Hostal Pio

The location is super good, the rooms aren't bad, and the beds are good. The room materials are debatable, but for the price I won't complain. There was loud music from another apartment at 1 a.m., and we only managed to sleep thanks to earplugs. That kind of thing wouldn't happen if you booked a hotel. We requested early check-in. It's fine if that wasn't possible, but they simply denied it through booking with no explanation. The email said they'd send a code for entering the apartments, but none arrived. We called about 10 times, and our check-in was at 2 p.m.; the code came at 2:20. There's no one at the property to help with anything, and they don't answer calls. The positives are location, room, and beds. Service, communication, check-in and checkout timing, and noise from other rooms or apartments were the downsides. Choose what you prefer based on this.

The shower was quite dirty, and the towels provided were dirty and in poor condition. It also felt expensive for what was offered. On the plus side, online check-in went smoothly, the amenities were good for a hostal, and the location was very good.

The check-in directions were clear and easy to follow. The rooms were clean and cosy, and the location right in the city centre is perfect.

I booked a night here in January for July, before COVID. I live in Asia and had planned to spend the summer in Europe visiting friends and family I hadn't seen in two years. Then COVID happened and flights to Europe and within Europe were cancelled. None of it was my choice. Other trips I had planned in different countries were cancelled too, and other hotels were understanding that this was an exceptional situation. This Madrid hotel was the only one that refused to refund me. They offered a voucher valid for a year. Given the situation, I don't plan to go to Europe in the next year, and I explained that in both Spanish and English. It's a long flight, and my travel habits are likely to change from now on. I lived in Madrid before moving to Asia, and when I go back I'll stay with friends who have offered. I'm never spending money at a Madrid hotel again. Treating people this way is so stupid. They get my money once, and I'll never return. If they'd refunded me, I might have come back and recommended them to others. This has reminded me of how things used to be in Spain, and how little I miss it. Such short-sightedness is dumb.