The Hostelz.com Review
Some hostels will offer very disparate experiences to different guests, and Oasis Backpackers' Hostel Granada may represent the very gist of this concept. Some will find it a noisy, crowded place that is more of a madhouse than a place to sleep; others will enjoy the free-spirited atmosphere it provides. Upon check-in at the hostel, the reception staff are friendly and very helpful in all regards. The man at the desk speaks English, Spanish, and French, and advised us on local tours, luggage storage (which is free), and helped with special requests.
The Location
The hostel is in the downtown area, near the Cathedral. It is a very long walk or short bus ride from the train and bus stations. You will have to pay close attention when getting off of the bus, as stops are not announced. From the bus stop, it’s a short walk into a charming Arabic neighborhood. You go up a small hill, into twisting, narrow streets.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The rooms are packed tight with bunk beds. It will get stuffy at night. All of the rooms are above the kitchen, and even on the top floor, we could smell the onion from the paella cooked the night before well into the morning. The bathrooms are ensuite, with the toilet and the shower in the same room. There is very little light in the rooms, so it is difficult to find your way around without night-vision specs.
Common Spaces
There is a bar, a lobby, a patio, and a kitchen on the bottom floor, and a terrace on the top floor. The inside area was always crowded in the evening. The hostel advertises itself as "non-smoking," yet they have hookah in the bar. There are three computers for free public use. The Wi-Fi is weak everywhere in the hostel, so if you anticipate needing the internet during your stay, you may wish to look elsewhere. Many activities are organized from the hostel, including a free walking tour, Spanish lessons and Paella at 9 p.m (there is a charge). Because of the amount of people staying in the hostel, the common area tends to be packed at all hours, with little room to move about.
Summary
After one night, the small size of the rooms, the crowded nature of the hostel, and the weak Wi-Fi led us to check out early. Fortunately, the management was once again gracious and refunded us for the two nights that we wouldn’t be staying there.
The Location
The hostel is in the downtown area, near the Cathedral. It is a very long walk or short bus ride from the train and bus stations. You will have to pay close attention when getting off of the bus, as stops are not announced. From the bus stop, it’s a short walk into a charming Arabic neighborhood. You go up a small hill, into twisting, narrow streets.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The rooms are packed tight with bunk beds. It will get stuffy at night. All of the rooms are above the kitchen, and even on the top floor, we could smell the onion from the paella cooked the night before well into the morning. The bathrooms are ensuite, with the toilet and the shower in the same room. There is very little light in the rooms, so it is difficult to find your way around without night-vision specs.
Common Spaces
There is a bar, a lobby, a patio, and a kitchen on the bottom floor, and a terrace on the top floor. The inside area was always crowded in the evening. The hostel advertises itself as "non-smoking," yet they have hookah in the bar. There are three computers for free public use. The Wi-Fi is weak everywhere in the hostel, so if you anticipate needing the internet during your stay, you may wish to look elsewhere. Many activities are organized from the hostel, including a free walking tour, Spanish lessons and Paella at 9 p.m (there is a charge). Because of the amount of people staying in the hostel, the common area tends to be packed at all hours, with little room to move about.
Summary
After one night, the small size of the rooms, the crowded nature of the hostel, and the weak Wi-Fi led us to check out early. Fortunately, the management was once again gracious and refunded us for the two nights that we wouldn’t be staying there.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
December 2011
Their Description
Oasis Backpackers' Hostel Granada Details
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Oasis Backpackers' Hostel Granada Reviews from the WebHostelz.com Guest Reviews
This place was incredible! How all hostels should be. The Staff were all extremely courteous, professional, and helpful at all times. Very clean. Free personal locker with electronic lock in room (nice touch!), free internet, free breakfast, and fantastic central location. Other guests tend to be an "up for it crowd" so great social scene. One minor problem is that this place has become a victim of its own success. It's so popular that the staff struggle to cope at check in time. Book well in advance -- you won't regret it! — Martin (2006-08-30) I stayed at this hostel almost two weeks and I loved it! The roof terasse ist awsome, good kitchen with free tea and coffee all day, it's in the best location, friendly staff, great place to meet people and hang out! I felt at home, and so did many others, some actually stayed more than a month. We spend so much time just relaxing on the rooftop terrrasse enjoying the sun and the beautiful view. You can work there to stay for free. They let you use their phone with an international calling card. There's no curfew, everybody gets a key. The double rooms share a bathroom with a dorm and you have to pass the dorm to get to it. Some of the dorm rooms are really big (twelve people with only one bathroom), some can be noisy because they are above the bar. I always slept with earplugs, so I didn't have a problem getting enough sleep. I would definitely come back. — Sarah (2006-03-18) I was really annoyed to discover that our double room did not have an ensuite bathroom. The Oasis website states that all their rooms have a complete ensuite bathroom. However, the double room is at the back of the dorm room so is considered 1 with the dorm, therefore the dorm has a complete ensuite bathroom ... for 12 people!!! Also we had to walk through the dorm to get to our room which was extremly inconvenient because it meant fumbling around in the dark trying to find the door! The toilet and shower are not seperate either so it meant long waits. On the plus side the bathroom and our room were both very clean, the staff were really friendly and helpful and the location was great - you can walk everywhere! — Nicole (2006-02-02) the best hostel in the world!!! i had so much fun there, people were friendly, tapas were great, rooms are amazing, breakfast is great. Thanks!!! — Sara (2006-01-09) I stayed here with a friend in early August and was very, very impressed. The dorm rooms were clean, and the beds were very comfortable. Our room had a balcony, which was great, as it was very hot. The en suite bathroom was clean and modern and shower was always hot. There was also a fridge in the room and a safe each. The facilities were brilliant.
The 3-euro-meal deal is a great bargain and a fun way to meet everyone else in the hostel, and the staff were helpful and friendly. It was by far and away one of the most well organized places to stay for three nights. The only thing was the free Internet was a bit slow and it could be a bit noisy at night, but that's what earplugs are for! — Lu (2005-10-20) Only stay here if you are in Granada to party all night — it wouldn't have been ideal if we'd wanted a good night's sleep! The arranged entertainment is fun but not if you want to experience the authentic Granada and meet locals. Make sure you venture out on your own, not just with the organized trips. Staff are friendly but not very organized! — Lauren (2005-09-27) It's my last night here and I dread leaving, because it's so wonderful here. Alhambra: worth a day of walking (don't miss the audio guide for 3 EUR). Rest of the city: good. Nightlife: amazing. But definitely the best thing about Granada is Oasis, no kidding. The people who stay and work here are really special and we loved sitting at the bar or in the patio together with them in the evenings. It's also perfectly located, just off the very central Arabian market street, a narrow road with teahouses, scents and colors, therefore highly frequented and safe, within walking distance to almost everything interesting, not on a steep road on the hill as other hostels around. You will love your holiday here! — Eva, Berlin (2005-09-24) Oasis is an amazing hostel. It is situated in the picturesque city of Granada. The staff are really helpful and great craic, everyone who stays there is friendly and it is easy to make friends! The tapas tour and the trip to the lake are great activities to see what Granada has to offer off the beaten tourist track. The meals that the staff cook for everyone in the evening are a great way to taste international food, and meet with the other guests in the hostel, a scene a bit like the loaves and the fishes!!! But everyone gets fed! The only disadvantage is the small personal security boxes. They need to be bigger. Other than that you can spend your day and night on the roof terrace and watch the sun set or catch a bit of a color! I definitely recommend Oasis if you're in Granada! — Maedhbh, Ireland (2005-06-29) We backpacked across Europe for five weeks and this place was one of the best we stayed at!! The location is perfect (just inside the Albacin). The staff are friendly. The rooms are clean and cheap. It is really easy to meet people here as there are always dinners and events planned. The bar is great, the patio is excellent for hanging out on or playing some ping-pong. There are three computers for free Internet. And there's even free toast for breakfast. The dinners are AMAZING — 3.50 euros for Sangria, and a three-course meal that was some of the best food we ate. It can sometimes be noisy, but that is nothing earplugs or a few drinks can't take care of. We would definitely stay here again, and recommend it to everyone! — Adam & Cassie from Canada! (2005-05-26) Fantastic hostel — really clean, trendy and secure. Free Internet and rooms with Sky and DVD player are major draw cards, and the rooftop is very cool. Make sure you do a tapas tour — heaps of fun. — Emma (2005-05-09) Wow, I arrived in Granada with nowhere to stay. This lovely women at the bus station booked us straight in to the Oasis. I'm not kidding; this is the best place in the world. I only booked one night but after I realized how goddamn amazing it was I booked for three more nights. It has showers, beds Internet, rooftop view and the f*****g the friendliest travelers you will ever meet. My last night, Friday, we had a paella night. It cost 3.50 euros and for that you got unlimited sangria (15 liters) soup and paella. Then about 13 of us went out clubbing it up. I had a great time. Go to Oasis in Granada. No really, YOU MUST!!! Hello to Ben, Mellizza, September, Brint, Jess, Bec, and all the crew. Happy traveling. — Dan (2005-04-12) This hostel was GREAT! It's cozy and very clean. Don't look at the pictures on this page, but have a look at the homepage because the hostel is fully refurbished and very modern now. The staff speaks English very well and they helped us make calls in Spanish. It's in the old Jewish quarter, Albacien, and thus close to all bars, clubs and sights. But actually you don't need to go out as you get to know people here from all around the world. It's the best place I stayed at in Andalucia! Just make sure you take earplugs with you. — Franziska (2005-04-08) We did reserve a room at the Oasis using the phone number that in the Lonely Planet guide, but the listed address was incorrect and we showed up at another hostel. After blaming those people because it seemed that they had lost our reservation, we slept in a hostel that was under construction owned by them (they allowed us to sleep there so we wouldn't have to sleep on the street). The day after, one member of the staff realized that we had actually booked in the Oasis, which had moved without telling Lonely Planet or even Hostelz.com (in fact, the map appearing in this site will not take you to Oasis at all). We told them about the mess, but instead of apologizing they charged us. We did show up, but in the place we were told!! Why did they charge us for two nights? Aren't they supposed to charge only one? Should we be charged when it is not really our fault? Don't ever, ever trust these guys. — Joana (2005-03-26) Welcome to Hotel California. It may have been the December air, but when I was in Granada, some folks didn't even leave the hostel to see the Alhambra. When I got there, people who had meant to stay in Granada for a couple days were in their third week; one even joined the staff. As for the staff, they epitomize the Southern Spain, laid-back, everybody's-your-friend attitude. Great kitchen, very clean, staff flexible about everything, free Internet, nice bar, Ping-Pong. I met some of the most interesting people there. This one ranks easily in my top 5. — Anonymous (2005-03-25) This hostel is just, well, amazing. By far it's the best one I've stayed in. The staff are awesome, some of the nicest people around. The rooms are exceptionally clean. The shower is without a doubt the best shower I have ever had in my whole life, and I am not kidding. The rooftop terrace is WOW! There's free Internet, a huge kitchen, nice bar, and satellite TV in English as well as Spanish. I mean really, what more could you ask for? They even have a ping pong table. If you go to Granada and don't stay here you're crazy. — Luke (2005-02-22)