Hostal Julio Cesar

Good value for the price, and it's affordable and close to the main Camino Frances.

We had a good stay and slept fairly well, with everything we needed and room cleaning service. Our family, including the children, spent a winter weekend here while visiting friends in León. The hostel was clean and pleasant, and we only used it to sleep and shower. There's no reception, but you can use the intercom at the main entrance to communicate, and there is no physical key. The reason it doesn't get five stars is that other guests were noisy in the early hours one night for more than five minutes. Soundproofing between the hallway and our room wasn't good.

The other guests were respectful and quiet, and there were no noises disturbing us. Still, we slept little and badly. This is reasonably priced, a quiet hostel that's fine for one night, with a clean, fully equipped bathroom. We made the mistake of booking almost a whole week despite knowing there was only a standing fan and no air conditioning. Our tiny room had one window facing a small, caged courtyard, so there was no ventilation. During the extreme heat, it was unbearable in the daytime, and the nights dragged on until we were too tired to stay awake. The beds were like thick sponges rather than mattresses, and we sank into them. Depending on how we lay, we had to change position within minutes to avoid straining a bone or muscle. The room was so cramped there was nowhere else to eat, so sometimes we had snacks sitting on the beds. They straightened the sheets each day when making the beds, but crumbs were still there the next night.

I care most about having a clean, quiet hostel. For the price, I wasn't expecting great amenities.