This place was very memorable to me because this was the very first time I ever stayed in a hostel in my life. Although my stay at this hostel was comfortable, and it was at a great location, social life there was less than mediocre.
One great advantage this place has is the free breakfast they provide every morning. It's a simple breakfast, that consisted of cereal, milk, toast, pastries, maybe some small snacks and orange juice.
Another advantage is that this hostel is fairly clean. They provide bedsheets, and a pillow but I brought my own towel and sleeping bag. Rooms are fairly spacious. All the rooms hold up to 6 people and all the rooms are mixed-sex, but if you are a girl, I think you can request your room to be single-sex. Beds are fairly comfortable. Bathrooms are also fairly clean as well and they do not have any strange smell.
The staff is fairly friendly, and they are somewhat helpful, especially in giving direction to the tourist spots in Madrid. They provide free wi-fi, but sometimes it did not work really well during my stay. I also used the computers but sometimes the internet was really slow or stopped working. They have a room where you can play a billiards game.
One major disadvantage this place has is that it lacks social atmosphere, so if you are traveling solo, it may be really hard to meet someone. At that time, there was a tour group from France which occupied a significant part of the hostel. I did meet some people. I shared a room with two pretty ladies on holiday from Perth, Western Australia, and I actually went out with them on an evening stroll in the streets of Madrid, and talked a little about American and Australian culture. I also shared the room with a few traveling students from UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) and I shared my experiences in London and Andalucia, while they shared their experiences in Amsterdam and Barcelona. The staff does give some effort to make this hostel social by trying to arrange a daily evening event.
The hostel is at a great location. It's a few minutes walk to the Tribunal station of the Madrid Metro, and a couple stops away from the Sol station. The Atocha Renfe station is about 10 minutes away by Metro.
Overall, I think this a great choice for a clean hostel if you are traveling in a group of 6 or less, but the hostel is less than mediocre choice if you are traveling solo and a social life is really important to you. read more