The Central House Barcelona Gracia

The hotel's location is excellent, very close to Casa Milà and Sagrada Familia. If you're a solo traveler on a budget, I'd definitely recommend this place. The only downside was that during my stay, Barcelona was experiencing a heatwave, and the air conditioning in the room wasn't very effective.

Overall, my stay was very good. I met a lot of lovely people, and the common area was excellent, with a kitchen and fridge available for everyone to use – a great option if you're on a budget. There are also washing machines and dryers, which are slightly cheaper than what you'd find outside. Each room has its own bathroom, which was quite clean, but the public bathrooms were a bit concerning. Regarding the room, on the first night, perhaps because I was on the top bunk with no netting, and I'm prone to insect bites, I got a 'mosquito gift package' – about 20-30 bites all over my body. I was so itchy I couldn't sleep. Although I'm not sure if it was mosquitoes or other insects, my first night's experience was really not good. After I mentioned it to the front desk staff, they checked for bed bugs, sprayed mosquito repellent in the room, and moved me to another bed. Things improved afterward, though that might also be because I bought my own mosquito repellent and anti-itch cream. On a positive note, the supermarket downstairs is excellent for buying dinner ingredients, and the water sold there is very cheap. You can also find mosquito repellent and anti-itch cream there; I bought them for 10+20€, just for your reference, and the anti-itch cream was super effective! If you're prepared for mosquitoes, I think this is a really great place to stay. It's very close to both the subway and bus stops, making it incredibly convenient to get to all the popular attractions, and the area feels very safe.

This is a good dormitory. I was able to use the showers and toilets at good times without them being crowded. If the showers aren't cleaned regularly, it could affect other guests. I was in a 6-person room, and everyone was very considerate. It can be tricky to know when to turn lights on and off, but everyone was respectful, so it wasn't stressful at all. Having a supermarket next door was also very convenient. The staff only spoke Spanish, but they were very kind! I recommend this place to anyone looking to save money.

Honestly, they should explain the entrance better because it's a regular building with no prominent 'M' sign. If you arrive at night, like I did, it's really hard to find or even spot the tiny, inconspicuous sign at the entrance. I spent over 2 hours circling around, calling and calling the hostel, but no one picked up, even though I'd warned them I'd be arriving around 1 AM. After I finally managed to get someone to open the building door to let me in, the staff member on duty denied ever receiving a call. Plus, they weren't even at their post when I entered the hostel, and no one seemed to notice. The staff member finally appeared 15 minutes later.