CASA GRACIA

Septic tank or something seems to be leaking poo smells into the rooms for two nights. For it to have cost 50€ a night plus tax, it’s not worth it. It’s the third time I return in three years, both wonderful experiences, but I’m not sure it’s worth it anymore and I will not return.

I booked a last-minute reservation despite reviews since they had single rooms available (whereas most other places were creeping into €200+ territory or dorm rooms). A €200 room would’ve likely been a definite upgrade, but I honestly think I could’ve found a bench in a nearby park that also would’ve been an upgrade.

The service: I did not make any requests of the staff, but I wouldn’t have wanted to as when I checked in, it did not seem anyone wanted to be there or be of help to the people in front of me or myself. When I checked out in the middle of the night, they were friendlier, at least.

The room itself: the door was falling apart. It seemed as if it’d been slammed and forced many times, so the wood was crumbling and you had to jiggle it a little to get the lock in place. The floors were very worn, and I was not confident in their cleanliness. There were two outlets in the room, no USB outlets. There was a severe lack of storage space, perhaps the most substantial storage space was the ledge above the bed, otherwise there was a couple of hooks with hangers and a small ledge, a tiny side table, and a tiny bench I moved from the bathroom. The A/C did not work, which forced me to crack open the window, inviting a whole new batch of issues. No table or seating space, you only get the bed. The bed itself was okay, on the harder side, the pillows and blankets were fine.

The bathroom also lacked space, there was the sink space, two ledges above the toilet, and within the shower itself, another ledge. However: they did not replace the toilet paper, so I got a used up roll that ran out. Only two towels were provided, one bath and one face, they were not soft and actually a little unpleasant. They did provide soap - body wash and shampoo, but in my opinion the scents weren’t appealing, especially for women. I tossed them to the side. The shower floor was slippery. The toilet would get stuck when I flushed. The handle for the shower was broken off so I had to swing it open from within in order to get out. No cup provided to wash your mouth.

If I could give my fellow guests reviews, it would be totally negative. At all hours of the night, knocking on the doors, slamming of the doors, stomping and running about, talking and shouting in the hallways, incessant noise with no regard for quiet hours. Not all of these issues can be attributed to the hostel, but the lack of soundproofing and the faulty doors can be laid as a negative attribute due to poor management and maintenance. Finally - I was awoken at 2:00 AM by a couple loudly having sex. At this point, I was over it and shouted at them to shut up but it did nothing. More talking at this late hour.

The location is likely this place’s greatest attribute. Very centrally located near the shopping, eating, and La Pedrera (not even 10 minutes away). Easy walking distance to most other attractions, plus convenient metro location, with Diagonal station right there. It was easy for me to pick up snacks and drinks for the night and the next day, find dinner, and get to and from Barcelona-Sants. Also a convenient location for the transiting to the airport, easy enough access with the metro and for taxis. I give it the singular star for this point.

I will mention that reservations did include breakfast, which I could not avail since it did not open until the late time of 8:00 AM, and closes by 11:00 AM. Neither here nor there for me, I suppose, although it would’ve been nice to provide options to grab and go for people like myself departing early.

Now, for the costs, I paid roughly €150 for this stay, primarily wanting to do some casual browsing and get some sleep. It was absolutely not worth it. There are similar accommodations in terms of location, and, frankly, most of the city is well-connected via transit, which is very easy to manage and navigate, particularly the metro. I find myself hard-pressed to believe even the dorm rooms, at €50, would be worth it. I couldn’t recommend this place, your money is better spent elsewhere.

Buena calidad y servicio

PÉSIMO
Nos alojamos 6 personas en enero, y la habitación no cumplía los requisitos básicos de habitabilidad. La ventana tenía un agujero, las baldosas del baño no estaban bien selladas y se movían, y salía agua por las juntas. Muy pocas tomas de corriente. Iniciamos un proceso de reclamación y 3 meses después seguimos sin obtener el reembolso que nos aseguraron hacernos. Inadmisible el trato.

Fuimos a una cena de cumpleaños y fue un auténtico desastre, el trato del personal es horrible, los camareros unos indeseables, el “seguridad de la puerta otro que tendría que pasar las pruebas de validación…la comida pasable, no diré lo contrario, no volveremos jamás.