Hostel inter Puerto del sol

My first visit here was fantastic, but this second one was a sharp letdown, even though we paid more for the room. The room didn’t match the online photos, the walls needed cleaning, the remote had no batteries, and the shower drain was blocked, so we had to wait for water to clear while using it. We also couldn’t adjust the radiators, which had been running continuously since we arrived. There’s no regular reception, just a check-in machine outside the door, and it took some effort to work out. They have a Spanish number for help by call or WhatsApp, which was at least some comfort. We were put on the second floor, but the door needed a code that hadn’t been sent by email, so we had to call for help. The noise at night was bad too. We were in central Madrid, right across from pubs where people were loud late into the night.

The location was great, but that was about all I liked. Check-in was confusing, and nobody told us how to get into the building, so we had to wait for someone to open the door. It was loud, unclean, and smelled bad. Spain is amazing, but I’d never stay here again.

The room itself was cramped and had stained walls, which might have been tolerable if we could actually use it without needing police involvement. Check-in depended on a machine that repeatedly failed for several people. The advertised 24-hour support ignored calls, or told us to try again before insulting us and hanging up. I had to threaten to call the police before they got us checked in. A few hours later, our key stopped working. They again wouldn’t answer calls, and only texted back after I threatened to report a theft, with my belongings still locked inside.

The location makes this an affordable base if you’ll spend most of your time out exploring, and having air conditioning in summer was a plus. It did keep working, though after about 15 minutes it would drip and leak constantly. The room was basic. The bed was fine for sleeping and the bathroom was manageable. Check-in was more confusing than it needed to be, but a call to the number provided got it sorted quickly. Don’t expect more than the essentials.