Barcelona/Madrid Hostels 50's Women

You might want to move away from hostels and switch to looking for hostals instead. Different word, different meaning. Hostals are small, family run hotels that are a lot better deal than a hostel, especially for two people. The Prado area is fine. Note my spelling, however.

Oh, right, I made the Prada/Prado goof on one of my searches, thanks for the reminder. I'd thought hostel/hostal were interchangeable, language-related terms, so appreciate knowing the difference. Gracias, Ed.

Hostel is the english term for dorm-style accommodation. It is slowly catching up as a replacement for their equivalent in other languages as hostels (!) try to differentiate from their lackluster image of the 1970s. Hostal = guesthouse.

Great, thanks. So now, hopefully people will have suggestions for good hostals that my friend and I can check out. Or even a good hostel, or neighborhood to choose or avoid. Places to recommend?

HostAls are small inns, generally moderately priced. Check out Hostal Gonzalo in Madrid. It is close to the Prado and very popular. Double/twin rooms around 50 to 60 euros.

How long are you going to be in each city? If around 5+ days in a city, then an apt. become viable. Also, Hostals are a great deal, but no cooking. The apt. allows you to cook some and save on food bill.

Thanks for the apt. idea, John, but we'll be in each city just 2-3 days or so. And we're looking to get out there and sample great food, rather than cook ourselves.

So were you considering (dorm-style) youth-hostels or the private-room budget hotels called "hostales"? (the plural form of "hostal" is "hostales". The word "hostals" is Spanglish and doesn't exist in Spanish) Also, what's your price range? That'll help us narrow down your options. Do you require an in-room bathroom or would you be willing to share one down-the-hall with other guests? Do you require an elevator? Lots of the old buildings in Spain don't have them. Areas: For Barcelona, the Eixample district/neighborhood is the best for cleanliness, safety, and proximity to, say, the Gothic Quarter. For Madrid, the Huertas neighborhood is my favorite. Next areas around Opera, Royal Palace, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, and Gran Vía. So give us your requirements and price-point and I'll/we'll give some specific suggestions for both cities. Saludos, MadridMan - AND BarcelonaMan - @ you-know-where!

Price under a hundred bucks a night, say $50-$100 which I recognize to be a wide range -less is nice. Private room rather than dorm. Bathroom in good, but definitely not a deal-breaker if shared. We are sturdy and adventurous, elevators not an issue. Neighborhood locations helpful, thanks! And thank you in advance for specific recommendations.

Thanks for the details. Just to make clear, your $50-100 target is equal to 39-78 Euros. That's very very do-able. Here are a few suggestions for places I know personally and/or have stayed: Barcelona: Hostal Martina in Eixample "Right". Beautiful, old building dripping with elegance, enormous rooms with high ceilings, crown moldings and stained glass. I've stayed here 3 times, I think, and definitely a favorite. Pension Casa Goya in Eixample "Left". Newly renovated floor with rooms much more like a hotel than "hostal" with coffee maker, refrigerator. Madrid: Hostal Adriano near Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor. Modern, colorful, stylish "hostal" with free Wi-Fi internet, refrigerators, new-ish elevator installed. This place gets great reviews everywhere. Check them out on Rick Steves. Hostal Adria Santa Ana just off the Plaza Santa Ana on the way towards Puerta del Sol. This is the most elegant "hostal" in Madrid and maybe the most expensive, too, at 70 Euros for a double. Only downside is they don't have an elevator and are on the 4th floor (or 3rd floor by Spanish standards). Hostal Chelo just north of the Gran Vía for a low-budget option. Rooms are clean, have bathroom, free wi-fi internet, and all the tourism information you could want. Saludos, MadridMan - AND BarcelonaMan - @ you-know-where!

Suggest you check www.madridman.com for an extensive listing of hostals in Madrid and in other places as well. Two I recomment in Madrid are Hostal Montecarlo and Hostal Phillipe V, both in the same building on Gran Via. There is a metro station (subway) adjacent. The Huertas neighborhood is also a good area, but a bit more "seeyy" in a nice way. I enjoy it as well. From the location on Gran Via, it is a good walk to Prado, but the walk is very good along the important street of Madrid which celebrated its 100 year anniversary last year. About 30 minutes at most to the Prado.

In Madrid, I'll recommend Hostal Acapulco on Plaza del Carmen, which is right in the center a couple of blocks over and up from Puerta del Sol. Gran Via is about a block away and a Metro stop is right there. Lots of restaurants nearby. Excellent small hotel. Super clean and quite reasonable (i.e. a quad room for four was 85€...double would be less yet). Balconies overlooking plaza. There is no on-site restaurant and no breakfast, but Hotel Europa's café is close and good. BTW, this place has earned 4.5 stars on tripadvisor...go check it out for reviews and photos. This is a small place in a larger building with two other hotels on different floors. If I were going to Madrid tomorrow, this is where I would stay again.