Granvia

Pros: Location, value and a mansion of a bygone era. Very clean.
Cons: A little history of the 1870 mansion and an ice machine would be nice.

My wife and I stayed at Gran Via for 2 nights in Sept 2003 before our cruise. Took the train to Placa da Catalunya from the airport( 5 euros for the 2 of us), 5 min walk to the hotel. 110 euros and well worth it. Breakfast buffet was convenient and adequate. The place is a mansion of the past and has character that a new hotel cannot match.
Very close to the Ramblas, skip the Ramblas and go 2 blocks north on the Passeig de Gracia. It has upscale shops,dining, and outdoor entertainment that you will not want to leave. We went to our hotel at 1:00 AM and hated to leave because the place is so beautiful and extremely safe.