Hostal San Blas

La ubicación del Hostal era genial. El acceso al hotel estuvo bien, con el código de bloqueo. La habitación era pequeña pero cumplía con mis necesidades.

As a solo traveler who spent little time in my room, it suited my need. The hotel is located a short walk from Atocha Station, with a frequent, cheap airport train connection, buses, high-speed trains, etc. It was also within about a 20-minute walk to most major attractions. The Prado Museum and Retiro Park were a few blocks away. There were countless cafes, fast food options and several grocery stores nearby. The price was fair, not cheap, not expensive, but the location was the best part. You enter through an open-air hallway, you get buzzed in through a gate that leads into a small courtyard and then a small lobby. I came and went at all hours and there was always someone there to let me in or greet me, often buzzing me in before I even rang the bell. They were all friendly and spoke good to adequate English. My room was very small, spartanly-furnished with a single bed, nightstand and lamp, TV on the wall, a folding chair and a large, hinged shelf that could drop down. Wifi worked well. There was a radiator and AC unit but I found no way to control them and they never ran. There was very little room to move. The room was clean, I was provided two towels and while I requested no service during my three-night stay, I had to ask the front desk for more soap and toilet paper as little was provided. There was also a small bottle of shampoo and body wash. The room was pretty clean. The bathroom was small but the biggest downside was the shower. It was tiny and had a hand-held nozzle that only would stay in place WHEN the water was running. If you bumped into the faucet, lowering the pressure, it would fall from the holder and likely hit you on the head, fall to the ground and require you to get out of the shower to pick it up. It was nearly impossible to avoid doing so. There was no soap dish, which was more troublesome. I'm 5'11, 175 lbs (80 cm, 80 kg) and if I was any bigger, I simply wouldn't have been able to wash myself in the shower. Keep that in mind when booking a room. As a solo budget traveler, if the price was right, I'd stay again.