Dobo Azacanes Hostal

Getting in with the code was easy, and the plant-filled hallway was lovely. Our room was spacious and clean, with a good private shower and air conditioning. You can hear people in other rooms, but it wasn’t too loud and didn’t cause us problems. Nice location too, with a Mexican restaurant nearby worth trying.

I booked two nights in September through airbnb for €250 per night, so I expected better. While unpacking, I found cockroaches in the room and got no reply when I contacted management. The rooms are quite small, and the management was rude. There are much better choices in town at this price. I’m honestly surprised this place is rated over 4 on Google.

The architecture and design are lovely, and the price is good. It’s outside the city walls, with a steep climb up to the historic centre, though it’s nearer the bus and train stations. There’s no reception or staff, and check-in and checkout happen online. That may suit introverts, but when you’re alone the hotel feels a bit creepy and ghostly. The walls are paper-thin: you can hear neighbours talking, playing music, and even showering. That’s the biggest problem and needs soundproofing. There’s no food or breakfast, and even a snack machine would help. You also can’t leave bags because there are no lockers. The room card doesn’t open the door, so you have to enter a pin every time. A sofa or a couple of chairs in the second-floor hall would also help people who arrive after climbing the stairs and need to check in. Standing there isn’t convenient.

We spent about 3-4 hours of our first day sitting in the heat, waiting for someone to help us get into our room. No check-in details arrived, so we waited at the locked door until another guest let us in, then sat in the lobby trying to work out what to do. When we finally got help with the door and room, we hadn’t been asked to check in, so the access details kept timing out. We were locked out repeatedly until someone sent the proper instructions. It was a horrible start to our honeymoon and wasted our evening. There was no apology from staff. The place is pretty and the terrace was nice, though covered in bird droppings. It was the most expensive place we stayed and caused anxiety instead of making the day easier. I can’t recommend it with check-in handled this way. Please fix the process and make your WhatsApp number callable. We had a phone with data but no active cell signal, and had to contact you through the booking agency. Without that option, we might have slept in the lobby or on the street. EDIT: The hotel’s reply was rude and inaccurate. I confirmed with hotels.com that its check-in information was wrong for Hotel Azacanes, and they politely reimbursed me. At booking, the only information we got was that check-in started at 4 PM. We did have a phone, just no active cell service, and other hotels let international guests contact them over data. This confirms how poor the communication was. The hotels.com instructions said check-in began at 4 PM and ended at midnight, there was no front desk, and guests arriving after 3 PM should contact the property in advance. They also said guests outside normal hours would get an email with access instructions and a code, and that a host would greet them. Why would I arrive before 3 if I couldn’t check in? The hotel should automatically send the information needed to get in. Expecting guests to reach out 24 hours ahead while travelling is ridiculous. There’s no host at the hotel either. I wish zero stars were possible.