Aaron
Google
The building is not fit for purpose — you will not sleep. Worst hostel I have ever been to, period, and without question the worst in Spain by a mile. The Portuguese desk assistant was rude, carried an overinflated ego (without any visible reason as to why), and was extremely patronising and negative — all hidden behind a very clearly disingenuous smile. The initial questions were interrogation-style, which was comical for a place that screamed “well below average” from the second you walk in, and was absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to sleep in.
The building’s walls and doors were not designed for this type of setup. Every time the downstairs bell rings (which was often, even at night), you can hear it. Every time someone takes their luggage out of the storage room (again, often), you can hear it. Every time a door opens and closes (also often)… you guessed it — you can hear it. LOUDLY. Worst of all, you can hear every single word of the conversations at the front desk at all times. I didn’t sleep at all.
I don’t think I’ve ever written a negative review on Google, let alone wasted five minutes doing so for a cheap, well-below-average budget 2-star hostel — but this was a shocking experience that genuinely surprised me as someone in the industry with multiple properties on Airbnb and Booking.com in Barcelona and Málaga, and who travels frequently.
As it was my first time in Madrid, I was mixing a range of different-level hostels and hotels to get different perspectives of the city and a true sense of the types of people who frequent Madrid, while completing viewings for rental properties and flats to potentially expand the business.
It should be noted there’s an accessibility issue: it requires two steep flights of stairs to get to the hostel. The overall location is horrible — far too busy. You walk out the door directly into street sellers, signs of homelessness, and a lot of noise. (There is a Zara directly opposite, which made it slightly more bearable.)
However, the key takeaway is this: you will NOT sleep here. The property was stuffy, had a damp/stale smell, below-average cleaning standards, and thin walls.
As a business owner who came from nothing, it always bewilders me when people in well-below-average establishments have an ego or attitude that far exceeds their position. What usually allows lower-quality places to shine is the opposite — you don’t go somewhere at this price point for luxury; you go for the intangibles like service, sociability, and warmth. Here, those were extremely selective, as I could hear from my room when the “warmth” was picked and chosen based on the guest (thanks to the noise issue again).
The group event was reportedly bad (big surprise). Those who went came back early and unimpressed — I overheard them describing it as lame and lacklustre. I’m sure it varies day by day and has nothing to do with my reason for visiting, but it’s worth noting.
Although the interactions were short, if any of my check-in staff behaved in this manner and I caught them, they’d be fired instantly.
We’re all human, and I recognise that in a low-paying, low-quality, high-workload environment like this, expecting a high level of service when staff may be stressed by external and internal factors is something you usually shouldn’t take personally. However, it’s important for people like myself — who actually read reviews to make informed decisions — to have access to a raw, honest perspective.
Something I love about these trips is that appearances can be extremely deceiving, which is why it is crucial to treat EVERYONE with the same level of respect and care, despite personal sentiment, while working — because you never know who you may be encountering..
