Pension Segre

I was only there for one night, thank goodness, but it nearly ruined my trip. I’ve travelled in tents and hostels and still never stayed anywhere worse. The room was unbearably hot, there wasn’t even a fan, and I couldn’t open the balcony door because of the street noise. At one point I woke up and had to splash cold water on myself. The place smelled worse than a prison, and I’m not sure the sheets had ever been washed. The staff weren’t friendly, and some didn’t speak a word of English. The location is good, but saving money here isn’t worth it. Spend more on a better hotel.

The staff were friendly, and the Wi-Fi was surprisingly fast. For a cheap room it covered the basics, but there was plenty that could be improved. The entry system seemed unnecessarily complicated, since you had to rely on reception to let you into the building and weren’t given a key. The floor needed retiling, and a fan in the shower would have helped with the moisture. There was also a strange damp smell that we thought might be coming from the toilet, though we couldn’t be sure.

The location is nice, and it’s cheap. It’s a no-frills place to leave your bags and head out exploring, so you get what you pay for. But it’s old and dated, with a funny smell. The staff weren’t rude, just not very customer-focused. A smile when you arrive costs nothing.

I don’t normally review places, but this hostel/hotel really took the piss. We couldn’t sleep because there was constant drilling and sawing from plumbers and builders. There was no air conditioning, only a small window, and I felt quite sick from staying in the room. It also had bed bugs. The area felt dangerous, and after my third day in Barcelona I was mugged, then my brother was mugged the next day.