Backpackers BCN Casanova

This was a lovely hostel, just what I imagined it would be.

First of all, it is not a party hostel. I liked that, as I wanted to see a lot during the day and that meant I wanted to sleep during the night. This hostel wants no drunk people screaming in the lobby, trowing up in the bathrooms and ruining the atmosphere. It is a quite place, great for meeting new people, with a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

The staff is very friendly and helpful. They will always ask you how your day was and they will give you any advise you need.

Breakfast and internet (wireless and pc) are included. The breakfast is very simple, but fills you up. Besides, the kitchen and fridge are huge. Very easy to get some extras stored for breakfast or to cook your own meal at night. There's a little supermarket right next door.

The location, well it is very close to the Universitat metro stop, for those who don't like to walk a lot. For me, walking to Placa Catalunya was not an efford and I often walked back to the hostel from more far destinations as Port Vell or El Raval. So it depends on how much time you've got and if you're willing to walk. But I found it a perfect location, both for walking and metro. It is not in the old quarter but it is somewhere in between. L'Eixample is "above" (on the map), the Barri Gotic is lower. I found that just perfect. I think it is a safe neighborhood as well. I walked around there at night quite some times, alone, and I never felt threatened.

For gay people it might be interesting to know that a lot of bars in the area are gay bars. For non-gays however, this is not a gay hostel and there are many other bars as well, so no need to stay out of the area.

The hostel is pretty new so the beds and all are still in very good condition. I slept just perfect in these beds. I think if you sleep close to the air-con you definitely need a blanket, but these are provided so no problem. The lockers are just huge!

All in all, I loved this place. There is nothing that I can complain about. I slept in the 8 people dorm and payed some 21 EUR per night. I think, for European standards, that is a decent price for what you get here. I definitely recommend this hostel and will surely stay here again on my next visit to Barcelona. I hope every one of you will have just a wonderful time here as I've just had!