The AC Hotel Sant Cugat is a member of the Marriott Hotels Group on the outskirts of Barcelona. This AC Hotel is a convenient distance from the airport and the city center and is ideal if you want to head out for a road trip the next morning.
I was at the Sulphur World Symposium for three days and decided to make this business trip a leisure holiday by tagging on a couple of days holiday after the conference. So I booked a night at the AC Hotel Sant Cugat and rented a car for a weekend from Thrifty to discover the north of Catalonia.
The car rental turned into a disaster and a rip-off, but the hotel was very good and the road trip otherwise worked out perfectly.
What You Will Learn
In this article you will learn how to get to the AC Hotel Sant Cugat and what I enjoyed most during my stay at the hotel.
Tips
If you are renting a car then I would recommend picking up your car on your last night and booking a hotel somewhere on the outskirts. So basically spend a few nights in Barcelona discovering the city without a car and then rent a car to drive to the countryside.
That’s because parking will be free and much less of a hassle in the suburbs plus you won’t need to contend with the traffic jams coming out of town in the morning. This is what I did and it worked fine. I set the car pick-up time for 8PM and drove to Sant Cugat after.
Finding the AC Hotel Sant Cugat
Finding the AC Hotel Sant Cugat is super easy as it is near one of the major motorways. As you come out of the airport get on Freeway C-31 then join the bypass around Barcelona in the direction of the north towards Sant Cugat.
Get off the motorway when you see signs for Sant Cugat Central/Bellaterra/Asepeyo. The hotel will be on your right on Avinguda de la Generalitat next to RTVE Catalunya.
First Impressions
It was not my first time at an AC Hotel and I booked it because I know it is good value for money. For weekends their price tends to be very low and they offer the same good quality rooms as you would expect from a Marriott Hotel. The total for the night came to €47.82, which was an absolute bargain!
Entering the Hotel
There is a huge roundabout here with parking all around it. These car parks are used by the employees of the local TV station and other offices and they are pretty empty after 5PM so there will be plenty of spots for your car.
The main entrance of the hotel has a big glass sliding door. The reception will be on your right as you enter and on the left will be some sofas.
The Lobby Area
What really impressed me were the brightly lit spaces, the natural colors of the furniture and the general airy feel to the public areas.
The corner of the lobby felt so inviting I took a photo immediately! Otherwise the area was super quiet with almost no traffic of any kind and no noises from outside.
Checking In
The receptionist was very welcoming and made me feel home immediately and gave some tips to drive the next day. It was getting late by then so I got the keys to the room quickly and went upstairs to have a shower and relax after a busy conference.
The Lift and Public Areas
There was a lift in front of the sofas you can see on this picture. It was pretty fast taking me upstairs to the top floor. I always request a room on a high floor at the back of the hotel and far away from a lift as they tend to be the quietest.
Inside the Room
The room was a nice size space and the TV was already on when I entered. I really like when the TV is on the hotel’s private channel saying “Welcome Janos” or something similar. Not all hotels do it but I like those that do because they also show pictures of other hotels and the music they play also tends to be good.
It was April when I stayed here so I did not need the heating or the aircon. Instead, I opened the window to listen to the sounds of the outside.
The Bed
The bed was a pretty big double bed with four pillows and a king-size duvet. I really liked it and after a quick shower I immediately went to bed and changed to CNN which is my favourite hotel TV channel.
The bed was really comfortable and it had the pillows I requested: I always ask for non-feather filling and firm pillows and Marriott always delivers it. I don’t know how they do it even when I book the room an hour before arrival.
The Rest of the Bedroom
There was a small round table in front of a leather armchair on the left of the bed. The desk was in front of the bed with a flat screen TV above the desk. There was a couple of bedside cabinets on each side of the bed and the floor had laminate covering.
There were light switches on either side of the bed with a plug on each side which is super handy for charging your phone.
The telephone was also next to the bed which I find very convenient as I hate getting up looking for a phone when I have a question.
Wifi in the Room
The wifi was fast enough to watch a couple of youtube videos, read the news and send emails.
The Bathroom
The bathroom was simple but a convenient size – I didn’t need to squeeze into the shower or mind my elbow anywhere.
The sink and work surface was a single plastic mould with a couple of glasses on top and the usual toiletries. I still have the soap that I found here – it smells really good.
The shower was behind a glass panel and the water was hot immediately – I didn’t have to wait for it to warm up. The walls had clean, cream coloured tiles and the grouting was clean from mould – nothing worse than finding mould in the bathroom!
The hotel provided several towels which is handy if you want to also use the in-house swimming pool downstairs.
The Gym and Swimming Pool
There is a small gym on site with a running machine, some weights and an outdoor swimming pool. I didn’t use any of these facilities but they are there if you need them.
Overall Impressions
I was very impressed with this hotel and what it had to offer. I didn’t feel I was treated any differently even though I was paying the price I normally pay in a youth hostel for a bunk bed in Switzerland. They met all my requirements and I will definitely go back if I am in Barcelona again.
Hotel Membership Scheme
I am a member of the Marriott Rewards Program and they give you points at this location too. The receptionist recognised me as a member and I collected a small amount of points which went toward booking a free night at another AC Hotel in Seville later that year.