Very stylish hotel. Rooms with view over Barcelona, glass bathrooms, very good bed. Lobby with small but nice bar. Small pool and restaurant on top of the roof with a terrific view over Barcelona. People are young, friendly and service is good. From here you can go by tram to the city and to the beach.

My brother and I stayed at the Silken for five days NYE 2012. We had a wonderful time. The Silken is a beautiful hotel and is centrally located. The hotel rooms are very modern and nice 7 out of 10. We did have an issue with the heating the first night but the maintence staff jumped right on it, The glass shower was a little disconcerting but we managed. Directly across the street is a mall with numerous retail stores, restaurants and a grocery store. The first couple days we took cab rides around the city until we learned how convenient the bus system is in Barcelona. The #7 bus has a stop across the street from the hotel and takes you directly to Las Ramblas the heart of the city....this is where we spent most of our time during our stay as there is so much to do in this area of the city. I highly recommend this hotel....I would go back.

If you do not want to have a feeling that you have overpaid for the hotel and have not got the expected value for the money you've paid - I really recommend you to stay at "Silken Diagonal".
The liocation is good - 3 min walking distance from metro station Glories +3 or 4 stops to the very center of Barcelona.15-20 min walk (or 3 stops by metro) to Sagrada Familia. Tourist bus stop is just opposite the hotel dore across the road. We were using this bus during 2 days. This is the "City tour", absolutely the same logic as in London, by double deckers. Tickets and earphones are available on board. Excursions are provided in the majority of languages. In the bus you will get a small book with a lot of supplementary discounts for the sightseengs and restaurants/bars in Barcelona.
Shopping Center Glories is situated in front of the hotel, also across the road. Honestly, I did not find "Glories" very interesting from shopping perspective :) but there are a lot of small restaurants and bars to stay in the evening if do not want to move away from the hotel.
Our room was reasonably big and always clean. The beds were comfortable. Soundproofing is good. Interesting design of the hotel from inside.
Just for the traveller information as this is not a unique set provided in the hotel of this level. Provided: shower gel, shampoo, soap, shaving set and AS lotion, shower cap, toothbrush/paste, comb, sponges.
Not provided: slippers (indoor shoe).
If I try to see where I can find the weaknesses - this is probably that reception is always busy - a lot of people. But I do not think this is the significant point.
I definitely recommend this hotel for the tourists with and without children.

The Silken Diagonal is an ideal place to stay for a city break. The location is a new modern business district, quiet with no street noise which means that sleep quality is very good. The hotel is walkable to Sagrada Familia (20 mins) city centre (45) but taxis are plentiful outside and reasonably priced in Barcelona which makes getting about affordable. The tourist bus stops opposite the hotel and the tickets can be conveniently bought at reception.
The hotel is right next to the Torre Agbar tower which is beautiful at night lit up all different colours and can be viewed up close from the rooftop decking leisure area Floor 10. There is a small dipping pool up there also which would probably be very crowded in the high season. The tower is also useful if you are out walking as you can find your way back.
We arrived for a break over New Year and found the reception very nicely decorated for the Festive Season and the staff at reception very helpful and friendly. We were instructed how to use the (3) lifts and if the instructions are followed the lifts are fast and easy to operate. The room itself was comfortable quite basic but the bed was large and very comfy. The bathroom was the weak link though - bath & shower quite awkward to operate and shower screen fixed which made it more so. We did not find the glass wall a problem at all (see other reviews) as there is a screen and the toilet cubicle itself is private, but we thought the glass bathroom door was a hazard so kept that open all the time in order not to walk into it. We did not have breakfast in the hotel as at 18 euros each its pricey, but there are several cafes & Starbucks just across the road at the Glories Mall and a large Carrefour supermarket where breakfast items could be found so plenty of choice.
To conclude we intend to stay again at the Diagonal as we found it a lovely hotel, clean, modern and ideal as a base to explore the city and comfortable to return to after doing that. The Mall is very convenient for anything you need. The hotel would also be ideal for a business trip. We loved it.