Arc House Mezquita

There was one bathroom and toilet for an entire floor of 20 people, and both were in miserable condition with insects. I asked for a refund or some goodwill arrangement and got the ridiculous response that because I booked via booking, there was no contract with the hotel. I paid 100€ a night for a double room. From outside, it looked lovely, and I liked the artistic, very andalusian design in the corridors. Inside was awful: moldy, humid, dirty and dusty, with hair on the floor. A quick look around turned up black mold around the window, hidden by a big curtain. Reception closed at 08:00, and since I arrived at 07:40, they couldn’t change my room. It was freezing at night, and I could hear everyone else in their rooms, especially people outside. The blankets seemed disgusting and like they hadn’t been washed or replaced after a stay. The cleaning people start at 08:00, and they won’t bother to work quietly. I have some pictures of my experience and wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

The room was ready early, so we got to check in before the scheduled time. It was also ideally placed in the city center, two minutes from the Mezquita. The room was very humid, the shutters weren’t in the best shape, and being next to a patio meant we heard a lot of outside noise. Not great if you’re a light sleeper. We left just before 10 a.m. and wanted to ask reception to hold our luggage for a while, but there was no one there.

I had a private room for one, with a shared bathroom, and paid a great price, especially since weekdays are much cheaper. The rooms were clean, the bed was really comfortable, and the front desk service was excellent. The hostel is in the middle of the Jewish Quarter, a few minutes’ walk from the Mezquita. There’s a lovely patio with interesting paintings of pop stars on the walls. The Wi-Fi was sometimes very slow or didn’t work on the second floor, though it worked much better downstairs. There’s no elevator. A very good place to stay while visiting Cordoba.

I messaged ahead to say I’d arrive before 20:00 and pay in cash. I got there at 19:55 and was told they’d canceled my booking. They asked me to make a new reservation at almost double the price and pay by card. They were also really rude and unprofessional. I’d never recommend this accommodation.