Hello, my name is Danielle and I am a 19 year old college student that just got back from Spain a week ago. I spent two and a half weeks there traveling around for pleasure; one and a half weeks of that time was spent in Madrid. I traveled with two friends. This is a warning against the hostel we almost stayed in, Hostal Playa, which seemed to be a good value for the money and a good location (only a block off Puerta del Sol). However, it was a nightmare. My friends and I arrived in Spain at 9 a.m., exhausted. I had the flu and a 103 temperature. We arrived at Hostal Playa hoping to get our room and some time to rest. We arrived and a large, extremely rude woman greeted us. She asked our name, and after shuffling through her papers for all of 3 seconds, informed us we had no reservations. We thought that quite strange since we had an email telling us our reservation had been confirmed (we made the reservations online through the website). So we asked her what the email meant, then. For literally a half hour, she YELLED at us, telling us we had no reservation, that the credit card number was incorrect, and that we could not stay there. She never bothered to check any more papers for our reservation or even bother to be polite to us�she simply kept yelling these silly excuses that were completely irrational as to why we did not have a room there. Finally we couldn�t put up with it anymore and left, 3 teenagers in a strange country without anywhere to stay. As we were leaving, can you guess what she did? She laughed at our being frustrated and upset! She was a complete witch. We were lucky enough to find a hostal with very friendly and laid back people at Hostal Fuente Sol. Unfortunatley, though, that was not our last encounter with Hostal Playa. Despite the fact that the Hostal Hag yelled at us for a half hour telling us the credit card number had been correct, she somehow was able to charge my friends� credit card for a night. Isn�t that interesting. So not only was she rude, but also a thief. And the charge wasn�t even from Hostal Playa, but from Hostal Cruz Sol, a place we had never even been to or heard of, but that was owned by the same person as Hostal Playa. So we had to go to Visa to dispute the charge, and still don�t know if we�ll get our money back. What a nightmare. If you�re planning on visiting Madrid, I�m sure there are many good hostals, but avoid Hostal Playa and Cruz Sol at any cost. I even saw one of their rooms and it was NOT like it looked on the website. It was really small and trashy. I very much hope this true encounter helps some travellers. Thank you.
Posts: 2 | Location: Arkansas, USA | Registered: 25 January 2003
Hi DanielleD, sorry to hear you had such a miserable experience.
That middle aged woman was probably the cleaning lady and they are often rude, unfortunately Spanish customer service VERY bad (more like non-existent ). Totally no excuse for being rude as they are in biz thanks to foreigners staying there.
Hostal Playa and Cruz Sol are indeed owned by the same person and since the company is under the nam "Hostal Cruz Sol", that is the billing company, hence the credit card charge.
Just goes to show how different people can have very different experiences at hostels, I know quite a few people who have loved the Hostal Cruz Sol and Hostal Playa.
Too bad you did not get the triple room at Hostal Playa, I have seen it personally and it is HUGE!!! Click HERE to see it.
In my opinion the Hostal Cruz Sol is much nicer than the Hostal Playa but I have never stayed there, just gone in and seen them as I do with a lot of hostels here in Madrid. I was greeted at Hostal Play by a 30ish Latin American man who was pretty nice to me, luck of the draw I guess. You got the grumpy middle-aged lady.
One thing, even though they are owned by the same people, try not to judge them both just because you had a bad time at one, that does not make sense. Maybe they neglect one and put more effort into the other.
I will send this thread link to the owners of the hostels to get their reactions as both sides of a story are always good to have. Maybe they will appologize and return that first night's room fee that you were unfairly charged for.
Hope this experience did not turn you and your friends off to Madrid
Dear Jer, Thank you for your insight. Thank you also for passing the message to the owner of these hostels--if he doesn't know a few of his potential customers had been treated in this manner, then it will be very helpful to him. It was an unfortunate start for our trip, but the rest was fantastic, and I cannot wait to return to Spain! Thanks again! Danielle
Posts: 2 | Location: Arkansas, USA | Registered: 25 January 2003
More on that credit card charge, I looked into it and as it was a "non presencial" charge (you were not there to sign the charge slip), all you need to do is contest it and it will be returned to you. That is the way it works here in Spain.
That is the policy for all charges made to a credit card where the card holder does not sign and since you gave them the # online (right?) and not in person you did not sign, so in the end, you have the final word.
The vendor that takes a credit card # online or via the phone, knows that if the buyer contests it, there is nothing they can do. Laws here favor buyer protection over that of the vendor.
I stayed at the Cruz Sol in early March. It was clean, the help was friendly and professional, BUT... my room, number 14, was right up against reception and the phone rang all night. About 3 feet from my head. Not the quietest place to be.
Reb.
Posts: 385 | Location: a pueblo in Palencia, via Pittsburgh USA | Registered: 15 February 2003
The only bad time I had was at Pension Molla on Atocha. It was family-run, as many are, and they had a teenaged daughter who just *loved* to sing along with old Franco-era Spanish musicals... very, very loudly.
They also bleached the living hell out of their towels, and apparently needed more practice with this activity known as "rinsing".
Posts: 35 | Location: AZ | Registered: 26 January 2007
Speaking of hostels, in 2000 when I first studied in Madrid, I stayed at the Hostal Domínguez on Calle Santa Brígida in Chueca. That's before I knew I was gay.
They just renovated and prices were affordable. although, it was in pesetas.
There are some great hostels in Madrid, but you just have to find them.
Shawn
"Wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down" - SONG OF SOLOMON, Toni Morrison
Posts: 1255 | Location: Richmond, VA but in MADRID now | Registered: 10 February 2002
). Totally no excuse for being rude as they are in biz thanks to foreigners staying there.
- rent or buy a cell phone from me for your stay in spain, more info at 
- already have a cell phone, get a spanish SIM card for it at 
