1 hour ago, msclelovr said:

Are you talking about the bar at the (first) Axel hotel on Aribau?

the original one on Airbau.

And they’ve closed the actual rooftop on 8th floor at night due to complaints from neighbors & other problems.  At night, it’s the 7th floor terrace that’s open. I don’t know how long ago that happened tho.

2 minutes ago, tassojunior said:

I like the area around Axel best, just not Axel. Cafes, shops, bars much better there than anywhere around Thermas. 

Barcelona, like most major cities has changed a lot since Covid.  There’s a lot of vacant retail & restaurant space everywhere.  The area around Termas wasn’t great to start with before - even less now. But, it did not feel unsafe. Agree - area around original Axel is much better. 

when checking into BCN hotel - first thing they warned about was pickpockets…which was always a thing in BCN, but evidently even more problematic now.  Lax laws in Spain allows the thieves (usually under 18) to get out of custody almost immediately- and they work in coordinated gangs. 

2 hours ago, Slvkguy said:

pickpockets…which was always a thing in BCN, but evidently even more problematic now

The gangs are often Romanian, according to Spanish media.

And in Mallorca too, it is currently a significant problem. In Mallorca, the local police have a quick remedy: they tell the pickpockets they have a few hours to use the airport to leave the islands, and if they return they will be arrested and charged. (Of course, it’s not a solution)

I tend to visit the cities where there are plenty of night life options regularly, not just special events.  Barcelona is fun when there is special gay events, but quite dull and boring otherwise (Axel staff agreed on this too).  The tourist attractions are great, but you do those once and that's all you need.