W Hotel Barcelona Before a Cruise: Is It Worth €750 a Night?
Is the W Hotel Barcelona worth it before a cruise? Yes, if you want to start your holiday early with a bit of luxury, and I'd stay again. But it isn't cheap. I paid €750 for one night in a Premier Sky King room with a marina view. And it isn't as close to the cruise port as it looks. My taxi to the terminal took 10 to 20 minutes depending on traffic and cost about €45.
So it's a fabulous beachfront hotel with two pools, a beach area and a great breakfast. It's just not the most convenient hotel for the ship. Below I walk you through it in the order I experienced it, from check-in to waking up and spotting Legend of the Seas from my window, with the real prices and the honest downsides.
In this article
What is check-in like at the W Barcelona?
First impressions are good. The lobby is a grand atrium and it's an awesome space, and it looks just as good at night.
Expect a bit of a wait if you arrive at peak check-in or check-out time, though. Official check-in is 3pm. We arrived early, so the hotel offered to store our bags and we went straight out to use the facilities. That's exactly what you want on a pre-cruise day. You're not stuck in the lobby, you're by the pool.
What are the pools like at the W Barcelona?
There are two pool areas, the Wet Deck and the Sun Deck, and they have quite different feels.
The Wet Deck is the social one. There's a very large upper sun-lounging space with sunbeds, umbrellas and pool towels provided. That upper deck overlooks the main pool deck, and the main pool deck overlooks the beach. There's also a seating area with food and drink service, and when I was there a DJ was playing. It's a very laid-back pool party vibe. Sunshine, nice music, good views. I was definitely getting in the mood for the cruise.
The Sun Deck is tucked away. You walk past an alcove of some very oddly spaced-out lounge pods, interpret those as you will, and come out at an infinity pool overlooking the beach, with more sunbeds and umbrellas. It's serene and certainly more private than the Wet Deck. The two sections are joined by stairs, so it's easy to move between them.
Pool food and drink. The menu is the same at both pools and there's service to your sunbed. Prices are in euros, of course. I'd call them average: not extortionate, but not the cheapest in the city. The service and presentation justify the price, I think. I had a hamburger with fries, which had good flavour, and a salad with sweet potato, asparagus and puffed rice.
Does the W Barcelona have its own beach?
Sort of. From the lobby you go down to the lower ground floor, and the doors lead out to the beach. There are showers and changing rooms along the corridor, which is handy if you're checking out and still want a swim.
On the beach itself the W has laid on sunloungers, umbrellas and towels, with a towel station, and the pool menu carries over, so you can order food and drink down there too. The private area is sort of barricaded by rocks, so it's not direct access onto the sand, but you can easily walk around them.
One thing to know: the restaurants you pass along that lower-level stretch aren't directly affiliated with the hotel. So don't assume everything near the W is the W.
Is breakfast good at the W Barcelona?
Yes, and there are two venues, which surprised me.
Fire is the bigger one and a stand-out buffet. In the evenings it's a flame-grill restaurant specialising in meat dishes, with vegetarian options too, and the menu looked really good. In the mornings there's a lot of choice: cheeses, breads, yoghurt, cereal and fruit. But there are no cooked items on the buffet, so no scrambled eggs sitting out. Instead there's a menu of cooked-to-order dishes, and coffee and juice are served at the table. I had the Spanish tortilla with tomato sauce and the avocado toast. Simple, but delicious.
Salt, the Mediterranean restaurant and beach club, hosts the second breakfast. There are more cooked options on the buffet here, but no cooked-to-order menu.
Is breakfast included? Not as standard in the room rate, so check when you book. Mine was included because I'm a Marriott Bonvoy member, so check what your own membership level gets you before you pay extra.
Coya is a Peruvian restaurant in a space that looks like a completely different planet. It isn't unique to this hotel, as there are Coya restaurants around the world. It looks very interesting, but I'll have to save it for next time.
The W Lounge is in the lobby, near the entrance to the pool deck. It's very cosy, with a water feature, lounge seating and its own bar. At night there's a DJ, and it's a chilled place to meet up before dinner.
Noxe is on the 26th floor, and it's worth going up even for one drink. On the way the light feature is in motion on the walls and the floor, which is really cool. Noxe is a Japanese restaurant, a cocktail lounge and a nightclub. We didn't eat, but we sampled some of the Japanese-inspired cocktails, and the menu was really inventive.
You don't use the normal hotel lifts for Noxe. Entry is from the lobby, where a bouncer gives access to a dedicated lift. If there's a cover charge, hotel guests don't have to pay it.
What is the Premier Sky King room like?
Now, the most important part of a hotel: the room. First impressions were modern, minimalist and functional.
Storage. The wardrobes are certainly big enough, with a luggage rack, bathrobes and a hairdryer, plus shelves with a built-in safe. Good storage, but they sit in a narrow hallway and open outwards. I wish they had sliding doors.
The bed and tech. The bed sits in the middle of the room facing the window, and the bedding is good quality. The low-hanging lighting is a nice design feature, if not very practical. The TV is on the side wall and angles out toward the bed. There are USB and European sockets on both sides of the bed, and the lighting controls are on both sides too. With one touch you can close the curtains, switch on do-not-disturb, or pick low light, full light or reading mode, and the blackout curtains work well.
Minibar and drinks. There's a desk with some reference books and two complimentary bottles of water. The minibar has full-size bottles with prices listed. The tetra packs of water, coffee and tea are complimentary, but every other drink and snack is charged. I love the Smeg kettle. I hate having to run water through a coffee machine to make tea, so a proper kettle is great. The downside is the fridge is full of miniatures and full-size bottles, so there's no empty fridge space for your own things.
The bathroom. This is a neat design. The bathroom area sits in one corner of the room, and you can leave it open or close it off with smooth sliding doors. (Which makes me ask again: why couldn't the wardrobe have these doors?) The sink is a beautiful blue marble with brass-effect fittings, and you get complimentary slippers and toiletries. There are two separate doors, one for the toilet and one for the shower. The shower is very large, with a bench, a hand-held spray and an overhead rain shower.
Can you see the cruise ships from the W Barcelona?
Yes, if you get a marina view. When I booked, I specifically requested a high-floor marina view. I'm a bit of a cruise ship spotter, and I love waking up on embarkation day and seeing my ship waiting for me.
Sure enough, there was Legend of the Seas, the newest ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet. If you zoom in with a camera you can even double-check which terminal she's at, which is useful because there were quite a few ships in that day. The marina view is nice regardless. The other room views are of the city or the beach.
There are also triple-aspect views from the hallway by the lifts, and binoculars set up there, which is a nice touch because you can see a long way from up there. It's a good spot to get your bearings and some inspiration for exploring Barcelona.
Embarkation morning: Legend of the Seas waiting at the cruise terminal.
Sailing on Legend? My Legend of the Seas guide covers the ship in full.
How far is the W Barcelona from the cruise port?
This is where my review is mixed. The location itself is absolutely fabulous. You're right on the waterfront, right on Barcelona's Sant Sebastià beach, at the end of the lively La Barceloneta neighbourhood. There's a long, wide promenade, and Barceloneta is full of bars, seafood restaurants and plenty of entertainment.
But it looks much closer to the cruise port than it is. From your window the ships seem a short hop across the water. By road, though, the drive goes all the way round the waterfront. My taxi to the terminal took 10 to 20 minutes, depending on traffic and road closures, and cost about €45.
So if you want the shortest, cheapest transfer to the ship, the W isn't the best-located hotel for the cruise port. Budget the time and the fare, and don't cut it fine on embarkation morning. Check-out is 12pm, so you can have a relaxed breakfast and still get to the terminal for a midday boarding slot.
For the terminals, shuttle and getting around, see my Barcelona cruise port guide, which also covers how to make the most of a short stay in the city.
How much does the W Barcelona cost, and how do you get the best rate?
I paid €750 for one night in a Premier Sky King room with a marina view, on the 10th floor or above. That's the higher end of the scale for Barcelona. To put it in cruise terms, though, it was no more than the per-night cost of a Royal Caribbean cruise for two.
A few booking tips from my stay:
Book in advance for the best availability, and therefore the best rates. The hotel's website lets you compare dates.
Higher floors cost more. Rooms on higher floors are charged at a premium, then suites and rooms with terraces go up again.
Ask for a marina view if you want to see your ship. It's the view cruisers will want.
Check your Marriott Bonvoy benefits. Breakfast isn't standard in the rate, but my membership got it included.
The gym is included. The spa costs extra.
You can check rates and room types on the official W Barcelona page on Marriott.
W Barcelona pros and cons for cruisers
Pros | Cons |
Right on the beach in Barceloneta, a fabulous location | Not as close to the cruise port as it looks: 10 to 20 min taxi, about €45 |
Marina view rooms can see the cruise ships | €750 a night is the top end for Barcelona |
Two pools: a lively Wet Deck and a quieter Sun Deck infinity pool | Check-in queues at peak times |
Bags stored on early arrival so you can use the facilities | Breakfast not included as standard |
Excellent breakfast at Fire, with cooked-to-order dishes | Wardrobe doors in a narrow hallway, and no empty fridge space |
Smart room: one-touch lighting and curtains, Smeg kettle, huge shower | Pool food priced average, not cheap |
Noxe on the 26th floor, no cover charge for hotel guests | Spa costs extra |
Who should book the W Barcelona before a cruise?
Book it if you want to start the holiday a day early with some luxury, you'd rather spend your pre-cruise afternoon by a pool or on the beach than walking round the city, and you love the idea of waking up and seeing your ship from the window.
Skip it if your priority is the quickest, cheapest transfer to the terminal, or if €750 a night would eat into your onboard budget. You'll be paying for the beach, the pools and the experience, not for convenience to the port.
So, would I stay again? Yes. It's a striking building that reflects all of Barcelona from its windows, the facilities are excellent, and it put me in the holiday mood before I'd even boarded. Overall, I'm glad I stayed here. I'd book it again for my next Barcelona sailing. I'd just leave myself a bit more time for that taxi.
Have you stayed at the W before a cruise, or somewhere you'd recommend instead? Let me know in the comments.
Frequently asked questions
How far is the W Barcelona from the cruise port?
It looks very close from the hotel, but the drive goes round the waterfront. My taxi from the W to the cruise terminal took 10 to 20 minutes, depending on traffic and road closures.
How much is a taxi from the W Barcelona to the cruise terminal?
I paid about €45 for the taxi from the W to the cruise terminal. Fares will vary with traffic and the terminal your ship uses.
Is the W Barcelona a good hotel before a cruise?
Yes, if you want luxury, pools and a beach the day before you sail. It's not the most convenient hotel for the cruise port, so choose it for the experience rather than the transfer.
Can you see the cruise ships from the W Barcelona?
Yes, from a marina view room. I requested a high-floor marina view and could see Legend of the Seas at the cruise terminal on embarkation morning. Other rooms face the city or the beach.
Does the W Barcelona include breakfast?
Not as standard in the room rate, so check when you book. My breakfast was included as a Marriott Bonvoy member. Breakfast is served at Fire and at Salt.
Is the W Barcelona on the beach?
Yes. It's right on Sant Sebastià beach at the end of La Barceloneta. The hotel has its own sunloungers, umbrellas and towels on the beach, with food and drink service.
What time is check-in and check-out at the W Barcelona?
Check-in is 3pm and check-out is 12pm. We arrived early and the hotel stored our bags so we could use the pools before our room was ready.
Does the W Barcelona have a rooftop bar?
Yes. Noxe on the 26th floor is a Japanese restaurant, cocktail lounge and nightclub, reached by a dedicated lift from the lobby. Hotel guests don't pay a cover charge if there is one.
Is the gym free at the W Barcelona?
Yes, the gym is included for hotel guests. The spa costs extra.
Where is the best place to stay in Barcelona before a cruise?
It depends on your priority. The W is the pick for a luxury beach stay, but if you want the quickest transfer, look at hotels nearer the port. My Barcelona cruise port guide covers getting to the terminals.
