Win a free stay in Barcelona with NNHotels

Once again, NN Hotels is giving a free stay to one of our guests, who shared with us his / her review after staying in Barcelona.

This time the lucky winner is: Jesús Martínez, who posted his comments on the Spanish version of our blog. Congratulations!!!!
He will be soon emailed with the details of his Free Stay at B-Hotel.

We continue encouraging our guests to express their opinions about our nine centrally located hotels in Barcelona, and on July 1st 2010 we will give another free stay, this time at Hotel Jazz, just next to Plaza Catalunya.

The prize consists of:

• A two nights stay in at Hotel Jazz with Breakfast included.
• Welcome Drink at the Jazz Bar.
• To be used between: July 1st and September 30th 2010 (subject to availability).
• No changes can be made once the reservation has been confirmed.
• The prize can not be used in conjunction with other item or goods.
• The prize can not be exchanged for any other item or goods.
• The prize is personal and non-transferable.

Only people who have already stayed in one of our nine hotels and post a review on the blog are eligible for the prize. Winners will be advised via e-mail and their name and surname will be published on the blog.

If you have any queries, please send a message to the following address: newsletter@nnhotels.com

Swatch FIVB Beach Volley World Tour’09

Everything is ready at the Magic Fountain of Montjuic for the Hyundai Open Barcelona, the Spanish stop most event titles in a season. Players have enjoyed training on an amazing scenery, including local ones Esther Alcon and Olga Matveeva. The winners of Spanish Championship last weekend, Liliana Fernandez Steiner-of the SWATCH FIVB World Tour, where the Brazilian Larissa Franca and Juliana Felisberta will look for a record for Elsa Baquerizo, are also arrived to Barcelona.

From 8th – 13th September the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc (la Font Màgica de Montjuïc) will be home, for the second year running, to the women’s stop of the Swatch FIVB Beach Volley World Tour’09. Entrance is free – seating is limited to the capacity of the enclosure.

125 players from 50 countries, 4 playing courts, more than 100 games and 200,000 dollars in prizes are some the numbers in this event with the best beach volleyball in the world. The building operatives have started to pour the 1.500 tones of silica sand that will cover over the four competition tracks and the training track. Together with the five tracks, the tiers of seats for 3.000 spectators were also built.

NN Hotels: www.nnhotels.com | B-Hotel is our nearest hotel is located in Plaza Espanya, only 3 minutes walking to Magic Fountain of Montjuic.

Next BAM 2009 Festival

The 17th BAM, which takes place between 23 and 26 September, will be offering over sixty concerts spread around various venues, like Plaça Reial, Parc del Fòrum and the new stage on Rambla del Raval. With little over a month remaining before the start of BAM, the festival line-up continues to grow as more artists confirm they will be taking part.

Just a few weeks ago we learnt the Swedish band The Hives, Catalan pop phenomenon Manel, The Vision & The Dancers, creators of the song of the summer, Billie, and home-grown folk group El Petit de Cal Eril will be setting foot on one of the BAM 2009 stages.

Now there are more confirmations. Musicians from around the world have a notable role in the festival programme, which this year includes Cui Jian, pioneer of rock&roll in China, DJ Shantel, who will be bringing his Balkan rhythms, and Terry Lynn, a Jamaican who is redefining reggae.

Like every year there will be a good representation from the Catalan and Spanish scenes, with the presence of Barcelona band Inspira, Pájaro Sunrise from Leon, with their lively pop, and post-punk band CatPeople.

The American indie scene is sending two big names to BAM: The Duke & The King, the band of Simone Felice from The Felice Brothers, and Dirty Projectors, one of the revelations of the year.

Completing the bill we have Estanislau Verdet, The Pepper Pots, Calima, La Kinky Beat and Rock de Souk, who will be presenting Nour, Speed Caravan and Rabah Donquishoot.

BAM Festival (myspace)  |  NN Hotels: www.nnhotels.com

Parc de la Ciutadella & Yoga studio.

Yoga is an oriental discipline that is thousands of years old and gradually spreading to Western culture. A product of Hinduism, it seeks to connect the unconscious and conscious mind, while uniting mind and body.

It works on the physical body but also on the endocrine glands and internal organs with the aim of keeping the body healthy, achieving physical as well as mental and spiritual health, and personal realisation.

Yoga mixes sport, meditation and relaxation and, apart from generating energy and vitality, it also helps to reduce stress.

Taking advantage of the good weather, Parc de la Ciutadella is turning itself into an improvised yoga studio, where you can learn to relax to the singing of the birds while you recharge your batteries.

Amelie Strecker and Raphaella Rose are two teachers who teach various techniques and yoga exercises every Tuesday and Thursday in August, starting at 11am.

A yoga class involves a succession of exercises combining postures, movements, and breathing and sight control. Each exercise is followed by a short relaxation that serves to introduce the next.

Links:

• Web de Amelie Strecker
• Web de Raphaella Rose

Apart from the morning classes, you can also go to Parc de la Ciutadella on Wednesdays at 7pm for an evening class charged with energy and strength.

NN Hotels: www.nnhotels.com

Grazie BHotel Barcellona

bellissimo e confortevole hotel!! siamo stati 5 giorni al B Hotel con due bambini ed è stato un piacevolissimo soggiorno: camere silenziose, confortevoli e pulite, un’ottimo servizio per il bar e la colazione, una piscina magnifica per rilassarsi e rinfrescarsi dopo i tour per barcellona ed infine una posizione unica per comodità negli spostamenti.

Grazie BHotel e a presto.

Recensione scritta da paolo, August 2009.

website: www.b-hotel.com

Festa Major in Sants (city festival).

 During seven days, the neighbourhood will swell with loads of activities for the whole family. A dozen streets in all will be decorated, taking part in the traditional street-decoration competition, while there will be concerts on every day, parades, ‘correfocs’ or running fireworks, eating fests, workshops and gamesworkshops for young and old and plenty of music are just some of the ingredients you’ll find filling Sants’ streets with life until 29 August.

There’ll also be the ‘correfoc’ or running fireworks, the Diada Castellera and the Festa Major concert performed by the Barcelona Municipal Band. Also taking place will be the traditional International Chess Open, a cycling race and a Sardana festival, in addition to musical performances going on throughout the neighbourhood’s streets and squares.

More info: www.bcn.es

NN Hotels: www.nnhotels.com

Dalí sketch for the Marx Brothers on exhibit

Salvador Dalí and the Marx Brothers were planning to do a film together. It would be titled ”Surreal Women” and the argument focused on two women: a high-class snob and a woman daydreaming in the ethereal world of the genius of the Empordà. One of the drawings that Dalí made for the film can be seen from 20 August at Púbol Castle, and later will move to the Dalí Museum in Figueres.

“Surrealist Piano” is a drawing with charcoal and pastel to Salvador Dalí painted in 1937. The work was made during a trip to the United States. There, the artist met the Marx Brothers and decided to collaborate together in a film. This picture is a testimony that proves the link to the artist with Marx.

The picture is displayed from Thursday at the workshop of the artist, in Púbol. When the summer season finishes, it will be moved to the Museum in Figueres. The work adds to the over 300 pieces of Dalí Foundation has acquired since 1991.

More inf@: Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí

Barcelona enhanced by Hotel Europark

We stayed in Barcelona for 7 days at the Europark and our holiday was absolutely enhanced by staying at the Hotel Europark.

It is a very modern, clean and friendly hotel with very stylish rooms. We booked the Superior rooms but they were of a much higher standard than the 3* the Hotel carries. Location is excellent, it is 10 mins walk from the main shopping area and 15 mins walk from La Ramblas, but itself is in a nice quiet location.

Breakfast was also excellent and set us up for a good days sightseeing in the City. Our rooms had good air con, safe at no cost and reasonably priced Mini-bar.
All in all I would highly recommend.

Experience sent by Chris Kenyon, Aug 09.

From New Zealand to Hotel Jazz Barcelona

My husband and I heard about Hotel Jazz from a travel column in our newspaper in New Zealand.
It was a great location and the room,facilities, pool and staff were really wonderful. It was excellent value for money and we would always recommend it to anyone travelling to the fantastic city of Barcelona!
We would certainly stay there again.

Experience added by Wendy Cooper, Aug 09.

Swing in Barcelona

Lindy Hop classes, face painting workshops, dance, concerts, etc. and all that with swing in the background. That’s what you’ll find in Plaça del Diamant during the Gràcia Festival, during which it will become the Plaça del Swing (Swing Square).

The music will be provided by Johnny Branchizio & The Lindy Hop Connection, the Ivanow Jazz Group, Lush Five, S’Arrual, The Swinging Singers, Jove Combo and Cabo San Roque, while there will also be musical performances with puppets for little children, theatrical performances and swing workshops for everyone.

Where: Plaça del Diamant,
Gràcia District.
When: Gràcia Festival week,
August 15th - 21st.
Cost: Free activities.

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