Hospederia Marqués

The location is phenomenal, about 200m from the cathedral and close to both the train and bus stations. I stayed two nights in mid-June 2010 without any problems, and 60€/night for a double didn't seem bad. The room was very bare but clean. My TV didn't work, though who goes to Cadiz to watch TV? There was no AC, but the ceiling fan kept the room cool even with temperatures in the 90s. The only window faced the interior patio, so there was no view, but very little street noise, which helped with sleeping. The owner was a total grouch, and got grouchier if you tried to pay by credit card, even though they do accept cards. I speak Spanish and had enough euros on me, which made him marginally less cranky. I suspect there are friendlier, more characterful places for less, though they fill up faster, which is how I ended up here. A few small tweaks could make this go from fine to fantastic, so it's a bit of a shame. Still, you could do much worse if you just need somewhere to crash in Cádiz.

The location is reasonable, but that's about the only good thing I can say. The drains smelled, apparently because the toilets weren't capped correctly, and the whole building amplified every sound. It was like a cathedral of echoes and a giant whispering gallery. You could hear anyone talking, and even the sound of someone in the adjoining room peeing at night. The bed felt like a torture device from a previous age, maybe the Spanish Inquisition. The place was tired, dated, smelly and noisy, seemingly run on a shoestring and neglected for its age. The only outside window gave us the view shown. A family member booked it just for the price. If you value quiet, sleep, and your nose, avoid it and spend a few euros more.

It's cheap, and my room had a shower and toilet for an extra cost. There's a 24-hour desk and free WiFi. The location is excellent, around a 15-minute walk from the railway station and right on the edge of the old town, so the sights are easy to reach on foot.

It was clean enough, but very noisy, impersonal and without any charm. For what you get, it costs too much. I wouldn't pay more than 35-40 euros for a double room.