Hostal Cal Forner

The bathrooms were so tiny that showering was barely possible. Heating was another serious annoyance. It hardly worked during my stay in March 2016, even though the staff said they had checked it and that it was working perfectly. My friends had the same issue in February 2016. The problem wasn’t only feeling cold, since wet things from a day in the snow wouldn’t dry. The staff were generally friendly, and having a bakery downstairs was convenient, but I found nothing else positive about the hostel itself.

It’s in a great location and was simply good.

Being close to the city centre is the main advantage, and it’s acceptable if you only need somewhere to sleep. The building has no elevator, although luckily we didn’t have to carry our luggage very far. With lots of bags, I wouldn’t recommend it. Customer service was zero, and cleanliness was nonexistent. Trash stayed in the bins for three days, and the towels were not changed during the last few days. Fine for a short stop, but not for an extended stay.

The cleanliness really impressed us. Our 3-year-old spent plenty of time hiding under the bed and came out clean, which says a lot about how thoroughly the room had been cleaned. The heating also exceeded expectations, and we were never cold. We had a double bed and a single bed, and the value for money was fantastic. There are signs of age and limited maintenance, such as ceiling paint and light fixtures held up with packing tape. Breakfast wasn’t included, but the café downstairs had excellent cakes, pastries, and baked goods. I usually prefer savory food, yet I tried a different sweet treat almost every day. The historic centre is very close, and the shopping centre is easy to reach by elevator. For families, a stroller can be stored downstairs, which caused us no problems. There’s no elevator, so a first-floor room is best if possible, although that still means one flight of stairs because there are no ground-floor rooms. There’s also no reception desk, everything is handled from the cafeteria, which closes after 8 pm. It feels more like an apartment than a hostel: you get the key and come and go as you like. We’ll almost certainly return, since this was better value than hotels where we paid much more for no better service.