AinB Las Ramblas-Guardia Apartments

The rooms are below ground, and the windows face the street with no way to lock them. The safe had no key and no way to lock it either. The bed sagged badly in the middle, like a pull-out cot. There was no front desk staff to help, and the front door was left open two nights in a row. This place is basically in an alleyway, and safety clearly isn't a concern. Cleaning service wasn't available all day, and they refused to let us move hotels. The online pictures of this “hotel” are a fraud.

After a long day sightseeing, there wasn't anywhere comfortable to sit and relax. The apartment was reasonably clean and quiet, but the WiFi kept cutting out. Washing up was difficult without a sink plug, washing-up bowl or tea towel. The oven was awkward to use because all the markings had worn off the knobs, and without an oven glove, taking out hot pans was an interesting moment.

The unit itself was fine, but check-in was a complete debacle. We'd already paid for the unit, though the €55 city tax was still due. Our bank's security settings made online payment difficult. After we explained that, we got a message saying someone would meet us at the door and we could pay the tax once inside. We traveled from Madrid by train and told the hosts when we'd arrive, but nobody was there to let us in. Luckily, someone coming in from the street let us through, and we found a cleaner who phoned the host. The person on the phone was happy for us to wait outside because we hadn't paid the tax, even though the unit was fully paid for. You need an access code to get in. Eventually, someone else on the phone agreed to send it. There's no reception, and the host seemed too lazy to come to the property.

The apartment was okay enough, with a kitchen and a fairly spacious living room. It was close to Las Rambalas, though tucked away on a small street. The free WiFi worked well and stayed stable. But don't expect service while you're there. The kitchen equipment was poor, the sink drained so slowly that water from washing dishes took all night to go down, and the couch was so dirty it looked like it hadn't been cleaned since they bought it.