Tips on Accommodation for the Wedding
We originally had planned to do block booking but found that so many of the guests were planning longer vacations in Barcelona, that it didn't make sense to do a group reservation with all the different schedules. Here, instead, is our advice on booking accommodation for the wedding:
- We strongly advise that you make a hotel reservation by June 15th.
- La Merce (the weekend through Wednesday before the wedding) is one of the busiest times of year. If you're planning to be there then, definitely make reservations as soon as possible.
- Barcelona hotels hold on to rooms months in advance and then release them closer to the booking date. We discovered this while inquiring personally at a number of hotels in our neighborhood about availability during the wedding time. (It turns out the weekend of our wedding also happens to be the same weekend as a large conference. )
What this means: Make reservations now, but if they're cancellable, check again in August- there may be more available rooms and better rate.
- If you're staying for more than 5 days, an apartment may be a better and cheaper choice. There are tons of great apartment companies in Barcelona. AirBnB is another popular options.
- The main area of Barcelona isn't that big. If you're staying in the old city (Barri Gothic, Born), Barceloneta, or Eixample, you'll be reasonably close to everything.
- We tend to use booking.com for hotel bookings and have had good experiences.