Casa Don Juan

We had a great time here over Christmas, and the location in the middle of the old town is fantastic. The staff are brilliant, and Antonio behind the bar is good fun. Rooms are clean and the foam beds are very comfy, but the bathroom needs some maintenance. I had to hold the shower head because it wouldn’t stay upright, the door wouldn’t close, and the sink is in the bedroom. Our fridge seal was poor, so it kept defrosting. There’s no elevator, and the top floor means climbing 63 steps, so don’t forget anything. Street noise, mostly people singing and shouting rather than the bars, tends to carry on until about 5am. Drinks are available at the bar, but for food you’ll need one of the many nearby restaurants. For breakfast I’d recommend "Casa Abierta Gastrobar", turn left from the hotel, then first right, about 50 paces along on the left. A full English is just 5.90e. For an evening meal, try "Sherpa Restaurante Asiática", four minutes away. If you want to park in the blue lined street spaces, the staff can give you an app. It costs 1e per two hours, you can pay for another two hours if you like, and parking is free from 20:00 to 08:00. We used the Mercadona car park instead, at 21.50e maximum per day. It was well lit with cameras everywhere, so felt safer. This is a budget hotel, so keep that in mind when deciding whether to stay. You might think twice if you’re used to paying nearly 400e a night at a larger 4*/5* hotel. We had a great time, and you will too.

The cleaner works hard to keep the public areas clean and smelling of bleach, and the room cleaning staff and bar staff put in a lot of effort. But the hotel badly needs renovating. The shower was dreadful, the sink was cracked down the middle and the kettle felt like a safety hazard. The street noise went on past 5am, and I felt as if I were sleeping in a tent at Glastonbury. It isn’t cheap for a budget place, and they didn’t even provide a bar of soap. Some people may care more about the location or be too drunk to mind, but I wouldn’t return.

Friendly staff and handy for the old town, but the rooms are terrible.

Antoine, the Spanish manager who speaks English, and Neil, the English guy behind the bar, make the place with their friendship and laughter. They’re very accommodating, and the drinks are excellent and well priced. Lorraine keeps the rooms clean and is very friendly too. The location in the old town is superb, just seconds from Tapas Alley and all its great places to eat. The rooms aren’t big, but if you just need somewhere clean and aren’t planning to dance in there, they’ll do. A great stay for little money. You won’t, or shouldn’t, be disappointed.