Hostal Bejar

This place made me happy, mostly because it brought back memories of staying with childhood friends in Spain. The residential building reminded me of my pre-teen and teenage years there: you hear the neighbors, smell what they're cooking, and depending on the room, might see their laundry. I could imagine someone's mom making tortilla de patatas while a younger sibling fussed nearby, and maybe the Barça game on with their dad. If you want a small glimpse of an average Spanish family's life in the '90s, and don't need a bathroom or TV in your room, it's a lovely fit. There's free WiFi. It isn't fancy or pretending to be, and I'm so glad I booked. I was familiar with this part of Barcelona already, and it's my favorite area. It's residential, fairly working-class, and off the usual tourist trail, which is a big deal in Barcelona. It's close to both the Plaça d'Espanya transit center and Sants Estació for major railways and buses, with the L3 Metro line nearby. I'm a frequent visitor and usually stay in higher-end hotels, but I needed an inexpensive place for one night because my usual hotel had no room. This was close by, affordable, and the reviews suggested it would meet my expectations. It did, and then some. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. There are two buildings, and I stayed in the same building as Reception. You can close the windows to cut down on the sounds and smells, though the halls can still be noisy. It was busy even in January, but fairly quiet overall for a residential building. The place was quite clean. My room was on an enclosed courtyard area, which kept out most of the weather. There's a heater but no AC, so keep that in mind for a summer stay.