The Hostelz.com Review
Staying at Enjoy San Sebastian can be a nightmare or a just ok experience. Our stay alternated between the two, from there not being anyone to answer the door (after we'd informed the hostel of our early arrival), to lost reservations to elusive staff and lost keys, frustration was our first impression, and rudeness was the reality. Fast forward an hour or two, and the atmosphere can change completely. The owner, Pablo -- when he's there -- is a sweet and helpful, calming personality, but he would do well to make better choices of supporting staff, most of whom are backpackers whose nightly activities are still in overwhelming evidence on their breath at check-in time and could explain their grimmer than surly attitude.
Location
The location is great, right in the middle of the old town center, near a couple of beaches, near bus stops and within reasonable walking distance of the train station.
Rooms and Bathrooms
We stayed in two different dorm rooms because of the lost keys. The larger dorm with the distressed walls has metallic bunks and a large window overlooking the street. The smaller dorm, upstairs, is nicer and has nicely painted walls and wooden bunks. All of the dorm rooms are pretty cramped, and none of them have lockers. The smaller dorm that we stayed in has a window overlooking the patio, which is a nice place to hang out, but that's unfortunate for anyone who is trying to sleep in that room.
Common Spaces
The common areas consist basically of a tiny kitchen, which is so cramped and unappealing as to inspire one to go out for coffee. There is one computer with free internet in the hallway of the lower floor of the hostel, but because the upper and lower floors have different sets of keys, and the doors are locked from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m., so if you are staying upstairs, you can't get in to use the internet after 10 p.m. without breaking the house rule of not ringing the doorbell during those hours.
On first inspection, the hostel appears to be filthy. This is partly because of the "laid back" atmosphere that the hostel boasts of -- it seems to flow over into the guests whose belongings are strewn about everywhere, and partly because of the decor, which is minimalist and the distressed effect of at least one dorm room makes it look as though it hasn't been painted in the last century. They may think that passes for charm. We are not of the same opinion. That being said, the cleaning crew does get to work around midday, and they do a very thorough job of scrubbing everything from top to bottom, so the appearance doesn't quite mesh with reality. It's actually quite a clean hostel.
Summary
As a last resort, if there are no other hostels available in town, you can survive a night or two in this hostel, but if you're looking for a memorable (in a nice way) stay, you can probably do better.
Location
The location is great, right in the middle of the old town center, near a couple of beaches, near bus stops and within reasonable walking distance of the train station.
Rooms and Bathrooms
We stayed in two different dorm rooms because of the lost keys. The larger dorm with the distressed walls has metallic bunks and a large window overlooking the street. The smaller dorm, upstairs, is nicer and has nicely painted walls and wooden bunks. All of the dorm rooms are pretty cramped, and none of them have lockers. The smaller dorm that we stayed in has a window overlooking the patio, which is a nice place to hang out, but that's unfortunate for anyone who is trying to sleep in that room.
Common Spaces
The common areas consist basically of a tiny kitchen, which is so cramped and unappealing as to inspire one to go out for coffee. There is one computer with free internet in the hallway of the lower floor of the hostel, but because the upper and lower floors have different sets of keys, and the doors are locked from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m., so if you are staying upstairs, you can't get in to use the internet after 10 p.m. without breaking the house rule of not ringing the doorbell during those hours.
On first inspection, the hostel appears to be filthy. This is partly because of the "laid back" atmosphere that the hostel boasts of -- it seems to flow over into the guests whose belongings are strewn about everywhere, and partly because of the decor, which is minimalist and the distressed effect of at least one dorm room makes it look as though it hasn't been painted in the last century. They may think that passes for charm. We are not of the same opinion. That being said, the cleaning crew does get to work around midday, and they do a very thorough job of scrubbing everything from top to bottom, so the appearance doesn't quite mesh with reality. It's actually quite a clean hostel.
Summary
As a last resort, if there are no other hostels available in town, you can survive a night or two in this hostel, but if you're looking for a memorable (in a nice way) stay, you can probably do better.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
November 2009
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