Hostal Barcelona

“great tripp”

Good: location and price, free WiFi, clean. Bad: small room. Bathroom is smaller than a phone booth, you can't turn around in the shower without getting out. No window in the bathroom. Room goes out on the light shaft. Unacceptable: The hotel is often booked by school classes and youth groups, i.e.… more

Good: location and price, free WiFi, clean. Bad: small room. Bathroom is smaller than a phone booth, you can't turn around in the shower without getting out. No window in the bathroom. Room goes out on the light shaft. Unacceptable: The hotel is often booked by school classes and youth groups, i.e. Radau all night. Breakfast, especially the coffee, is inedible. Conclusion: only recommended for low-low-low-budget travelers.

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“Good value for money, felt safe as a solo traveler.”

Context: female, 24, first time solo travelling. Pros: - I felt safe, lockable bedroom door, safe in the room for valuables and every member of staff I encountered was friendly. - Value for money - I spent every day sightseeing from 9am-8pm, so I just wanted a base to sleep and wash, Hostal Barcel… more

Context: female, 24, first time solo travelling. Pros: - I felt safe, lockable bedroom door, safe in the room for valuables and every member of staff I encountered was friendly. - Value for money - I spent every day sightseeing from 9am-8pm, so I just wanted a base to sleep and wash, Hostal Barcelona was a perfect alternative to very expensive hotels! - Air conditioning!! Very important in summer, great that each room has it installed. The air conditioning in my room stopped working and it wasn’t able to be fixed instantly and so I was moved to another room, which I really appreciate as a night without air conditioning would have been unbearable. - Room cleaned/bed tidied and towels replaced daily or every two days. Very good to have this. - TV (limited spanish channels) and plug sockets in room. - Mirror in the room and bathroom. - Lift (a very narrow one, for max 2 people at a time) as well as stairs. - Option to add buffet breakfast for €6 (I didn’t use this myself but good to have the option). - Good location for public transport. I used the Parral•lel Metro station (Green L3 line) (5 min walk max) every day to get to the area around Casa Battló (Passieg de Gracia Metro station) and then moved around from there. - Restaurants nearby - the surrounding area seems to come alive after 5pm! Also chain restaurants including McDonalds and KFC. - Supermarkets and corner shops surrounding the Hostal. - Shower gel provided as well as a cup, bar of soap and a hairdryer attached to the wall. My observations: - My room (single) was cosy and simple. It had a toilet, basin, shower, somewhere to put clothes (small like a shelf/3 hooks), a desk, chair and single bed. Really happy with it except it is just a bit tired looking and in need of some TLC. Curtain inner had spots of mould, walls had a few marks on them and furniture was tired looking. The shower curtain was mouldy and the grout was mouldy and discoloured. A quick deep clean and coating of paint with a new shower curtain would instantly freshen it up. - Both rooms I stayed in had a window, but the view was an enclosed space which looked like a deserted building site. This smelt dusty and musty, and sometimes the room smelt of this. Sad there wasn’t a proper view from the window, but I guess that is the luck of the draw! - Air conditioning units very dusty, think the one in my second room had mould on the vents so I cleaned it myself. - I paid for a shuttle to get me from the airport to the Hostal, just be aware that minibuses etc cannot get to the Hostal so you will be dropped off close but not right outside. Be cautious when moving around alone at night. - An extra towel to use as a bathmat would be useful as in both rooms the shower leaked through the curtain/screen onto the floor which was very slippy. - Thin walls - can hear neighbours if they are overly loud but I slept well throughout my stay. - Small towels. Would I recommend? For value for money and location as a solo traveller? Yes, much better than other hostels out there and having your own bedroom and bathroom is great. Be aware that as a standard across Europe, you will be asked to pay a small guest tax payment upon arrival. This is per night and can be paid as cash or card. Prior to my stay I emailed the Hostal using the email address from their website and they replied promptly which was useful.

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