Hostal Algodón

There’s a fridge and microwave in the hallway, and the location is convenient, near the center, restaurants, pharmacies and tobacco shops. But there’s very little reception, the showers are in poor shape, and the heating barely comes on for three hours in a city that’s usually cold. The taps dripped all night. Would I stay again? I’ll find somewhere else.

The good points were the friendly receptionist, the spot near the city center, and a fridge and microwave in the common area. The rest was awful. The hostel was very dark, and a strong bad smell hit us as soon as we came in. It was just as bad in the room, mixed with tobacco. There was mold throughout, damp above the shower, and water leaked from the bathroom ceiling even when we weren’t using the shower. The shower itself didn’t work properly and its screen was broken. The bedspread and sheets were stained and smelled terrible. There was only one small towel and single-use shower gel packets. A chair was filthy, and the walls and window were in the same state. We tried sleeping with the window open, but the street noise made that impossible. With the smell too, we had to leave at 1 a.m. because we couldn’t sleep or rest. The receptionist understood and agreed with us, apologized, and refunded our money. We only wanted a place to rest. We thought the low price meant basic but clean, but it didn’t meet even the minimum.

The customer service rep seemed nice, but my experience was frustrating. On the first day I left a sign asking for the room to be cleaned at about 11:00 AM. It was a bit late, but they ignored it completely. The next day I left it with plenty of time, and they did only the bare minimum: no fresh towels, shampoo or bar soap. I know soap can last a while and there’s no need to replace everything, but they replaced nothing at all. Also, why have a bathtub for showering? A shower tray would make more sense. On day three I texted a bit late to say I’d left the keys behind the door. I had a train to catch and didn’t know where to find the hostel’s customer service rep, so I didn’t want to go looking. They ignored that message too. Next time I’ll find a hostel with an android on hand. A pretty face and Colgate smile don’t fix any of this.

We were traveling with bikes and were told they could be stored, but only inside the room. The room itself was dark, with a very long passage between the beds and bathroom, and the furniture and linens were old. Check-out is supposedly at 12 pm, yet they need guests out sooner to clean for newcomers, with no advance notice. As I understand it, check-in is at the same time as check-out, which seems poorly organized.