Hostal Del Pez Azul

The one real plus is the location, but I won’t stay here again. The place is extremely basic and not very clean. My room was small, and I had to step over the toilet to reach the shower. There was no cable for the TV, no hair dryer, and no view. The only window opened onto the yard where the landlady hangs out the laundry. The phone rings at all hours, and I could hear every conversation. Angela isn’t exactly quiet. During my nine nights, my towels were changed just once, and I’m not sure the bed was changed at all. When it came time to pay, I had to argue because they were overcharging me 10€. I’d booked direct with a hotel for once instead of using Booking.com, and I won’t do that again. I booked online in May for September and agreed to pay the first night to confirm. Then I was charged again in July. I only noticed by checking my card balance, which saved me from extra charges. After an awkward call, the landlady Angela apologized and said she’d forgotten whether she had taken the first payment. I found that odd, but let it go until another charge appeared in August. My bank was unhappy and suggested I take it up with Visa. When I called again, the owner said she’d made another mistake. By then, with only two weeks before my trip, finding alternative accommodation in the city centre would have cost a fortune, so I kept the booking. The photos on the website made the hotel look better than it was, and the owner’s English was quite poor. After checking some reviews, I found that charging guests multiple times before arrival seemed to be a common practice. I’ve learned my lesson and will book through Booking.com from now on, since they’ve always looked after me.

The room was tucked into a small inner courtyard, so street noise wasn’t an issue, though we could hear some sound from the hallway. The Wi-Fi was the main problem: it kept disconnecting and was slow. My small single room had an even smaller bathroom, but that was okay, and the bed was comfortable. There was a TV and AC. Great hostal in a really good location.

The place was generally clean, but I expected more based on what I’d read on the webpage. The pictures make the hostel rooms look better and bigger than they are in person.

It’s a very clean, well cared for home, though it’s hard to spot from the street and easy to walk past. The owner also delayed check-in after we’d landed, without much warning. That was inconvenient, but the place itself was great.