Hostal Rivera

I spent one night at the Hostel Rivera in July 2008. The rooms were extremely simple and somewhat clean, but the furniture and fixtures were very worn and in some cases, broken. The bed in particular was very uncomfortable due to age. The hostel is run by an older couple and they accept only cash for payment upon arrival. Booking can be done online through a company like hostelbookers.com or by phone. You are advised to confirm a check-in time with the owners. In my particular case, I was arriving very late (3am) and had called to confirm, but was then greeted by a very angry owner when I arrived, so I would suggest arriving earlier if you can. Also, the owners speak very little English, so this would not be an ideal spot for someone who doesn’t speak Spanish. On the other hand, the location is ideal (Atocha street near museums and Plaza Santa Ana) and the cost is very low (I paid 25 Euros).