TLDR: look no further value, service, location, flexibility, it is all here…read more My GF and I walked Santiago de Compostela and afterwards spent some time in Barcelona. I'll start by saying that I booked this place by mistake. I thought I was booking closer to Barcelona (there is a street with a similar name in the city). I didn't notice my mistake until we got into the area. It turned out to be a great mistake! Amazing location. Hostel Olimpia is two blocks from the rail station which can get you to the downtown Barcelona in around 30 minutes or the opposite direction the beach. The neighborhood is very relaxed and upscale without being too gaudy or expensive. There are lots of little mom and pop shops, fruit stands, donor kebabs, bars and cafes with locals, restaurants from various cuisines. Within walking distance there is a mall with H&M, Pull & Bear, etc. As the name implies, Castelldefels has a castle that is within walking distance with Olimpia Hotel which is great for an easy afternoon walk. The accommodations we had at Olimpia were fantastic especially for the price. My GF and I were in a room with a private bathroom, wifi, and TV. There was an afternoon thunderstorm while we were there so we loved having a balcony with a metal blinds. We really got a sense of the towns vibe from our flat without it being too intrusive. Chavi and Luz were amazing hosts almost to a fault. They insisted that we have fresh towels every day. We knew that when we came home after walking Barcelona that our bed and room would be made. I'll end by saying that Chavi saved our butts. For this we are entirely grateful. We had complications with our flight and didnt find out until we got to the airport. We left bright and early only to find out that we were pushed back one day. I was able to contact Chavi and asked him if there was a room available for us for an additional night. Within a few hours we had extended our stay and we were back in ur room -- complete with fresh towels.

Hostel near the airport! We missed our flight out of…read moreBarcelona, and had to get a place for the night while we waited for the next flight the following day. This place is close by the airport, and reasonably priced. We showed up late at night, and managed to get a room right away! When we checked in, they offered one price, which we instantly got reduced when we showed that their online rate for listed as being lower. They honored the online price without having to log on and fill out all these online forms or download apps or whatever. The room we got was down a long corridor, and had six bunkbeds. We all opted to sleep on the bottom bunks. The bathroom looked like a prison cell's bathroom. Everything was made out of one steel sheet, unable to be pried out and made into a shiv. Very institutional. The room we got was hot. Nobody realized until the morning that you have to completely close the patio door in order to get the air conditioner to work. So we left the door open and got completely covered in mosquito bites. Overnight, with the door open, we were treated to the Catalan singing and the yelling of excited, inebriated locals. When we were waking up after a sleepless night all covered in bites, that's when we closed the door properly and the air conditioner kicked on. In the hallway, they have a quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin, but they have the years of his birth and death way off. I'm pretty sure Ben Franklin was alive during the American Revolution, and didn't live 1601-1658. They lost a star for that. The breakfast was decent! We had toast, yogurt, some ham, cereal, milk, and coffee. It was a free continental breakfast that was a nice perk.

Lots of common space, clean, friendly staff. Not for the…read moreloud groups looking to party

Their sandwich was exactly what I needed, right when I needed it. It absolutely hit the spot…read more Beyond the perfect bite, the service was really good and friendly, and the prices were totally normal. I'd definitely go back for another round!

Ive never felt like I was in a tourist trap until today. The atmosphere was trendy with neon…read morelights, had many photo opportunity spots. You get a business card that entitles you to one free wine/beer/coffee with your order. The food menu was for sure overpriced, but I gave it a chance. Got the steak tartare which was adequate but did not taste much of anything other than egg yolk and salt. It said the item came with fries so for 17 euros I actually expected a real portion of fries since potatoes are cheap. The dish was mostly meat to my surprise with a side of potato sticks and 2 crackers. Not sure what to do with the sticks since you cant use it to scoop or pair with the beef tartare anyways. Overall was disappointing to say the least. Will not come back but many people will wander off to the streets as it is on a main street i am sure.

This youth home was very welcoming, and also eco friendly! There was a friendly staff and clean…read morespace for living. I am very happy to have stayed here for three day on my trip around Spain. I also shared a room with really great people who I was able to get drinks with on Las Ramblas. I recommend anyone staying alone or with friends to stay at the alternative youth hostel!

From the owner: Hello traveler,and welcome to the Alternative Creative Youth Home!…read moreThe ACYH is a cozy youth hostel right in the heart of Barcelona just a few steps from the famous Las Ramblas, main attractions, public transportation, 24 h supermarkets, bars and restaurants. The hostel was not only created to provide budget accommodation but also to be a meeting place for people from all over the world from where they can easily discover Barcelona's artistic and cultural treasures. We truely care about your experience and are here to show you Barcelona from a different side. If you are vegetarian or vegan, we can recommend some fantastic, healthy restaurants all in walking distance from the hostel. If you are a musician, bring your instrument, there are some fine jam sessions going on in some hidden away bars in Barcelona! We have guitars at the hostel too, should you miss plucking strings during your journey. And if you are interested in arts, we can tell you where to find excellent exhibitions

I have stayed in a lot of hostels all over Europe and I have to say this is one of the best. I…read morebooked a private room with an ensuite bathroom and my friend was so amazed with the quality that he insisted in taking photos to show back home. The hostel was really clean, there was no noise disturbance at night (except my mates snoring) and I always felt safe in my room. HOWEVER I did come across a man as I was checking who was claiming things had been stolen from him. This is always a worry with sharing with strangers but the security measures were adequate, its the guests who tend not to use them properly. Other than that though I found this place really good and I met a lot of interesting people in the bar. They also sell alcohol here for a good price and there are cans of lager in the vending machine so you can drink 24/7 if thats what you want! Another good thing is there are busy bar streets from the hostel to the city centre so you dont have to go anywhere dodgy. Stick to these touristy streets though as there was one night my friend and me stumbled across an intimidating hooker lined street. If you dont want to stray far from the hostel at night, there is a fab bar just around the corner with beer taps on every table so you can drink away and pay the tab at the end. This bar also does fantastic food and I would recommend the burgers, I had the club burger twice (disgusting when you see it!) and its so big you cant get it all in your mouth!

Stayed in a 4 person co-ed room with 2 other friends. The watch system was great, that gave only…read moreallowance to your room and locker. The rooms were a bit small compared to other hostels I've stayed in, and had to ledges or side tables to keep your things. Bathrooms were relatively clean, although shower stalls were a bit small to maneuver around. The bar on the main floor was great. It cost only about 2 euros for a beer and 3 euros for a sangria. They also offered free breakfast every day consisting of bread, cereal, and muffins, along side some coffee and juice. The vibe was great though. Everyone was really friendly from the staff to the others staying, which made it a lot of fun to venture off to the pub crawls together. The front desk was also super convenient. You can get a sim card there, tickets to Parc Guelle and Sagrada Familia (a much need as you can't get in without advance tickets), as well as rentable beach towels. Overall, place is good for young travellers and worth staying.