Perfect place for second hand smoke and filth.
Although it has a great location, Kabul hostel is poorly run. It was fun, but this was due to the some of the other guests and my friends. Reservations are pretty much meaningless when your room is being spontaneously retained by others (i.e. they have a policy of being able to keep a room beyond one's reservation date, which means that another's reservations for that particular room made months in advance get screwed). Our group of 8 purposefully chose an 8-person dorm room and got a 10-person shared room with 2 random strangers who were loud & disrespectful. Also, hanging out in the lobby where the computers, benches, and pool tables are is the perfect location for receiving second hand smoke. The bathrooms lack shower curtains (in the girl's bathroom you can see directly into some of the shower stalls with the mirrors), the showers are timed for 20 seconds and you need to push a button for water), single sex assigned bathrooms really mean co-ed, and hot water runs out eventually. Also, the only power outlets are in the bathroom (next to the sink) and behind the front desk. The rooms lack heat and circulation. The sheets were unwashed and the room was pretty filthy. This is the worst hostel I have ever stayed at and it is even worst than a college frosh dorm.

Reviewed By: Jolene Okaneku
March 2005

Great hostel in the centre of Barcelona.
This is a highly recommended hostel - its clean, safe, and right in the centre of Barcelona, a block down from Las Ramblas.

Reviewed By: Kat
January 2005

Observations from an internet user.
I didn't actually stay here overnight, I had to stop by because it was the only place I could find that had internet access because everywhere else was having a bloody siesta. The music was pumping and crowds were sitting around the common area drinking beer from the vending machine, and it was only 2pm! The Plaza Real is pretty easy to find if you follow a map, but once you're in the plaza, the hostel is sort of hidden and hard to find. To save you some searching, it's on to right when you walk into the open plaza, and the door is an iron grate thing. You have to talk into an intercom to get them to open up. The common area seemed a bit dingy, but I didn't see the rooms.

Reviewed By: Kirsty
August 2000