Flateli Santa Clara 01

the bells!

very difficult doors to the bathroom

The location is perfect, close to all the places of interest.

The property is difficult to be located as number sign too obscure. There is a foul smell in the room throughout my stay. There is no elevator, carrying luggage to the property is challenging. There are flies in the property though my windows closed all the time.

This place is really great. It is located in an old townhouse in Girona's Barrio Vell. The apartment looks as if it is recently renovated, but traditional details such as old windows, a tile floor, and wooden ceiling still remain. Altogether the interior feels tasteful to me, renovation has been done with a good eye for detail. At 50 sqm it is spacious enough for a couple or a family with small children, there is one bedroom and a sofa bed in the living room. The open kitchen is small but well-equipped, and contains a 2 position induction stove, a microwave oven, a Nespresso coffee maker, water cooker, citrus press, a fridge and a freezer, a dishwasher and a washing machine. More than one needs in a region that has the best restaurants in the world, I'd say. Then there is a bedroom with a comfortable bed, and a bedroom with a well-functioning shower. There are two balconies, neither of which has direct sunlight, not very surprising in a densely built old city. Both the living room and the bedroom have airco units, which can be used to heat the place too. I found that during winter these units do not produce even close to enough heat, so the optional electric heater (which was offered at no extra cost) is very useful. The apartment is located on the main shopping street of Girona's Barrio Vell. This means that everything is within walking distance, including the train station, but as there is no nightlife in this street, it gets really quiet at night. The keys to the apartment could be picked up and dropped off at a nearby hotel, which is very convenient. The city of Girona is connected to both AVE and TGV high speed rail networks, with direct trains to distant cities like Madrid and even Paris. Cars can be parked in nearby parking garages for roughly €9 per day. Note that (at least in Saba's garages) parking spots are quite narrow. Large enough for my tiny two-seater, but if you take your Tesla, parking may be tricky.

Nothing to complain then? Of course, there is always something to complain. Communication by the host could be much better. I had asked the host which was the best place to park my car. They immediately offered to arrange a place in a garage for €9 per night. After providing my licence plate number, I heard nothing though. I asked a few more times, but still nothing. As I had already found out how to arrange it myself (it is really easy and works instantly), this was not really an issue in the end. As mentioned, an electric heater was offered at no extra cost. During the first nights of my stay, temperatures dropped to -5C, so I was glad that I ordered it. Upon arrival in the apartment, the heater was not there though. I sent a message to the host, no response (it was a Sunday night, so that made some sense). I sent another message, through their own chat system and through email, on Monday, no response. I am not a person who gets cold easily, but in a Girona winter you just really need a good heater if you want some comfort without having to wear a coat inside your home, so I became quite annoyed. On Tuesday morning I sent another message, which was answered immediately, and when I returned to the apartment after a morning hike, I suddenly entered a warm apartment. As both issues were solved during the first days of my stay, and I stayed nine more nights in the apartment, neither had a real impact on my total experience, but such a good place to stay just needs good customer service too.