Oh-Barcelona / Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Here are the steps from start to finish:

1. Making your reservation

   Have a look through our pages of apartments to find a property you like. Enter your dates and details, and click on ‘book’, which will take you through to our booking form. You will see the full and final price due to be paid both at the top and at the foot of the form. Just fill out all your details, including your payment details, and select ‘book now’ to complete your reservation.

2. Making the pre-payment

   When you book your apartment we’ll ask you to pay an initial amount, called the ‘pre-payment’. You can pay this by credit card or by PayPal.

3. Confirmation of your booking

   We will send you an email confirming your booking, with all the details you need. Please read it carefully and print off this documentation to take with you when you check in to the apartment.

4. Paying the outstanding balance

   In the majority of cases, you will need to pay the outstanding rental and security deposit in cash (and in local currency) when you check in to the apartment.
   
   In a few cases, apartment owners require full payment (the pre-payment and outstanding rental) 45 days in advance of check-in. If this is the case, we’ll request the outstanding rental from you 45 days before you’re due to arrive, which you pay as normal by credit card or PayPal.
   
   Please bear in mind that whichever of these scenarios applies to your apartment, you will always need to pay the security deposit on arrival, in the local currency.

5. Getting the keys

   Please get in touch with your contact person (whose details are included in the confirmation email we send you) four days before your arrival at the apartment, to confirm your check-in time. Your contact person will then give you the keys at the same time as you pay the outstanding rental and/or security deposit.

For hotel bookings:

Once you’ve found the hotel you like, click on the ‘book now’ button, which will take you into the booking form itself. You will see the full and final price due to be paid both at the top and at the foot of the form.

Just fill out all your details, including your payment details, and select ‘book’ to finalise your reservation. Then all you need to do is print off the confirmation email we’ll send you and take this with you to the hotel.

For hostel bookings:

Once you’re happy that you’ve found the hostel for you, click on the ‘book’ button from within the individual hostel’s description page. Fill out the booking form with all of your details, at which point you’ll be asked to make a ‘pre-payment’ by credit card or PayPal.

You will then need to pay the remainder due when you check in to the hostel. Please print off the confirmation email we will send you and take it along with you to the hostel when you check in.

Yes, we send you an instant online confirmation so that you’re not left waiting around to find out about availability. On the very rare occasion where we have to do a final check of availability, we will always send you an email straight away with a full update.

If you find that you need to change your accommodation booking, you can do this within the 'manage your booking' section of the client area, or by letting us know via our contact form. When you get in touch, please be very specific about what it is you need to change (dates, number of guests, or apartment, for example).

For apartment bookings:

If you would like to cancel your apartment booking, please let us know by entering the client area directly or filling out our contact form. When we receive your message we will confirm that your booking has been cancelled (our office hours are from 11am to 8pm, Spanish time).

In terms of refunds, the amount that you will get back depends on the specific terms and conditions of the apartment you had booked. If your apartment required the full rental payment 45 days in advance of your arrival, and you subsequently cancel your booking, neither the pre-payment or rental will be refunded.

If you have made the pre-payment but still have to pay the full rental on arrival, and subsequently cancel your booking, you will lose the pre-payment amount.

In the case of a no-show, or if a client cancels with less than two days before they are due to arrive, we reserve the right to charge 50% of the outstanding rental amount.

For hotel bookings:

If you need to cancel your hotel booking, please get in touch with us in the first instance rather than the hotel itself by entering the client area directly or filling out our contact form. When we receive your message we will confirm that your booking has been cancelled (our office hours are from 11am to 8pm, Spanish time).

The hotel’s policy on refunds depends largely on the tariff that was on offer when you made your booking. You will always be able to see what amount would be refundable in the case of cancellation as you proceed throughout the booking process.

For hostel bookings:

If you would like to cancel your hostel booking, please let us know by entering the client area directly or filling out our contact form. When we receive your message we will confirm that your booking has been cancelled (our office hours are from 11am to 8pm, Spanish time). Please note that the pre-payment you have made online isn’t refundable, and whether you will have to pay for the first night of your stay will depend on the cancellation policy of each particular hostel.

If you’d prefer to make your booking over the phone, our customer services team will be happy to give you advice on how to choose the accommodation that will suit you best.

It’s not possible to make a reservation by email (please don’t send us your credit card details this way as it may not be secure), but if you’d like to send us a message we will phone you back help you with your booking.

To help you go straight to what you’re looking for, we’ve included certain categories of accommodation on our website. For example, you’ll find family-friendly apartments, pet-friendly apartments, apartments for those who fancy some luxury and for those who don’t want to break the bank.

When you’re searching for accommodation, you can also apply the many filters available to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

For apartments: when you book your apartment we’ll ask you to pay an initial amount, called the ‘pre-payment’. Please see the question below for accepted methods of payment.

In the majority of cases, you will then be required to pay the outstanding rental and security deposit in cash (and in local currency) when you check in to the apartment. A very small number of owners will accept credit card payments at this point - please check with your contact person beforehand to find out.

In a few cases, apartment owners require full payment (the pre-payment and outstanding rental) 45 days in advance of check-in. In this case we’ll request the outstanding rental from you 45 days before you’re due to arrive, which you pay as normal by credit card or PayPal.

Please bear in mind that you will always need to pay the security deposit on arrival, in the local currency.

For hotels: the full amount due will be charged to your credit card when you make your online booking. Please see the question below for accepted methods of payment.

For hostels: when you make your booking, you’ll be asked to make an initial payment (the ‘pre-payment) by credit card or PayPal. You will then need to pay the remainder when you check in to the hostel. To find out which payment methods the hostel accepts, take a look at the ‘Payment Methods’ box above the individual hostel’s description on our website.

We accept PayPal transfers, VISA, Eurocard/MasterCard and American Express credit cards and all types of debit card. We don’t charge you anything extra for using your credit card, nor do we charge a booking fee.

For apartment bookings:

You can make the pre-payment by PayPal or any of the cards mentioned above.

In most cases you will then pay the outstanding rental and security deposit in cash and in local currency to the owner when you arrive at the apartment. Some owners also accept bank transfers beforehand or credit card payments on the spot. If you’d prefer this, please check with your contact person (full details will be provided in your booking confirmation email).

For hotel bookings:

Hotel bookings require full payment online in advance, via one of methods above.

For hostel bookings:

If you’re booking hostel accommodation you’ll make a pre-payment online in advance and then settle the outstanding rental when you arrive. Please check the description of the hostel on our website to find out whether the hostel accepts credit cards or solely cash payments.

The confirmation email that we send you is also a receipt/invoice for the pre-payment you’ve made online. This is also the case if you’re required to pay the outstanding rental online.

If you need a receipt for the payment you make on arrival (the outstanding rental or the security deposit), please request it in advance when you organise the handover of the keys to your contact person.

So that you can get a comprehensive idea of the flat’s location, we include an interactive Google map within the tabbed pages about the property. You will also find the name of the street and details of the floor the apartment is located on within these tabs.

Once you’ve completed your booking we’ll send you an email confirming all the details about your stay, including the apartment address.

Your apartment will be cleaned thoroughly before your arrival so that it’s in walk-in condition when you pick up the keys. It will also be cleaned after your departure, although please help us out by leaving it as clean as possible when you check out.

It’s possible that you may need to buy things like washing-up liquid, toilet cleaner, personal toiletries and so on.

Yes, all the apartments we offer have towels and bedding included.

All of the apartments we offer come with the pots, pans, dishes, cutlery and cooking equipment essential for preparing your meals. To find out more about what’s included in the specific apartment you’re interested in, have a look at the detailed description of the apartment and inventory of its equipment.

No, we don’t own the apartments we offer. We work very closely with owners to make sure we can offer our clients the best range of Barcelona accommodation - providing online reservations and dedicated customer service 365 days of the year.

When you check in to your apartment, the owner will ask you to pay the security deposit, which is held as a guarantee in the event that any damage is done to the property during your stay. The amount due varies from apartment to apartment. You’ll find it detailed within the breakdown of costs once you have entered your dates and details.

Please be aware that in most cases, you will be required to pay the deposit in cash. In some cases, the owner may ask you to provide your credit card details instead. What happens then is that your credit card will be ‘blocked’ for that amount rather than actually charged.

Having checked the apartment and found that everything is OK, the owner will refund you your security deposit when you check out of the property. If you’ve given your credit card details for the deposit, the ‘block’ previously applied to it will be removed, so no actual money needs to be refunded to your card.

As a general rule, check- in happens between 4pm and 8pm, and check-out is no later than 11am. If there are any exceptions to this for specific apartments, you’ll be able to see this information under ‘Extra’ on the web page describing the apartment.

Please remember that you need to confirm your exact arrival time with your contact person (whose details you’ll be given after you make your booking) four days before your arrival, so that they know when to expect you.

In most cases, the owner or contact person will hand over the keys to you when you arrive at the apartment. Sometimes, however, they might ask you to go to a central location to pick up the keys rather than straight to the apartment. All of these steps will be outlined clearly for you when you get in touch with your contact person directly.

Normally guests will be asked to leave the keys in the apartment, although in some cases you might be required to return them to the owner’s office within the city. Once you’ve made your booking you can get in touch with your contact person to confirm the procedure for your specific apartment.

Unfortunately this isn’t possible. Our apartments have a very high occupancy rate, so you can appreciate that we don’t want to disturb current guests during their stay.

We want you to have every detail you might possibly need to help choose your holiday rental. That's why we include a written description, photos, a floor plan, an interactive Google map, an inventory of equipment and previous guests' reviews of the property to help inform your decision.

If you've got a question about a specific property, you can ask it on the individual property's webpage as well as phoning or emailing us at any time.

As a leading apartment rental company, we understand the importance of personally monitoring all of the apartments we offer on a constant basis. This rigorous quality control process means that we can offer all our clients the highest quality when it comes to their accommodation. The quality checks we have in place help us identify any possible problems quickly and resolve them.

Our customers score our apartments 9 out of 10 for quality.

We only work with trustworthy apartment owners, and we advise them on prices and offers so as to ensure the affordability of the properties we offer and make sure our clients have a great trip.

The swiftest way to resolve any problems that might occur is for you to phone your contact person. In the case of a medical emergency, call 112 or go to the ‘Urgències’ department at one of Barcelona’s main hospitals.

With over 15 years’ experience, we offer you a choice of over 800 fully licensed apartments and hotels in Barcelona at the lowest prices out there in the marketplace. We show our accommodation in real-time availability, and we send you an instant online confirmation of your reservation so there’s no waiting around.

What’s more, when you book with us you automatically receive an exclusive set of discount vouchers, giving you money off many tours and activities in the city.

We don’t charge you booking fees, commission or credit card charges.

Our Barcelona headquarters is staffed by customer services agents who are ready to take your call 365 days of the year, in a choice of five languages. We also publish every single client review of our accommodation, to help you make an informed choice, together with a Barcelona blog that contains literally hundreds of articles about visiting the city.

If you find the exact same reservation cheaper with another website, let us know within 24 hours of booking and we’ll refund you double the difference for apartments and hostels, and the difference plus 20 euros for hotels.

No catches, no hidden extras, no screeds of small print.

When you book your Barcelona holiday apartment, hostel or hotel with us, we guarantee that you will always pay the lowest price available on the internet. This promise is a cornerstone of our whole company – we take a lot of pride in being able to offer you the best prices possible.

No, we don’t charge either, nor do we charge you any credit card fees.

You can see proof of this in our lowest price guarantee. If you find the same reservation cheaper elsewhere online, we will refund you double the difference for apartments and hostels and 20 euros plus the difference for hotels.

We take every precaution to protect your information, both online and offline. Our website is certified by Thawte and VeriSign.

Sensitive information is encrypted and protected with the best encryption software in the industry – SSL (128 bit encryption). When you’re on a secure page of our site (the booking form, for example), you’ll see that the padlock icon in your browser’s status bar appears locked, as opposed to open when you’re merely browsing the site.

Offline user information is equally secure; all sensitive information is restricted in our offices, and all employees are kept up-to-date on our security and privacy practices. Find out more information on our security policies

On our website you’ll find a whole raft of information on the different neighbourhoods, known as ‘barrios’, of Barcelona. Take a look at our area overview page for some general orientation, and then select the area you’re interested in for an in-depth description, videos, photos and first-hand opinions.

Our Barcelona blog is another excellent source of information and inspiration, and of course you can always ask us anything you need to know on Facebook or Twitter.

We’ve written several articles covering transport in and around the city on our Barcelona blog. For example, find out about transport to and from the various airports, the city’s metro system, train and bus transport, or how to explore the city by bike.

If you’re arriving by car, you might also be interested in our article on how to find a parking space in Barcelona.

We think a good starting point is our blog on Barcelona, which contains almost 400 articles about every aspect of visiting the city. We also have a very active Facebook and Twitter community, and we regularly post tips and news we think our followers will find useful. Sign up to receive updates, snippets and recommendations about what’s on in the city.

Here are a few other sites we would recommend as reliable sources of information:

www.bcn.cat – the city’s official website, created by the City Council, comes in English, Spanish and Catalan.
www.barcelonaturisme.com – available in lots of different languages, this is the official Barcelona tourist information site.
www.barcelona-metropolitan.com – Barcelona’s English magazine online. Useful for staying up-to-date with what’s going on in the city.
www.spain.info – the official tourist website for the whole of Spain, with info on sightseeing, accommodation, festivals and travel advice

At Oh-Barcelona.com we’re always looking for ways to help you get the most you possibly can from your time in the city. That’s why we provide you with over 50 discount vouchers, which will save you money on some of the top tours and activities across the city. Whether you fancy taking a tour of FC Barcelona’s Nou Camp Stadium, renting a jet ski or trying your hand at Catalan cooking, there’s something for everyone.

These discounts are free with every booking and are exclusively available through our company. We don’t get any commission from these recommendations – they’re simply things that we think will add to your experience of the city.

Once you’ve made your booking you will see an online confirmation page, from which you can download and print off the full set of money-off vouchers. There’s also a link to the vouchers in the confirmation email which we send you.

Don’t worry if you’ve forgotten to print the vouchers off before you arrive – just send us an email or give us a phone and we’ll resend you the link.

It’s really straightforward – just print off the set of vouchers from the email we’ll send you and take it along with you when you book your particular activity. The company will then deduct the money from the overall cost. If you have any problems at all, please send us an email at discounts@Oh-Barcelona.com.

Definitely. We regularly scour the city for new and interesting experiences that we think our clients might enjoy during their stay.

They come straight from the horse’s mouth – directly from our clients. The first-hand insights they provide are invaluable both in helping you choose your accommodation and in helping us identify and correct any issues so that they don’t affect guests’ experiences in the future.

They also give us the chance to demonstrate the care we take over the selection and management of the properties on our website. Please note that if a property's review score consistently falls below a certain standard, we will remove it from our site altogether. That's why it's unlikely that you will ever find a property with a truly poor score.

Only previous clients are able to leave a review and then only in conjunction with a completed booking. False reviews are therefore not possible.

We’re eager to know what you thought of your holiday accommodation, so after your stay we’ll send you a follow-up email asking for your review. Under our policy we publish ALL client reviews of our accommodation - good, bad, unfounded, outdated, incorrect or glowing. The only exclusions will be for the rare use of swear words or insults.

Open House Group was established in 1997 by Claudia Eleuterio, with the aim of giving her family and friends a reliable way of finding accommodation in Barcelona. What started as a pioneering idea quickly grew into a leading online enterprise, and today we offer accommodation in destinations all across Europe. For detailed information about who we are and what we can offer you, take a look at our ‘about us’ page.

Our headquarters are in Barcelona city centre, at the following address:

Open House Group
Roger de Llúria 50, 1
08009 Barcelona, Spain

Please have a look at our contact page for full information on the different ways to get in touch with us.