Hosteria Totem De Mar

The staff were friendly, but they couldn’t sort out the problems. The location is the only reason for the one star. Everything else was a disaster. The rooms were tiny, much smaller than the photos suggest, and there was no room to open a carry-on on the floor. The staircases were narrow, making it hard to carry things and unsuitable for older people. Cleanliness in the rooms and bathrooms was very basic, with dirt left by previous guests. The towels and curtains were dirty and torn. The liquid soap couldn’t be used in the shower because there were no shelves or even hooks for towels, so everything had to go on the toilet tank. Breakfast was very basic, and there wasn’t enough of what they had for the number of guests. The dining room was so small that getting up to serve yourself meant squeezing past other guests. The main issue was the TV. They said there was one in the room when selling the services, and there was a TV, but no antenna or cable service. When we asked, they blamed a problem with the TV provider and said it would be fixed shortly. The manager or supervisor never came. Other hotels had cable, so it wasn’t a provider problem. They said they’d refund our stay and email a voucher, but we never received it. When other guests with children asked about availability and services, staff explicitly said the rooms had TV without mentioning the service wasn’t working. They were LYING to them.

The only good parts were the location and the breakfast croissants. Our standard double was on the top floor, and the bathroom was tiny and smelled bad. There was no water in the bathroom for hours on several different days. Sometimes it was hot water only, with no cold, and other times there was none at all. The shower was very small, and the grout between the tiles was black. One night I left an open alfajor on the nightstand, and it was covered in so many ants. Nothing could be left there without attracting them. I attached a photo. We also got a towel with a hole in it and took a picture. I don’t usually complain, as you can see from my profile, but this was on another level.

The staff were friendly and attentive, and the location was excellent and convenient. But room 208 had a leak at the sink from the start, and every use left the floor soaked. When we reported it, they said the floor was wet because the window had supposedly been left open. The leak continued for our entire stay. The door also failed to open three times. They said we must have used the key wrong, but we hadn’t, and we had to wait a long time for someone to fix it. Breakfast was fine. The dining area is small for the number of tables, and once chairs are moved it’s hard to sit or get around because there’s so little space.

For the price, it was very good value, and the service and location were excellent. Everything was fine, though the staircase to the first floor and above is quite narrow. At busy times there may also be no hot water in the bathroom.