Hostal Baires is nothing short of a disgrace and anywhere in Barcelona is better than here. The hostal is in a decent location, close to the Drassanes metro stop, the Ramblas, and shops at Placa Catalunya -- although it is a little pricey compared to other places nearby.
The main problem with staying here is that the bathrooms have no walls, so water flows across the tiles into the bedrooms. The bedrooms have tile floors so that water spreads everywhere, since the plumbing gets blocked frequently. If you're in the shower, you don't expect the water to flow into the bedroom and cause water damage to anything you might have put on the floor. Accidents happen and in this situation most hostelers can be understanding of such things -- but it happened to others at the same time and the proprietors were not helpful. They never apologised and instead blamed their guests for not using the showers properly.
Going down for breakfast after having a room washed out can be particularly depressing. There are a number of small tables with uninspiring breakfasts -- with people comparing notes about the showers and how wet their clothes and other gear has become.
If you are unlucky enough to stay here, you would do well to go somewhere else -- there are plenty of other places nearby, most of which are cheaper, friendlier, and cleaner.
— Exklusive Hostelz.com Übersicht
November 2004
Ort/Kontakt