Review of Sea Point Hostel, Barcelona

A once-great youth hostel for backpackers, right by Barcelona beach.

I stayed at this hostel for two weeks once, so happy was I with the service. But not this time.

The night before, I had stayed at Sea Point's sister hostel, Gothic Point. There I had arrived before the official check-in time, but the staff were very accommodating and found me a room that was ready early.

But at Sea Point, having left Gothic Point at check-out time at 10am, I was told I would have to wait three hours until 1pm to check in. No attempt to accommodate me. Not even the opportunity to take a shower. Backpackers (and I have often been one) often take overnight buses and turn up at hostels early; this was the first hostel that refused to let me check in when I arrived.

When I was finally able to check in I was charged an extra euro to pay by credit card without being told. I was also overcharged. As I was trying to change my booking, the receptionist was then unable to find out how much I had already paid. I had to go into my email account to tell her how much I owed.

By arriving early and trying to change my booking, the receptionist was clearly not happy with me and proceeded to treat me with disrespect. But I wasn't the only one she took a bad attitude with: when another angry guest made a sarcastic (admittedly unjustified) comment to her, she replied with more sarcasm. Natural, perhaps, but totally unprofessional.

But the blame for my bad experience at Sea Point was not just the fault of the receptionist. The unnecessary extra charges quickly push up your costs. 1€ for paying by credit card, 3€ for a locker, €2 for a top sheet(!) and 2€ for a blanket means that anyone using a credit card, traveling with valuables and staying on a cold night will have to pay an extra 8€!

With so many hostels in Barcelona, there is no need to stay at Sea Point.

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