the hotel is not too close to the hustle and bustle of the center of town, yet easely accessible by bus and/or subway to where ever you want to get to. 25 minutes away from the airport. Very spacious room, in our case for three adults. Three very comfortable twin beds and a roomy bathroom!! Not luxurious, but spotless clean. Rooms were done daily at our request. Breakfast was a bit expensive especially for those of us who aren't used to a heavy meal in the morning. We didn't mind the room with no view since by the time we got back from our outings all we wanted was the comfort and space we got. I would certainly recommend and would stay again in this hotel!!

Really enjoyed the stay and even used the free lobyy-only wif-fi on my Blackberry while sipping the free glass of cava provided!

Stayed here on business while attending a trade show in Barcelona. I had a double room on the 5th floor facing the street with a nice balcony. I wear ear plugs at night, but you may find it noisy if you wake easily so bring ear plugs. My double room was clean and a decent size for Europe. My bed was clean and comfortable, though the bedspread was outdated. The bathroom fixtures were updated and was clean and roomy. The carpet had stains so I guess they haven't upgraded the carpets in a while. My colleague stayed in a single room -- it was tiny, fitting not much else other than the twin bed and night stand, though the bathroom was an ok size. The buffet breakfast was very good with a large selection. If you want scrambled eggs or an omlette they will make it for you on request. The hotel staff was pleasant and responsive and didn't charge me to print out some documents. The location is good. It's on a well-known street and centrally located, near lots of shops and restaurants. Across the street is a large multi-level shopping mall. There is no metro within 1 or 2 blocks, but my colleague said he walked 10 minutes to a metro, so maybe that is close enough for some people. It was very easy to get a taxi in front of the hotel. They offer free Internet in the rooms (ADSL, they provide the wire). I had some trouble connecting, but my colleagues said it was just me! They also have free WiFi in the reception area and restaurant. Overall a pretty good experience!

Overall it was fine for a budget hotel, but if I went back again I would find a hotel that was within easier walking distance to the center of town. Highly recommend taking the "blue line and red line" bus tours where you can hop on and off all day. There is so much to see in Barcelona, we just loved it. Great weather in October, though we did get one day of rain. Here are my main pros/cons for this hotel:

Pros
- Very large room and bathroom
- Window that opens and air conditioning
- Keycard needed to power room (very energy efficient)
- Large bath towels
- Lots of good restaurants, coffee shops, and shopping nearby
- Good access to public transportation and tour bus stops
- Decent breakfast with lots of options, including made-to-order eggs, bacon, etc.
- Enough electrical outlets to plug in various devices
- Price
- Staff helpful for sightseeing advice

Cons
- No coffee maker, clock radio, or fridge
- Horrible pillows
- Terrible view out our window--our room looked out into a central area between buildings, and you could see directly into the rooms across the way, forcing us to keep our drapes closed when we were in the room
- Room appearance was utilitarian looking and dreary; hotel in general was a little dreary and dated
- A bit too far to walk to walk to central Barcelona attractions