OYO Ruzafa Guesthouse

The manager never apologized or followed up after we told him we’d been given the wrong key. We couldn’t get into the building and had to wait for other guests to let us in. Another couple had the same key problem. Check-in itself took an hour for us, while some people waited two. The room was tiny, with big cockroaches in the hallway and bathroom, and it was unbearably hot because there was no ventilation.

The room was private and very cheap, and the place was fairly clean and close to the centre. But my key didn’t work, so I couldn’t lock the door. At 3 am, some other guests came in, apparently wondering what was in there. That was down to their lack of respect, rather than the place itself.

Check-in only happens at certain times, and we and plenty of others ended up waiting over an hour for our rooms. Check the hours before you arrive. The price is very reasonable for such a central spot, and our room for two had nice street-facing windows. There are two bathrooms, though neither was especially clean. You can park a scooter on the street. There’s no heating anywhere in the hostel, so winter might not be a good time to stay.

The building work is still going on, and it gets really loud. There’s a kitchen but no kettle, and just one fan for the long shared family room. It was much too hot to bear.