Hostel Los Amigos

The hostel was extremely clean, with great staff who spoke English well, a big kitchen and a nice Spanish feel. Locals stay here too, which gave me a chance to talk with them in Spanish. The downsides were a tiny stove with only two burners, one fridge that could easily get crowded if the place filled up, and really slow, lousy Wi-Fi. The dorms were very noisy: you can hear the city partying late into the night, and the six-bed room is right by reception. The radiator next to my bed had no control and made the room really hot. I’d stay here again if it were quieter, but being right in the city means it probably won’t be.

The staff were really kind and helpful, and the location made it convenient to catch public transport and join free walking tours. I was traveling with family and stayed in a private room with a bathroom, so I didn’t have the hostel experience most people are after. I’d stay here again.

I booked and paid for three nights, but after my Flix bus from Porto was delayed, I reached the hostel early in the morning a day late. My phone wasn’t working, so I couldn’t contact them. They had canceled the whole three-day booking and given my room to someone else without speaking to me. They kept my money for the other two nights, too. The receptionist said it was Booking.com’s doing and that I should call them, but Booking.com told me the owner had canceled it. I had to find another hostel right away and had a hard time doing so. I ended up at a place far from Bernabeu that was much cleaner, nicer, and had better service. This hostel was dirty and disorganized, and the photos looked very different from the real place. I visited seven different hostels on my trip around Europe, and this was the only bad experience I had. Watch out. They didn’t seem to care about my situation, just making money.

The location is fantastic, and there’s a large kitchen, but the place is very basic. It’s fine if you just need somewhere to sleep and expect to be out all day. There are no tours or activities, no bar, and no games room, so it’s not great if you want to meet other travelers.