Arc House Madrid

I wouldn't stay longer than one night. Don't pay more than 15 euros. I only booked because I needed somewhere to sleep from 2 am until 9 am, and my room faced Puerta del Sol, where it was noisy even at 3 am. Bring earplugs. The beds are basic, cheap bunk beds with no privacy, and people may come back very late after going out. The bathrooms were okay, but not very clean. I didn't shower since I hadn't planned to.

The location is fantastic, right in the center and beside the metro. But the stay itself wasn't great: the showers smelled like urine, there wasn't much privacy, and the toilets often ran out of toilet paper. There's everything you need, so if those things don't bother you, it's really great.

The staff were really friendly and helpful, and the common area was pretty good. It was clean, with plenty of showers. The bed was super uncomfortable, though, and I could feel the bunk bars through the mattress. The shower water never got hot, and the room felt warm. I couldn't tell if there was air conditioning. My lock barely fit the tiny locker hole, so bring one with a very skinny neck. There were just two toilets. That didn't bother me, but I can see it becoming an issue. It didn't seem very social, though I was only there one night, so that wasn't really a problem for me. We opened the window to cool the room, which let in noise. I wasn't bothered, but anyone sensitive to noise might be.

I never managed more than three hours of sleep here. Street noise came straight into the room because the soundproofing was poor, and other guests snored loudly. I also had to flick bugs away from my bed while lying awake. The rooms smelled of cigarettes, which made me feel nauseous. The bathroom situation was bad too. When the men's shower flooded, I was told to use the women's shower. Then they shut off the water in the only bathroom, so the toilets wouldn't flush and I couldn't wash my hands. There aren't enough restroom facilities. Staff were incredibly argumentative. They misrepresented several things and tried to charge me for things that weren't chargeable, then blamed it on a misunderstanding. I paid extra to move to another hotel and check out early, and it was worth it for my health and sanity. Don't stay here if sleep and peace of mind matter to you.