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Tag Archives for BCN.

Review: Sala VIP Miro Lounge @ BCN Terminal 1

by Harlan 2 Comments

a room with chairs and a railing

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“Yo, dude, Harlan. Haven’t you been back from Barcelona for like, 2 months? When you gonna wrap up the Barcelona posts?”

“I knowww. This is it. Last one, I promise!”

But for real. As I get ready to head to Tokyo, I figured I should finally put the lid on the Barcelona series. For now at least. :p

Before flying back to New York in American Airlines Business Class, I made sure to put my Priority Pass (that came with my Citi Prestige card) to good use by making a visit to the Sala VIP Miro lounge @ BCN.

Sala VIP Miro lounge

Sala VIP Miro lounge

I was able to access it with a guest for free. I added this visit to the Citi Prestige by the Numbers page.

The Sala VIP Miro lounge

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10 (More) Cool Things To Do in Barcelona

by Harlan 10 Comments

people walking on a beach with palm trees and people walking

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Out and Out is excited to present a guest post!

Travels of Adam is written by Adam, who writes about travel with an emphasis on the LGBT community.

Adam got in touch after my post about fun things to do in Barcelona went up. He’s traveled there more extensively, so I thought it would be fun to share his Barcelona tips with you guys.

It’s awesome to have another voice on here! And if you’re a blogger or writer, or have a cool story to share, get in touch because I’d love to share more guest posts!

Without further delay, I’ll let Adam whisk you away to Barcelona.

10 Cool Things To Do in Barcelona by Travels of Adam

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10 Fun Things to Do in Barcelona

by Harlan 4 Comments

a tall metal object in front of a building

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I had a great time in Barcelona and wanted to share some adventures that rounded out the trip.

Barcelona reminded me of Paris in lots of ways: the buildings, the twisty-turny side streets, the grand thoroughfares, and the dozens of cafes lining every street.

Lemme go ahead and set the tone here

Lemme go ahead and set the tone here

But it was decidedly very different. The Mediterranean replaces the River Seine as the city’s main waterway, the food had a much different focus, and the city itself has wayyyy different attractions. Including a few things you can’t do, get, or see anywhere else in the world.

Here are a few things I loved about Barcelona.

10 Fun Things to Do in Barcelona

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Hotel Review: Alexandra Doubletree Barcelona, Dream Suite

by Harlan 8 Comments

a room with a bed and a couch

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I wrote about my experience arriving and checking-in to the Alexandra Barcelona, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel.

Lobby of the Alexandra Doubletree Barcelona

Lobby of the Alexandra Doubletree Barcelona

It couldn’t have been better. I was upgraded to a Dream Suite worth ~$1,660 as a Hilton Diamond member.

Now, I want to show you the Dream Suite and review the hotel more in-depth.

The Dream Suite at the Alexandra Doubletree Barcelona

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My Hilton Diamond Experience in Barcelona (With Suite Upgrade Worth Over $1,600!)

by Harlan 14 Comments

a room with a bed and a tv

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I was super looking forward to visiting Barcelona.

From the initial disappointment of not getting the best deal (but still a very good deal) on the flights, to wondering which hotel to stay at, to finally getting a Citi Prestige card and choosing the Alexandra Doubletree, it was a bit of a ride.

In the end, I was able to book 6 nights via Citi Travel Concierge with Hilton’s Winter Sale rate and 4th night free.

Here’s how it all shook out.

Booking by the numbers

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Out and Out Is in Barcelona! Any Must-Dos? (And Updates!)

by Harlan 16 Comments

a group of buildings with balconies

Dear Out and Out readers, I miss you so.

I got to Barcelona (Barcy) Wednesday morning and have spent the past 3 days wandering, sleeping, working, eating (tapas), and drinking (sangria and Spanish wines and local craft beers).

Wandering in the Gothic Quarter

Wandering in the Gothic Quarter

I still have 3 more full days in Barcy and am totally open to ideas about how to fill the time. I’m meeting with friends, and have a few things on my to-do list (on Todoist):

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Restaurants, sites, and things to see. Anything I should add?

I’ll get up tomorrow and see La Sangrada Familia, then maybe head to the Picasso Museum and see the Arc de Triomphe along the way.

Feel free to share any tips about where to go, what to do, or great restaurants you love. I’ll try to work in as many things as possible!

A few updates

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Booking Barcelona: Citi Prestige + Hilton Diamond at Alexandra DoubleTree

by Harlan 4 Comments

a city street with buildings and trees

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The hotel stay for Barcy is all set. And, I booked it – again – with Citi Prestige. I wrote about my first experience booking a hotel room it for Martinique.

View Additional Airline & Frequent Flyer Credit Card Offers Here

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Gonna eat the hell out of that free breakfast

I settled on the Alexandra Barcelona, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel.

I’d originally booked the Hilton Barcelona as a Points & Money reward.

Why the switch?

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Booking Barcelona: A Hilton Points Dilemma

by Harlan 26 Comments

a room with a large ceiling and chairs

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It’s been a minute, but remember when I was tempted by the 75,000 Hilton points signup bonus on the Citi Hilton Visa? And then I went ahead and got it anyway?

OK, flash forward to now. I have the 75,000 Hilton points, and just booked a trip to Barcelona in January.

Those are all great things, so what’s the dilemma?

To Points & Money, or just money?

This is how life has been lately: I think one thing sounds good, then turn it over in my mind and convince myself of its opposite. Then repeat, like an annoying little hamster wheel of indecision.

Why stop now?

Here are my conflicting ideas.

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The setup

Within the image above are the raw materials for a room at the Hilton Barcelona in January. The options are:

  • The room rate at $150 a night, prepaid (AKA $935 for 6 nights after taxes)
  • 30,000 Hilton points a night (AKA 150,000 Hilton points for 6 nights with 5th night free)
  • 12,000 Hilton points + $50 a night (AKA 72,000 Hilton points + $310 for 6 nights)

Pros and cons

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Booking Barcelona: $747 Round-trip in AA Business Class

by Harlan 24 Comments

a colorful tiled rooftops of Park Güell

Like many peeps, I got in on the fantastic British Airways business class fares to Europe.

There were so many ways to stack that it was hard not to.

And, without a trip planned, I was starting to feel weird.

October is the time of year you have to be on alert for a really good deal. And you have to be ready to jump. I knew this one would be fast-moving, and man, it was.

Here’s how my flight plans came together.

1. Messed around with fares

These fares were not kidding around. I casually typed in JFK to BCN not expecting to find much. But wow. The prices were incredible.

Exhibit A

Exhibit A

JFK-BCN was pricing out at $436 round-trip in business class!

Exhibit B

Exhibit B

Literally every date I tried was turning out fares for ~$450, after the AARP and Avios discounts. Just insane.

Your pick of routes, airlines, and connections, too.

2. Gathered Avios/AMEX EFFED ME

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