Favorite Barcelona hostel?
February 17, 2008 3:23 PM   Subscribe

What is your favorite hostel in Barcelona?
posted by smackfu to Travel & Transportation around Barcelona, Spain (9 answers total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
 
I am planning a trip to Barcelona in March and did some research into the various hostels. I actually ended up settling on a guesthouse with private rooms that don't cost much more than a bed in a hostel:
http://www.solyk.com/

But before I found Sol Y K, I was considering either Itaca or Backpackers BCN.
posted by sanitycheck at 3:47 PM on February 17, 2008


I've had a few friends stay here when they've come to visit, without complaints. Clean and secure, very central and reasonably priced, it's probably worth a looksee.
posted by benzo8 at 3:49 PM on February 17, 2008


Best answer: What do you want? Cheap? Fun? Good rooms?

I stayed in the Kabul, just off las Ramblas. It's central, very reasonable prices, and full of young people having a good time. This may or may not be an advantage, depending on what you're after. It's very popular, so book ahead if you want to stay there.

I arrived in Barcelona on the eve of a national holiday without realising it. It was 10pm, and every hostel, hotel, B&B, park bench etc. were full. There was nowhere to stay. In desperation I turned to a group of strangers and asked them where they were sleeping, and they led me to the Kabul. It was full, of course, but my stars aligned perfectly for me: one of the guests had climbed onto the roof and urinated onto the restaurant five stories below in the plaza. He got the boot, I got his bed*.

*I wouldn't recommend relying upon this as a method of procuring a place to stay.
posted by twirlypen at 4:07 PM on February 17, 2008 [1 favorite]


I also stayed in Kabul and had a blast. Lost of young people looking to get drunk and have a good time. I met some really cool people there that I ended up traveling with for a few days after I moved on from Barcelona. I was in a drink and party state of mind at that phase of my trip and it suited me well. If you are not much of a drinker you might find it too rowdy.

I have fond but fuzzy memories of the hostel bar there. They poured draft beer in 1L cups and I think it was maybe 2 euro (it might have even been one.) And there was 'happy hour' in the evening where it was 2 for 1. God. Even on the night when I decided to just stay in and take it easy I wound up drinking four of these things.
posted by PercussivePaul at 4:13 PM on February 17, 2008


3rding Kabul. Had a blast there in 2000, they had a beer vending machine which was alot of fun. Wasn't the safest area in the world back then. We got told to watch out for anyone wanting to do "The Football Dance" with you, who would invariably steal your wallet in the process. Someone tried it that night. Anyway, as with any city, keep your eyes open and you will be fine. Enjoy the trip
posted by chromatist at 4:41 PM on February 17, 2008


Response by poster: Thanks, Kabul sounds like it will do just fine. I'm staying in some generic HI place in Valencia before that (because it's the only place with beds for Las Fallas) so I can deal with a little fun.
posted by smackfu at 4:54 PM on February 17, 2008


I had a great time at the Centric Point Hostel with 5 friends back in August 2006. We stayed for 4 nights, I believe. Reasonably priced, a good location, helpful staff, cool guests and nice facilities (especially their bar/lounge).

Good luck!
posted by adamk at 1:53 AM on February 18, 2008


I actually stayed in Itaca Hostel for a week, 3 years ago and it gets my recommendation. Good management, facilities, great location (right next to Catedral, easy to get to Las Ramblas). And compared to the sketchy dive some of our friends were in, it was ideal.
posted by nemoorange at 2:01 PM on February 18, 2008


Response by poster: Follow-up: Had a great time at Kabul. The location is perfect, if a little sketchy at night (although that could be said for much of Barcelona). They still have the two-for-one happy hour with two liters of unnamed beer for 3 euro. And there's a slightly iffy free dinner every night, which is really rare for a hostel. So if you're really skint, it's a place to save some money.

The only negative is that everyone is wasted out of their mind by 10 PM, and that's way too early for Spanish nightlife.
posted by smackfu at 6:42 AM on March 25, 2008


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