The location of this hostel is unbeatable—right next to Plaça de Catalunya, the Ramblas, Barri Gòtic, and within walking distance of landmarks like Eixample, El Born, and even the port (20 mins). Sagrada Família (40 mins) and Montjuïc require transportation, but bus 55 makes it easy. For airport transit, Aerobus is a game-changer: fast (20 mins), with Wi-Fi and charging ports. It’s pricier than bus 46, which we used on arrival, but worth it if time matters.

We booked 5 nights directly via the hostel's site and paid around €30/night for an 8 bed all female dorm, great value in such an inclusive, diverse atmosphere. Late November was ideal: fewer tourists, perfect weather, and the magical moment of the Christmas lights turning on. The Puccini opera at the Palace of Catalan Music was unforgettable, don’t miss it if there’s a concert!

The staff was welcoming, especially the receptionist with a buzzcut and tattoo who made check-in seamless. They answered all our questions, provided €2 key cards (refunded at checkout), and even free towels, unexpected but appreciated. The team was friendly and professional. Quiet hours (12-7am) are enforced, but free earplugs (available at reception) or silicone moldable ones are a lifesaver.

The dorm was clean, and the roommates were friendly. While we didn’t form deep bonds, it was nice sharing daily adventures. Beds were comfortable, and while the room was warm at first, it cooled at night. Bring a pillow cover if cleanliness concerns you and padlocks for under bed storag, trust no one! Bathrooms and showers (outside the room) were mostly clean. The shower timer was a minor annoyance, but it’s a nod to sustainability.

The kitchen on the 1st floor was well equipped for reheating meals from Mercadona or Lidl, with an oven, mini oven (air fryer), and microwave (no stove). Sharp and serrated knives were missing, though. The vibe was casual and perfect for quick bites. The music played was tasteful. We skipped Belushi’s Bar, but it might appeal to others.

Check-out is at 11 AM but can be extended to 1 PM for €5. Paid lockers are available for luggage storage. Guests seemed to enjoy the free tours, though we followed Rick Steves’ Barcelona guide, which was excellent for walks and hidden gems.

We felt safe throughout our stay. Wi-Fi worked well, and overall, the hostel balanced budget-friendly travel with a welcoming atmosphere. If you encounter any issues, the reception is very helpful. Barcelona stole my heart, I can’t wait...

I'll save the biggest problem for last, but my sole goal of coming to this place was to get at least some sleep after a midnight flight getting me to St Christopher's Inn at 3:30AM, and there were obstacles. The guy at the desk told me check-out is at 8AM, which cost me sleep time fact-checking his telling me that I'd only get about four hours sleep (actually, check-out is at 11 like everywhere else, but this foreshadows that the front desk is inexperienced and unreliable). The room smelled like feet, such that I slept breathing through a face mask. There was a constant hum, such that I had to sleep with ear plugs. There are four bunks connected, and when one person shifts, they all rock together, and I had bad luck with somebody on the other side of the partition who was not finding the right position. (Of course, she had to contend with people like me who show up at 3AM, who try to be quiet as possible but still have to haul themselves into bed.) This is by no means my first hostel, I know what to expect, but this one rated badly on the things that matter for sleep, like ventilation, noise, and bed quality.||The biggest problem, though, was that my reservation wasn't marked for the right night. I'd requested that it be changed months ago, and was vigorously assured then that the change was made, but it got lost in the system. The guy who checked me in late at night was peevish about having to rebook me (cutting into my sleep time), and the manager I spoke to about it during the day, "Kelly", well, I just feel bad for her. In our extensive discussion of the long paper trail I showed her, it came out that (1) all conversations with front desk staff (including via web chat) are not deemed reliable, (2) there is a bot that pre-routes messages and sometimes marks them as cleared without passing them on to a human, and (3) I won't get a refund for their failure to correct the reservation three months earlier because the paper trail I'd shown her repeatedly refers to the corrected date, but is not complete to her satisfaction, due to known problems #1 and #2. I can tell that every day Kelly has to explain to somebody whose reservation is borked that the system is flawed and everybody knows it, but her job is to strictly enforce the terms and conditions of her employer. It has to be a hard job that wears on her soul. The best way you can help Kelly is to not deal with the reservation system at all and book...

YOU DO NOT GET THE GOODS AND SERVICES YOU PAY FOR THEY FIND A WAY TO CHARGE YOU FOR EVERYTHING EVEN LATE CHECK OUT IS PER PERSON AND NOT ROOM EVEN IF IT IS A PRIVATE EN-SUITE ROOM YOU ARE SHARING WITH A PARTNER

1 star for the PRIVATE room that ACTUALLY ended up being a private room. This is worth it if you can share it with someone. It comes out to 118 euros per night max during holidays or (87 euros per night for off peak days) 1 star for the FREE sangria everyday at 800-825PM except for some Sundays or holidays The VERY BAD: I booked and paid for a private 4 female bedroom with En Suite bathroom but when I showed up, it was a 4 female bedroom with NO private bathroom. They argued for 4 minutes it was us who who looked at the wrong picture only to shoot us down at the end by saying “In Barcelona, we do not even have 4 bedroom en suites with private bedrooms” The communal bathrooms have showers in which you have to press a button for water and the water lasts LESS THAN 4-6 SECONDS, so in order to finish your shower, you will press this button at least 20 times 3A. Internet is NOT stable 3B. There is a Floor 1 is a common area with communal fridge BUT people will steal your food and even the 18-22 yo complained how the kitchen was worst kitchen they have seen at hostels. There is a microwave oven BUT no plates, cups, utensils, nor napkins for anything 4A. There is one mean security guard. He is the only one over the age of 40. He has White/Gray hair and he is SO RUDE. I speak Spanish at the native level and he kept accusing me of NOT being a guests of the hostel and to my friends that I met at the hostel as well because he thought we were free lodging when it is the hostel that is SCAMMY 4B. The staff is Fluent in English and playful but also GASLIGHTS you for about 4 minutes if you ask them why the room you booked is NOT the room you got I traveled solo during Christmas but a girl from my shared 4 bedroom with NO private en-suite ended up putting our funds together and upgrading to the 6th floor private en suite for 1 or 2 people with a shower that you do not have to keep pressing for water, towels that you do NOT get charged 4 euros each for, and a balcony plus...