Bilbao Central Hostel

The whole building felt pretty strange. The beds were comfortable, and the showers were clean, if not the nicest I’ve used. Staff were great. There were no locks on the doors, which was a first for me. At 10am, some guy came in with a toothbrush and started talking to me and my friends, even though he wasn’t staying in our room. He came back a few more times. I’m not sure, but I thought he might have wanted to steal our stuff. I also had to break up a fight between two people punching each other in the corridor outside our room. No one checked that we were staying there when we returned at 4am, so I think anyone could wander in at night. I’m a man and was with two other guys, and even we didn’t feel very safe. I definitely wouldn’t stay again, and solo female travelers should avoid it.

The place was clean and spacious, and there were big lockers. The breakfast was basic, which is what you get for the price, and it’s right in the heart of Bilbao. The woman who checked me in was really friendly. I loved my stay and would come back.

We appreciated being able to arrive after midnight, and the hostel was easy to find and get into. The staff were helpful, friendly and spoke English well. All the kitchen facilities listed on the website were there, though breakfast was very basic. The rooms were hot and sweaty, with hardly any windows. There are no locks on the room doors or lockers, so I’d bring your own lock for a backpack or locker. I’d recommend it for a night or two.

I’ve stayed in plenty of cheap places in Spain, including Bilbao, while on pilgrimage, and this was my worst experience. The location and price don’t make up for it, especially since hostels just 5 or 10 euros more can be much better. The cleanliness was poor throughout: floors, kitchen and living room were dirty, and the walls and lockers were too. I even found what looked like old bedbug traces. The kitchen barely had utensils, with no spoons, only one knife for everyone, and basically no forks. The reception area was cold, while past the first fire door they didn’t run the air conditioning, so it was very hot and humid. There was old stuff left around by former guests, like shampoos, and the shoe fridge was full of it. The entrance is strange and the place feels more like a warehouse than somewhere to sleep, though I’m used to rough budget rooms. There were plenty of other problems too. If you can, don’t stay here.