This cute family-run B & B just opened a few months ago in early 2012. It's owned by a friendly young Italian couple who came to Barcelona four years ago to escape the chaos of Rome and Naples (where they are originally from) and raise their two young daughters in a more 'organized' city! They live in a very small building in a quiet residential neighborhood called Guinardó, which is close to the Sagrada Familia (just a couple metro stops away). The B & B is on the first floor, and the owners' home is on the second floor. On the roof there is a terrace, which guests are welcome to use. The terrace is quite large --70 square meters -- and has plants, a hammock for relaxing, sun loungers, and toys for children to play with.

The B & B has 3 guestrooms that share 1 bathroom. It's charmingly decorated in a sort of 'nautical' theme (blue and white) since El Faro means 'the lighthouse' in Spanish. Two of the rooms have a double bed, while the other one has 2 single beds that can also be put together to make a double bed. The rooms are simple but comfortable and pleasant. Two rooms face the street and have a little balcony (not big enough to sit out on, but nice for letting fresh air through and plenty of sun), while the third room is interior and only has a window onto the 'gallery' (a balcony area that is closed off with glass) rather than the outside -- however, this room has a slightly bigger bed and is a little quieter as it doesn't face the street.

Between the two front rooms is a small common area, so a group of four traveling together can rent the two rooms as a sort of 'suite', and shut the door to the common area for a bit of privacy, so it is like having their own personal living room. There is a second common area right when you walk in the front door of the B & B (so even if the two rooms are rented as a suite, the guests in the other room still have their own living room area to relax in).

The B & B has free WiFi, a TV in the common area, air-conditioning in the common area (rooms are equipped with fans), and a kitchen which guests are welcome to use for cooking. A self-service breakfast is offered, which means that the owners leave the breakfast items in the kitchen and guests can serve themselves when they wish. Children are welcome, and the B & B can provide a baby crib for an extra 5 euro per night fee. For those traveling by car, there is a private parking spot in the building which is available upon request for 10 euros per night.

Staying in a residential area has an advantage: you are in a calmer, quieter part of the city, off of the tourist track and away from the chaos of Las Ramblas and the Old City. You can explore a bit the 'other side' of Barcelona and have a more authentic experience in a regular residential neighborhood. Yet with Barcelona's superb metro system, it's still super quick and easy to get into the center of the city. Walking, it's about 10 minutes from Lluis Domènech i Montaner’s beautiful Hospital de Sant Pau (yes, it's a hospital, but it's also a UNESCO World Heritage site and a gorgeous building that many tourists come to visit!) From there, you can stroll down the lovely pedestrian street Avinguda Gaudí to the iconic Sagrada Familia.