Hostal Balmes Centro

That balcony was a lovely surprise. There was room to pull out a chair and enjoy the afternoon sun as it went down over the street, which felt magical. I also slept really well, since the other guests made no noise at night. I had booked a room with its own bathroom, and for the central location and price I expected something more basic, like the other Spanish hostels I've used. Instead, the simple room was just right: a comfortable bed, a good bathroom, and a shower with properly hot water and great pressure.

The first day was perfectly fine: the room and washroom were clean, and the view was good. But on the second morning, after we woke up, there was no water when we went to the washroom. The receptionist said the whole area had a water problem. It's hard to imagine being in that situation, and they could at least have provided bottled water. That second day was just disappointing.

We stayed in January, and the room got really cold at night. There was no heater, and the air conditioner they had was broken. The towels weren't great either. The place is central and close to everything, with someone always at reception and good cleaning. Thin walls sometimes made the noise uncomfortable, so I'd give it 3 out of 5.

The room was fine and the staff were lovely, but we didn't have a window, which wasn't nice. The hostel is about a 10-minute walk from a bus stop or the metro, so the location wasn't ideal.