Pension La Calma

I booked through Booking.com three weeks ahead for June 5-8. A week before the trip, the host said there had been an error, the room wasn’t available anymore, and I had to cancel the reservation myself. Once I did, I saw the room listed again at a higher price. Completely dishonest. Don’t give these people your money. The screenshots show what happened.

The only thing going for this place is how close it is to La Rambla. Our room had no window, and neither did our friends’ room. The online photos gave a very misleading impression, and the place had an unpleasant smell. The sheets and towels were dirty. We were really disappointed.

Marvin, the manager, was a great host, and I had no trouble during my stay. The shared bathroom and communal spaces stayed spotless morning, afternoon, and night, which was a relief after bad hostel experiences elsewhere. The rooms were basic, but clean and tidy, just what I expected for the price. The entrance from the street isn’t the nicest, and the location is very central and handy for getting around. They also found space for me at very short notice after another nearby hostel cancelled on me at the last minute. I’ll definitely stay here again on my next trip to Barcelona.

We checked in for two nights and then never saw any staff again. Pensión La Calma was dirty and far too expensive. The bathroom was shared by the whole floor, along with a family of cockroaches. There was just one power socket in the room, and the bedside lamps weren’t even connected. Pigeons had apparently made heavy use of the windowsills.