 The check out was slightly problematic I booked 7 nights for a set price My room was a classic room by the elevator that had not been upgraded It was shabby in places but was spacious and clean except for the carpet which needed a good shampoo or maybe it was just showing its age Anyway that was not a very bid deal 3 days into my stay there was a water problem requiring shut off I was not advised of this until I found a repairman in my room fixing things He said the water would run yellow for a short time In fact it ran dark orange with sandy sediment for 36 hours I had to shower at the spa Finally I went to the front desk and politely asked about the dark orange water and they very kindly offered to upgrade me to a refurbished room at the same price They offered this of their own accord and were very friendly and apologetic I can t say enough abou the friendliness and professionalism of the staff They are just great However when I checked out I was surprised at the final amount It was almost 1000 Euros more than the amount quoted by Billing com I asked to see the bill before paying as they did not present me first with an itemized bill The bill showed a rate of 422 Euros per night for the upgraded room and they tried to charge me that rate double the price of the booking com rate on the basis that I had changed rooms So I had to explain everything the problem with the water the offer of a free upgrade to a new person at the desk who was skeptical and so then I had to get out my booking com confirmation and insist politely that the Booking com rate be adhered to Finally she agreed but it was concerning to me that they had not entered the correct rate in the first place I I have stayed at many Fairmont hotels and they always present an itemized bill first before asking for the payment Often this bill is delivered the night before checkout 
 The large pool was great in the hot weather The adjoining restaurant The Terrace is very pleasant and the food is good The staff did their utmost to please and were very friendly helpful and professional I really enjoyed the level of service offered The main bar is quite impressive My upgraded room had a great view and the classic room view was fine too A classic room appears to be a room that has not yet been upgraded however it was more than adequate for the price I had asked to be on an upper floor and this was not a problem This is a large conference hotel so there are large groups of business people who use the hotel and give it a lively atmosphere There is lovely large garden with shade and benches near the second pool Proximity to the metro this large hotel is not located downtown but a short walk to the Metro station gives you many bus choices as well as the opportunity to take the L3 metro line straight to Passeig de Gracia I took the Metro all over the city and often on the spur of the moment 