Albergue la Pizarra

The only real plus was having hot water in the shower. We were there at the end of September, and the place felt neglected: the rooms weren't clean, rubbish wasn't collected, and the old beds squeaked badly. We were handed the wrong key several times and ended up waiting outside in the freezing cold for 15-20 minutes. There was no kitchen or fridge, nothing to help us get food, and no staff around to help during our stay. I wouldn't recommend it.

We paid 12 euros expecting what the website described, a clean place with a hot shower, Wi-Fi, blankets and so on, but found none of that. It was like sleeping in a disused bar, with no proper upkeep and a horrible smell as soon as we walked in. The room was filthy from floor to ceiling, the mattress was rotten, and there was no heating. We asked the receptionist at the other hotel, El Rondon (4 stars), about hot water, but there wasn't any. There was no toilet paper either, and only one electrical outlet worked, the one in the toilet. We're pilgrims, not dogs. I'm not Spanish, but it seems to me this kind of practice ought to be illegal here. I'm going to file a police report tomorrow.

The staff are very friendly, and being right beside the pool is a real plus. For the price, the hostel itself is decent. I do think they need another person on staff, since the current team can't manage everything.

The prices have gone up ridiculously, and for a little more you can find a decent small hotel. This place was dirty, the taps ran white water, and there was no Wi-Fi even though it was included in the price. When I called the hotel to sort something out, the customer service was pretty poor.