Urbany Hostel Barcelona

The Urbany Hostel was very clean. We paid $35 a night for our 5 nights stay. There was great accommodations on multiple floors; a kitchen, an all you can eat buffet” for breakfast that is 8€ per person, an outside terrasse area for all as well as a rooftop bar for 18+. There were all kinds of ages, from kids in school field trip, teenagers, young adults and adults. There was a great vibe going between the groups. Each could stay on their own or could connect. However, I was highly surprised of the arrogance of the staff. They were mostly teenage-young adults and they were all very rude. I would speak in Spanish since I am fluent (with an accent) and they would respond in English and not even let me speak. When asked a question they would lift up the head from their phones with simply a nod or a head shake and not even using words. When asked for help, they would sigh and talk to us like we were completely stupid and didn’t know anything. So I had to not ask for anything or else I would feel very uncomfortable with their behavior. It was honestly shocking and disappointing. However, everything else was great.

Its pretty convenient location is its biggest strength. Rooms are pretty good but incredibly small. Walls are thin (and so are the floors), making it an absolute nightmare if there are many school trips. You can hear people jumping up and down both above and below you during unfortunate days. Breakfast buffet is pretty good. Although, the bacon run out very fast, and seem to never be replenished(?). I don't know why, everything else doesn't have this problem. A wide range of options is much appreciated, but the hot food section is insanely salty. The juice and coffee machines are pretty nice. The juice is a bit sweet but is as tasty as soda. Room service and staff are pretty solid too. Overall, a great place to stay (watch for any school trips, however).

Worth the price, the location was great and room was decent. Only negative is that there is AC on 24/7 and you cannot modify it. The kitchen is okay but for that many people it can be difficult to make something during busy hours. Overall great experience though.

The rooms alongside the bedding were very stinky and smelled like sweat. The ceiling of the bathroom leaked a mysterious liquid into the shower at random times. The walls were super thin and many school children were in the halls which you could always hear. The AC was nice but it meant you couldn’t open the window to vent the stinky rooms. The rooftop and third floor were very nice. The breakfast was okay but it got cold if you didn’t go right when it opened. Staff were nice and the location was convenient. Basically the rooms were bad and everything else was okay.

I spent 7 nights in this hostel and honestly have no major reservations. The hostel clean, single room with bathroom neat, friendly staff, helpful service in the kitchen, which in my case of physical disability proved irreplaceable; the possibility of washing and drying clothes; elevator, which is indispensable for a person with limited mobility; great location and still a bar at the top of this 12-story building for tourists. Minor inconveniences are the noisy air conditioner, or something like that, which, however, can be suppressed with ear stoppers. In addition, the room is quite narrow, so to strollers I would not recommend. I myself get around with the help of a walker and had no problems but felt crampy.

Our room was great, however the bathroom got a leak (quickly fixed). We therefore couldn’t use the bathroom for just a day. Only problem, the smell in this room was not bearable, the room being thus barely usable. Our stay was short so it wasn’t a major problem but this would be something to fix. We also couldn’t change room so we had to stay anyway in this room.

This accommodation has some positives, including a good outdoor space, a safe location, and close proximity to the metro. However, there are several significant drawbacks. Many of the five-star reviews appear to be incentivized by free drinks at the overpriced hostel bar, raising concerns about their authenticity. The bedrooms had an unbearable smell, forcing us to buy air fresheners and cleaning products just to cope. The showers leaked and often didn’t heat up, and overall cleanliness was poor — for instance, the same mop was used on both the bathroom floor and the carpeted area. Additionally, the kitchen lacked ovens and had no space for cupboard food storage. Lastly, despite its high price, the hostel is not in a central location.

Check in process was really quick, but that's where we had our first red flag. As soon as we were given our room key we were told to give the hostel a five star rating and would then be able to get a free drink from the rooftop bar. You shouldn't have to bribe your customers into leaving good reviews, you should earn them. Next, we finally make it to the room, the room size seemed like what one would expect for a hostel. The mattress was pretty uncomfortable, you could feel the springs in it every time you moved. And the stench of the room was unbelievable. I think the smell was coming from the old rug, but honestly it was horrible. Our first night there I had to sleep with my nose in my sweater and sprayed my pillow with perfume to make the experience a bit better. The bathroom was fine, only annoying part was that you have to press the faucet pretty often to keep the shower running. Lastly, when we finally did checkout the rooftop to see what the view was like, the bar was fully shut down. We weren't going to take the bribe in the first place, but if you're going to try to bribe your customers with something, maybe make sure you can follow through with it as well.

This place is more of a hotel than a hostel. It's 13 floors high and has a huge common area. I had a private room with ensuite bathroom and own TV for the price of a hostel room! Cheap! Close to the metro but the only downside was the inability to control the AC in the room.

WORST HOSTEL EVER!!! I paid for 4 nights only stayed for 1. Drunk Teens everywhere, I had maybe 2 hours of sleep, security did nothing. When I checked out the next morning (7am) they refused giving me back my next 3 nights. They basically took my money & they could bc I failed to read the fine print stating they don't have to give money back if you choose to check out early. I traveled 2 months staying in over 25+ hostels in Europe & Africa... this one was the worst, So Disrespectful & they can be bc if you choose to leave they take your money & have an extra room! Customer Service Non-Existance!

I wish for you the reader to decide for yourself how many stars this experience is worth. Pros: 1. A gym with a swimming pool is nearby and free entry is provided. I know of no similar offer in Europe. 2. Breakfast is provided every morning with a selection of meats 3. Event staff, though several will be leaving within weeks of this writing, were very friendly and helpful. I am grateful for the friendship they provided. One even took me to one of the most amazing church services of my life. Cons: 1. After the shift of the new year, several hostels in Barcelona (including Alternative Creative Youth Hostel) implemented a new Internet service provider. This service provider requires either an email address, or more desirably, your Facebook account information, for free internet access. Aside from the fact that Facebook has become notorious for tracking users online habits (I've been told by staff that Urbany implemented the system because they wanted to be 'liked' by guests (beware of 'liking' companies because software exists to mine your Facebook profile for information once you 'like' a page. 'Liking' gives them access to your account. Check out the Obama campaign's Narwhal program for more info on what can happen.)) All that aside, with the implementation of this new Internet provider, the Internet service at this hostel has had a dramatic reduction in quality and consistency, to the point of being unusable. In the common area and kitchen, Internet service can be entirely unreachable, as was the case when I had my iPhone stolen and was desperately trying to connect to FindMyiPhone through my laptop. Internet does however work in the bedrooms. 2. Now the primary reason I gave this facility one star. To be honest still unclear what happened. Over the weekend, I'd extended my stay at the hostel. I thought I'd made the reservation through Wednesday night, making arrangements with a guy I'd had good conversations with at reception. When Wednesday came, I found my key card inactive. I returned to reception in the afternoon (perhaps the guy thought I meant leaving on Wednesday, not staying the night). I provided my room number and the card was reactivated. They checked the computer. No further comments. Problem solved. I returned far later that evening, around 11:30pm, and was informed by my friends in staff that reception wanted to see me. I felt alarmed and confused but wanted to clear up any problem that might exist since I believe in maintaining good relations and minimizing stress. I arrived at reception and asked if someone wished to see me. The man working at reception, who later identified himself as the Manager when I asked, told me that I had overstayed two nights without paying. Woah!! I felt caught off guard but apologized as best I could. I assured him it had not been my intention to overstay and asked if I could reconcile the debt (pay) for the two nights (apparently a mistake had been made). He told me I could not pay and that I had to leave. I had wanted to extend my stay through the weekend, but I was quickly informed of three things, and the time was 11:45pm (the subway was closing at 12am): I had broken a rule, I needed to leave immediately (my bags had been packed - my collared, dry-cleaned shirts crumpled up and shoved into my bag), and I was banned from the hostel for life with no opportunity to make amends. I had to turn around and do some deep breathing to calm myself down. Three times I verified with him that I was banned for life and this could not be changed (not to challenge his decision, but to gain clarity so I could write this review.) I don't know exactly how to describe what I felt but shock is, perhaps, a good word. It felt as if the carpet had been yanked out from underneath me, with no sympathy attached. Confusion might be another word. But after a minute or two of deep breathing to digest the situation, the only thing I knew to do was accept it. In the past, at other hostels, when a mistake or misunderstanding arises, my preference is to try and resolve the situation with communication (clarify what happened), apologize, and offer gestures of good will or whatever is needed to make amends, even for small things. Because of my wish for positive relations and integrity, I have had the privilege of being called family at other hostels (see my review of Feetup Garden Hostel on TripAdvisor, for example). Here, all my attempts were rejected, especially my wish to pay (in my mind, paying when money is available and due is the honorable thing to do). He said he didn't need my money and asked for my keycard. I asked if I could go say goodbye to the staff and collect my food from the kitchen. I was given 15 minutes. I felt demonized. For a mistake whose cause remains a mystery, I ask you to be the judge.