Checking out different Barcelona Hostels

I first arrived in Barcelona just a few days ago. It is a city that I hold to a very high esteem as I have so many fond memories in. During the summer, there is no Mediterranean city I’d rather visit. People come from all over Europe, and the world for that matter, to visit the city and for good reason. It is a fun city with lots of energy.

Yesterday was a big day. As part of my current tour around Spain with REAJ, Hostelling International’s Spanish affiliate, I am getting the opportunity to visit many different hostels and albergues around Spain. I got the opportunity to see a total of ten in Barcelona. I stayed in two, but visited eight more. The eight that I visited ranged from classical albergues to hostels. They were quite interesting to see and diverse in both appearance and style. This article is a look at what I saw.

A few important facts about hostels in Barcelona: 

– There are only 10 officially recognized hostels, which are registered with the trademark of Hostelling International in Barcelona.

– There are about 20-30 legally registered hostels in Barcelona that are privately owned and operated.

– There are about 20-40 illegally registered hostels in Barcelona. Illegal in that they do not have the correct paperwork from the government of Catalunya and have not been properly inspected.

Hostels in Barcelona

As you saw in my previous post, I have stayed in two hostels in Barcelona on this current tour. Here is a look at the tour that I did today looking at all the hostels affiliated with Hostelling International in Barcelona.

A Hiker’s Choice or Relaxation

InOut Hostel – The first hostel that I visited during the day was the furthest outside of the city. InOut hostel is on the opposite side of Tibidabo of Barcelona. Although InOut Hostel is located outside of the city center, it is located on a metro line, which one can catch just outside of the hostel at the metro stop. InOut hostel is well-connected to the mountains that surround Barcelona so it is an ideal spot for those who love to hike, or seeking some rest and recuperation in nature.

InOut Hostel also does some really great things for the community. For example, InOut hostel employs disabled people to work for them. The disabilities range from physical to mental and the workers are employed for the long-term. It gives the disabled workers an opportunity to attain some skills and interact with people outside of the home. InOut Hostel is very accommodating to the workers as even the supply cabinets are color-coded to make it easier for the workers to associate certain duties with certain colors.

Near La Rambla and Centrally Located

There are a few hostels near the La Rambla and downtown area of Barcelona.

Be Mar and Be Sound Hostel – Be Mar and Be Sound Hostels come from an established line of hostels. Beginning their first hotel operation in the year 1999, the organization has since expanded to four hostels in Barcelona as well as one in Zaragoza. Be Hostels are fun and hip located not far from the nucleus of Barcelona’s energetic city center. Be Mar is located in the middle of Barcelona’s Bohemian district and Be Sound just a short walk from some of Barcelona’s most famous night clubs and bars. It is important to note that all guests at Be Hostels will receive a free tapa or drink from Be Hostel’s restaurant located in the city called Mesón David, which is one of the oldest taverns in the city of Barcelona. The restaurant serves Spanish specialties such as Galician Octopus, cured ham, and grill fish. The owners are innovative and ambitious about expanding and making improvements in order to best please future guests.

Center Rambles Hostel – If you are looking for something close to La Rambla and has everything you need, then Center Rambles is another option for you. Complete with its own personal kitchen. Located close to La Rambla, Bohemian neighborhood, and MACBA, Center Rambles is a nice choice for traveler´s looking to be centrally located.

Ideal Youth Hostel – If you love youth hostels, love a bed, and love Barcelona, then you will love Urbany Hostel. That’s their slogan and that is what they provide to fellow travelers. Ideal Youth Hostel is located less than a minute away from Barcelona’s famous La Rambla street. Additionally, Ideal Youth Hostel is only a few minutes walk from attractions such as Plaça Reial, or El Mercat. Complete with a rooftop terrace and other comforts, it provides different kinds of travelers with the accommodations that they need.  They also have a neat rooftop terrace complete with tables, for relaxation and overlooking some of Barcelona’s best such as Montjüic picture below.

Getting to Know Barcelona

Youth Hostel Pere Tarrés – Youth Hostel Pere Tarrés is a modern and well-maintained hostel located just outside of Barcelona’s city center.

Pere Tarrés is situated closer to legendary Camp Nou, Plaza España, financial district, and several of Barcelona’s more modern shopping districts. Although recently remodeled from the ground up, Hostel Pere Tarrés has been reconstructed over the location of one of the oldest hostels, or albergues, that Barcelona has had. Therefore, it has a history of welcoming travelers from around the world. Youth Hostel Pere Tarrés has a wonderful in-house restaurant as well as a terrace area for enjoying the weather or relaxing. There are metro services near for those who wish to visit other parts of the city, and even bike rental services available at the front desk. 

Modernity meets Barcelona

For those looking to get to know other sides of Barcelona.

Urbany Hostel – Urbany Hostel is located near D’Arago, which is a large street that runs through the entire city of Barcelona. Urbany Hostel is located in a diverse neighborhood ranging from local Catalunyan styled homes to the famous Moroccan market (which will soon be moving to a new location nearby). Urbany is near El Clot metro stop, which is also near the only park in Barcelona that has Roman Aqua-ducts. Urbany is a large hostel with good potential for a backpacker looking to pass a good time as they have a terrace bar/restaurant, are set up for meeting people, and within a relative distance to the beach and Port Olympic discos. Urbany is also connected with their other hostel in Sevilla, and another in Barcelona.

TwentyTú – Urbany Hostel was the last hostel that I visited on my tour of hostels in Barcelona. It was also one of the more unique hostels in Barcelona. Deriving its name from the neighborhood where it is located, TwentyTú is an extremely modern hostel full of interesting gadgets and gizmos. Each part of the hostel was carefully designed and planned, and everything has a purpose. 

TwentyTú is located in Barcelona’s modern-digital neighborhood, which is commonly referred to as 22@ district of Barcelona (twenty-two arrobas in Spanish). It is located very near to Torre Agbar and less than 20ish minutes walk to the beach. It is clean and brand new, and one of the more green hostels that I have seen. They use reclamation practices for water and have a complex recycling system.

Why is it nice staying with Hostelling International’s hostels instead of other hostels?

As I learned on this tour of the Barcelona hostels, for a hostel to be registered with Hostelling International it must first be legally registered with the Government of Catalunya and receive its official seal. After, assuming that it meets the quality standards and control of Barcelona’s government and Hostelling International, then it may receive the official affiliation papers. Basically, at a minimum you know what standards you can expect to receive when staying with them.

If you have been following me on the Big Blog Exchange, and continued through this trip, then you understand well this trip. I am also trying to share some insider budget travel tips as I travel. For example, the use of the Hostelling International travel card. I have been using Alsa Bus to get to many of my destinations in Spain. I receive a discount through using my Hostelling International card. Something that you can do also. The card is cheap it will get you discounts to all Hostelling International hostels in the world as well as a 15% discount on all Alsa bus tickets!

You should know that I am currently on a sponsored trip, which is a continuation of the BigBlogExchange. I am currently writing about hostels throughout Spain as well as my experiences traveling. All opinions are my own and I receive no compensation for writings outside of the original trip sponsorship. As with all of my articles, I do my best to share my open and honest opinion the rest is up to you. Travel well!

Do you need a lesson in Hostel Etiquette? Remember your manners while traveling.