Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona Hotel Review [American Express The Hotels Collection Stay]

I love Spain — and Barcelona is such a fun city to visit before getting on a cruise ship. I have been to this town several times and it is always a treat. I have stayed in a different hotel each visit, almost always on points, like the AC Marriott Barcelona a few steps away from our last stay, that is, the Hilton Diagonal Mar.

I booked this stay using The Platinum Card® from American Express to get “The Hotels Collection” discount, on-site credit, and other perks.

And it was well worth it.

After a quick Welcome Pickups ride from the airport we were warmly greeted by the hotel staff.

We booked, and received, a king room as a Hilton Diamond.

The room was fine and I am not someone who really cares all that much about hotel room upgrades as I want to spend as little time in my room as possible most stays.

At least we did have a nice view of the sea and Spanish sunsets.

The room was clean and fresh, as was the bathroom.

One thing I will simply never understand about much of Europe is the half-shower glass or doors. Who came up with this as a good idea where half of you is always cold in the shower? Let’s move on.

One of the reasons I love staying up the coast a bit from Barcelona downtown is access to some very nice beaches as well as one of my favorite pizza places anywhere on earth. Plus, and we are talking during COVID for this visit, they have plenty of outdoor seating.

Breakfast was included as part of the booking but also extended to me as a Diamond for the extra night we stayed on points.

I had no complaints about the quality and quantity of choices presented. Spanish meats, cheese, and even the fruit were fresh and tasty. Num!

Another nice feature, since we are in Spain after all, was outdoor seating for breakfast. My wife and I were doing everything possible to avoid others. And the point of this trip was to go on a two-week Mediterranean cruise and it was our first real vacation since COVID began years ago.

Another reason for this hotel choice was the outstanding pool and outdoor space. We wanted to work on getting some sun before our time onboard — and this feature of the hotel did not disappoint. Service was friendly and frequent and as Hilton Diamond we were given a number of snack and drink coupons for each day of our stay.

These snacks may not look amazing but they really were flavorful and a perfect lunchtime option. We used our in-house credits for dinner one night, again outside, by the pool area, and were pleasantly surprised again (I am normally not a fan of hotel food).

Bottom line we had simply an outstanding stay and great value from The Platinum Card® from American Express. I would return to this hotel in a heartbeat; in fact, it may be my new pre-cruise, go-to hotel in Barcelona. After all, there is access to the underground a short walk away should you want to pop into town and so much to enjoy near the hotel itself. Lastly, during COVID, we really did feel safe and were able to avoid getting infected before our cruise and that was the main goal we had to achieve.

Next up: my return to the Norwegian Epic Haven after the full remodel during lockdown. – René

To see rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link. Terms apply.