Hostal Athenas

There are plenty of shops and places to eat nearby, and the metro is just a few minutes on foot, with a connection to the city centre. The hotel is small and lovely, the receptionists are nice, and the price makes it especially easy to recommend.

The room was good value and had air conditioning, a TV and a shower, but it wasn't very clean and needs renovation. Getting inside was a mess: the self check-in machine didn't work properly, nobody was there to help in person, and I spent an hour outside relying on remote support. Other guests I spoke to had similar waits. Then I found that the system had assigned the same room to me and two other people, even though I'd booked the whole room for myself. During room service one day, staff switched off the air conditioning, and my medicines overheated. I don't recommend this place.

The bed was comfortable, the air conditioning was great, and the service was fine. Still, there were bugs on the toilet, and the thin walls meant loud people could keep you awake at night. Check-in happened outside because reception wasn't there. We arrived around 3am, in the dark, and it felt scary, especially as two young women with lots of creeps around. We were on the third floor, but the windows seemed like they could be opened from outside, which felt dangerous. The location was fine.

The rooms suited us and were fairly clean. Any cleanliness issue seemed to come from the older appliances, not the cleaning staff. I especially appreciated how helpful the receptionists and other workers were. I'd come back and recommend this hostel. I gave it four stars because I would've liked to pay a bit less, though I guess that's just Barcelona pricing.