Hostal Marlasca

I was travelling alone in a private room and found it hard to meet anyone, so I wish the hostel arranged social events for guests. A few other things weren't ideal: I could hear the floor entrance door unlocking whenever someone arrived, and there was early morning construction in or near the building. The room was small and the walls were dirty, though it wasn't unreasonable. On the plus side, the bed was comfortable, the showers were hot, and the location was excellent. The lobby is on floor 2, not floors 0 or 1, which wasn't clear and took me a while to find. If those drawbacks are fine for you, it's good value for the money.

The room was cheap and adequate, but the sheets were dirty and there was hair left in the shower. Noise outside went on from around 7pm to 5am on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with people gathered by the hotel all night. If you're after a budget place to sleep near Sol, the location is good, though I'd pay more to stay somewhere else. Finding reception was confusing because it's on Floor 2 and isn't signposted. There are no signs on the floors showing where the rooms are either. The lift is tiny, so a pushchair or bike may need to go up the narrow spiral staircase. No staff offered to help me carry it.

Mind the very last step at the bottom of the marble staircase. The lift is small, with room for one or two people. This older hotel is in good repair, and both rooms we stayed in on separate visits were clean and spacious. It's close to the centre, though you should expect some street noise in a Spanish tourist town.

The location is great, but the rooms didn't match what was shown on the website. We expected two full beds with a nightstand between them, and instead found the beds cramped together with no room for luggage. Our street-facing room was impossible to sleep in, with people singing below from 8pm to 5am. I also found hair from at least three different people in the bed and bathroom. The shower was very good, but the bathroom only really works if you're alone because it doesn't have a proper door. Staff were a mixed bag. When we arrived, we were scolded for taking the elevator one at a time with our suitcase. I guess you're meant to send your bags up and then run up the stairs, hoping no one's in the way. Two nights in December cost about 240 euros, which felt very overpriced.