Hostal Bcn Ramblas

The lifts are so small that there's barely room for a bag. The room was cramped and not very clean, and it didn't match the pictures on booking.com. The old A/C barely worked, and with no windows to open, the place felt like a prison. There was a blockage in the sink too. I cancelled five minutes after entering, but they refused to refund me. The service and location were disappointing as well.

There are decent sized safes in the rooms, and they offer free coffee and tea all day and night. My room was clean and mostly quiet, while the bathrooms were small, private, functional, and clean. The location is magnificent. The management keeps an eye on things and may call if a door is left open or there's too much noise, which made us feel safer. Street noise can still get through during busy evenings, and the hostel is up a long, winding staircase, so it's not great if you're out of shape.

The room at Atlas that we were moved to after complaining was fully functional and an upgrade for the same price. It made me wonder about guests who don't complain. Before that, the A/C ran nonstop because its on/off button had been removed, and at night it sounded like a helicopter. The toilet kept running after one flush, so we had to shut off the water line to sleep. I'm not sure the washed linen was properly disinfected, and the keycard didn't always work at the entrance. Housekeeping was perfect, though, and the woman doing it was really nice. This hotel is an extension of hotel Atlas.

I stayed in the four-person room with its own bathroom. It was clean, spacious, and well insulated from the busy ramble street. There aren't many amenities, but the price is great for this location.