Hostal Oxum

It's clean and the location is good, and for a budget stay the room is fair, though nothing special. There's no elevator to the third floor. The bed was too soft, and the floor was really cold, so bring slippers. We only had a shower towel, no hand towel or bath mat, and water ended up on the room floor.

The room was lovely and had everything you need, and the staff were friendly with good service. The receptionist spoke good English, though we had a funny time trying to explain where Ireland is. He wasn't the only person we met who didn't know! The downside is the climb: six flights of stairs to the third floor, with no lift.

For €48 a night, you get a very basic, cramped place right in the heart of Madrid. Three people were squeezed into our clean, tidy room. There's no lift and it's on the third floor, but there's free wifi, air conditioning, and friendly staff. Have a few beers and you might forget the squeeze. There's also a full-length mirror at the foot of the bed.

I wasn't in Madrid or at this hostel for two years, but €542 was taken from my debit card. It may have been a mistake, but the hostel won't respond to me by email or phone. I managed to speak to someone once, heard a response in Spanish, and then nobody answered again. I don't know what to do. I don't recommend contacting this hostel if you have even a small financial issue; I feel they'll try to trick you. My name is Artem, card ****0281.