Hostal Raval Rooms

I was not knifed or shot. I didn't have anything stolen.

Where to begin. This hotel is in the worst neighborhood in Barcelona. No, really. My husband dropped me off and circled the area in the car until I checked in and secured parking. Though I had booked online days before, the girl at the desk had no record of this. Though she had open rooms, she insisted I get the confirmation number and had be use a laptop in the office to access the confirmation email. This took quite a while as the computer went down, and wouldn't print like the hotel clerk wanted. About 40+ minutes later, I'd finally gotten checked in. My husband was struggling with parking and didn't know what had happened to me in all that time. After about 45 minutes of standing outside the hotel waiting for my husband, I experienced the neighborhood quite a bit. The staring eyes, the name calling, and the leering. Parking is 30 Euros a day in public parking (the hotel has none). Internet is 6 Euros an hour, and you can only buy an hour at a time. There isn't an elevator for people. Only a lift for luggage--- after you already drag it up 2 flights of stairs. The room is tiny. We are talking 2 twin beds with a 1'x 1' table between the beds. The bathroom was fine, but there wasn't a shower curtain, so water went all over the floor. When I asked about a shower curtain the next morning, I was told that would be fixed. It wasn'T. Breakfast is included. Breakfast includes coffee, juice, bread, meat, and cheese. The end. The number of chair and space to eat is inadequate for the number of rooms available. The guys that checked in right in front of me were checking out with suitcases being loaded in a taxi within 2 hours of their check- in. I heard a couple from Belgium complain about their fear of staying in the hotel/area to the hotel clerk.

the staff,friendly ,kind and they were always trying to help you.

the area which is located and that one of the two rooms was too small for two persons.

Rooms are small, but offer everything necessary and are clean. Beds are made up and towels cleaned daily. There is a 24/7 presence at reception and staff is helpful and friendly. Safety is a top aspect i.e. keys may not be taken outside to prevent loss or theft, however there are not as many lockboxes as there are rooms.

The location is not ideal. The region (Raval) is only just developing itself away from a reputation as hosting petty crime such as (partly organized)bag theft or redlight activity. The breakfast room does not offer as many places as the hotel can host guests. Therefore dishes should be taken away as soon as guests left. The service was carried out unmotivated and clumsy during our stay.