The Hipstel Paseo De Gracia

The customer service was awful. I had questions about my reservation, but nobody at the counter could help, and it took the company manager seven business days to reply to my email. I was also calling and texting the so-called “manager” without getting an answer. The rooms weren't clean, things smelled a bit moldy, and in many of them the windows wouldn't open properly. The sheets were dirty, and it seemed they didn't have an active cleaning crew. I'm extremely disappointed and won't come back.

Breakfast and dinner are served inside the hostel every day at affordable prices, which is nice. The rooms and bunk beds are clean, and there's air conditioning, a huge help in the hot, humid summer. The rooms feel a bit crowded, but that's expected with so many beds. The staff are consistently kind and helpful, greeting you with a smile and really caring about your experience. I fully enjoyed my stay, had a great experience, and would definitely book again.

The night was a mess from the start. The reception felt unwelcoming, the room smelled bad, and even the duvet had an odor. There was luggage all over the floor when I arrived, so I could barely get through. My assigned bed was already occupied, and the receptionist wasn't sure whether the other one was clean. The outlets didn't work, and there was just one toilet on the floor. My badge wouldn't open the room, either. Then a man came into the girls' dorm with two new arrivals, even though all the beds were taken. They didn't sort it out until 1 a.m., so sleeping was impossible. It was noisy around the hotel as well. The hallways are huge, but the rooms are tiny. Avoid this place!

The bathroom was pretty clean, the location was decent, and the staff seemed fine from the little interaction we had. But we're pretty sure the beds had fleas or bed bugs. We woke up with more bites every day, and that really put us off the place.