The Central House Madrid Lavapiés - Hostel

Plaza Mayor and the main tourist spots are an easy walk from The Central House Lavapiés, which made exploring simple. I stayed in a private room that was comfortable, stayed at a good temperature, and had a roomy, convenient bathroom. The decor has a striking bohemian style that makes the place feel warm and inviting. Staff were friendly, attentive, and helpful from arrival onward. The restaurant stood out too, especially the calamari sandwich, which you should try. I loved staying here and would come back. Highly recommend it if you want somewhere cozy, stylish, and well located.

The blackout curtains deserve all the praise, and I had a lot of fun on the bar crawl. I’d read reviews saying it wasn’t fun, but I thought it was awesome. Just be ready to lose a night’s sleep 😅. The common area was nice and the breakfast buffet was fantastic. With train, subway, and bus stations nearby, the central location was handy for starting my solo trip around Europe. 10/10, I’d absolutely stay again.

It was good value, but this visit didn’t impress me the way my first one did. The room wasn’t as clean as when I stayed in 2022, and the surrounding area can get noisy. Music from the downstairs bar is loud, and groups leaving can make a racket. The pool wasn’t available, and the terrace bar never opened. There’s no seating in the courtyard, so it’s hard to enjoy it in the evening, adding to the shortage of comfortable places to relax on a longer stay. Breakfast is good, though not especially good value for the price.

The first night was really uncomfortable because the room was baking hot even with the thermostat at 21 C. It was more bearable the second night, but still not great. I think the room didn’t have enough ventilation for the AC. And if towels cost extra, they should be a bit nicer than these scratchy ones, which had a few stains.