Hostal Internacional

The owner was incredibly kind, and the location is great for the price. It’s an old place, but very clean, with functional, comfortable rooms. I’d definitely recommend it!

For a one-star hostel, we were really happy with it. Everything was old, but clean and worked fine, and the location puts you about three minutes from everything. Nobody spoke English, but a smile and a lot of arm waving got us surprisingly far. Nice place, and the staff had a good attitude.

The setting felt more like an apartment building, and it was quiet and convenient. We had separate keys for the building, apartment and our room, which made it feel safe. The place was very clean, with hot tea in the room. The staff were the friendliest, going out of their way to make us feel at home. It’s also a great spot, just a few minutes from the Prado, Thyssen, the hop-on bus and lots of lovely places.

We’re here for just two nights, so we’ll manage, but I thought $200 a night seemed steep for a one-star hostel in Madrid. It is close to the city center, with plenty of restaurants and bars nearby. Our room is clean, but the furniture is banged up. The mattress and towels are okay, the shower has good pressure, and the bedding is worn. The two pillows are as wide as the bed, which is odd. We asked for a quiet twin room, but got a very small double room and bathroom, with a window onto a busy street. We have to keep it shut because of the noise until the bars close around 3:30 am. The main check-in desk and lounge are right outside Room 203, and the walls are thin, so we hear people coming and going. The staff we met were nice, though two of the three spoke very little English. Our taxi driver had to speak to the woman through the entry speaker to get us into the building. Thankfully, there’s a one-person elevator for suitcases up to the second floor. This is our first hostel stay.