Hostal Dolcevita

The old building has stairs that felt a bit scary, and hallway noise carried into the room, so I slept with earplugs. Even so, the room was clean and spacious, with a little balconette. The shared bathroom was tiny but clean. For the price, I thought it was good value, and it was just right for our one-night stay in a central location.

The hotel was several flights up some very dangerous stairs. My partner slipped once, so be extra careful if you've got heavy bags. We could walk to the city's attractions, but the room was tiny and above a busy laneway. At night it was noisy with people coming and going from clubs, doors slamming and garbage trucks collecting at midnight. Luckily, I had my own earplugs. There was no fridge or air conditioning, which we missed in the summer heat, though the ceiling fan worked well. The staff weren't especially friendly. We hadn't been told there would be room cleaning, and there were no tags for the doors. After our first day out, we came back to find someone had been in the room. They'd made the bed but hadn't replaced the towels, just rehung one we'd left on the floor, and for some reason had removed the bathmat and left it in a corner. We had to tell them ourselves that we didn't want the room cleaned. Wouldn't recommend.

The people at reception were welcoming and helpful, and housekeeping came by every day. There are convenience stores, restaurants, a bar, and a pharmacy nearby, plus a laundry place across the street. For this room rate, I think it’s fair to keep expectations modest. If you want a private bathroom and a cozy, roomy space, you’re better off looking at a hotel instead of a guest house. There’s no lift, so the fourth floor would be a poor choice for anyone with heavy luggage or limited mobility.

The shower was comfortably warm, and the room was clean and okay. I found it very cold in winter, though. The heater seemed to come on automatically only at night, and I’m from a tropical country, so I’m not used to the cold. Gran Via is right nearby, which makes it easy to do everything on foot. Just be ready for lots of stairs and make sure you’re up to them.