Grotty but OK for one night I guess., October 11, 2006
Reviewer:
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n/a
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Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(2)
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(2)
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(2)
Atmosphere
(2)
Well Casa Caracol. The hostel has potential to be pretty good. The old building has loads of character with a lovely old tiled stairway and it is in an ideal location.The first thing that annoyed me however was that you have to leave your passport or driving license as deposit for your key. I have never come across this before in all the hostels i have stayed at throughout Europe. They kept all these in a tiny locked box at reception where anyone knowing and quick enough could pinch the whole box. I was quite anxious about this but as i was, knackered, hot and it had taken me a while to find the place thought i would risk it for one night. Why they do not just ask for a cash deposit i do not know as I personally would not want the responsibility of looking after all those documents!Secondly the bathrooms were terrible. One of the showers was missing a shower head and the remaining hose was full of holes. Also no mirror?! And i needed a shave.As for the staff they seemed pretty stressed. They were obsessed that guest's should not answer the door and i heard one guy (the owner i think) scream at someone who was checking in "Can you not read English, don't answer the door!" I would have walked out personally and told him to go multiply.Generally grotty with cables hanging out of the walls and the most creeky beds in Europe.The atmosphere was ok between guests and it is a shame that the owners do not make more effort.Note to the owners. Don't be complacent. Customers talk. You could fix all these problems in a week!Personally i wouldnt go back or recomend it.Go and get a pension. They are generally cleaner and better value anyway.
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(Review ID: 6493)
Fantastic, friendly, great energy and super fun!!!!!, December 29, 2005
Reviewer:
Margarita
( maireadcmurray@hotmail.com)
from Ireland
Pros:
n/a
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n/a
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saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
Its really interesting to read the reviews on this site and they stand as testimony to the fact that us creatures and our ideas of what fun is are so so bloody different!I had the good fortune to arrive in Cadiz alone late one mid August night, I turned up at Casa Caracol guessing it would be full. My guess was right, but still the owner and his lovely assistant welcomed me and made me feel immediatley at home. It is hard to come by this level of hospitality and warmth esp in cheap hostels!So if you are like me and you love to be met with smiling faces, your idea of fun is exchanging stories with characters from all around the globe, if you like having the opportunity to cook with the delicious local produce in a homley environment and even more sharing what you have created, and of course if you like to have fun socialising THEN THIS IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR YOU TO STAY.......... I only wish i could have stayed longer, sleeping under the stars
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(Review ID: 6494)
Average, October 19, 2005
Reviewer:
Jasmin
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n/a
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saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
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(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
I liked the atmosphere in the hostel. But right next to the hostel is a brothell located... so there's quite a noise outside the hostel. You won't be able to sleep before 5 am!! Actually, the hostel itself is ok, but look for another one, if you want to sleep
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2 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 6495)
better than nothing, October 14, 2005
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Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(2)
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(2)
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(2)
Atmosphere
(2)
Casa Caracol is hard to find, if u dont speak spanish. Even taxi-drivers didn´t know the place. The hostel is old and dirty, rooms have no locks. There should be music and noise off at 1a.m. but didnt get sleep until 4-5a.m. People smoke (at least cigarettes) inside, but it is a common habit in Spain.Owner(?, the man with the dog) is friendly and speaks well many languages. Other stuff is OK, pretty disorganized and lazy but OK.Don´t leave your food or drinks to the kitchen/living-room ( even if they would be marked by your name), they will disappear!Cost, 13e per night was pretty much compared to quality of the place.But like said before, better than nothing!
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7 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 6496)
Unforgettable, Great Place!!!, July 26, 2005
Reviewer:
sy_br@hotmail.com
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n/a
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saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
I got there and was amazed by the nice atmosphere. People relaxing on the sofas, someone surfing on the internet, the owner and his partners painting the walls and reforming the place...I got up the stairs and was even more impressed...the roof has +/- 7 hammoks and it's a very cozy place. All the people I met there were soooo nice!! From all around the world and everyone so relaxed and easy going:-). They had no rooms left, so one of the guys took us to Dan's Flat, an appartment with more rooms with balconies and a big kitchen.I stayed in a room with 3 beds...with 2 aussies I met travelling. There were 4 other rooms with double beds. At night we did party on the roof of the hostel or/and Rob tryed to get us to a nice place to dance and have fun...these 3 nights there were great!!!Oh, and there's also the possibility to sleep on the hammocks...people liked it, but after some nights, it kind of hurts...but it's probably a good idea for a couple of days:-)If u go to Cadiz, u should reeeeally check it out!!!
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(Review ID: 6497)
the Muts Nuts!, October 6, 2004
Reviewer:
Reginald
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n/a
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n/a
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saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
Where to start?! Casa caracol is a living legend. As a seasoned traveller this hostel is definetly the gold pot at the end of the rainbow. Alot of people think, "12 euro, it has to be a pretty scummy place." Au contrere. for the amount of time i was there i found the most relaxed, really nice people i have met on my travels. with a manager that is learning different languages to ensure everyone feels welcome and his great asistants, Princess Dave, the gorgeous Julia, and Cesar the Chief, make everyone feel at home. if somethings not right, you dont complain and whinge about it, you tell one of the staff and they will do there very best to make sure it is up to your standards. this is a place where you come to relax, to unwind, to party like its 1999. As for the laid back approach, full credit. It works both ways. caracol and its staff are very laid back. after all, who wants to stay at a concentration camp? the breakfasts. what can i say. Tell me another hostel that offers breakfast any time of the day, and which u dont have to pay extra for. Full credit to everyone that has made my stay at caracol the best holiday. Nick, your presence and personality is like a fresh breeze blowing through the sahara. Princess, your unique ability to be able to smile after a hard night is the ice in my whiskey. Julia, your just plain old gorgeous. Cesar, you should have lead the 5th battalion into unknown territory, your friendliness reminds me of an angel, come down from heaven. God bless you all. Your all the muts nuts!! viva casa caracol
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(Review ID: 6498)
interesting place, September 17, 2004
Reviewer:
madmartigan
Pros:
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saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
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(3)
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(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
I promised them Id add a review while i wasa there so here goes, Nick the owner was a life saver to find us wondering in the streets, His hostel is a cute little place but it had its ups and downs, I wil lhowever give it to the owner for constantly trying to improve it, however the kitchen hardly had any decent utencils, the "free breakfast" was almost non existent, and the staff had no problem edrinking other peoples drinks which is didnt like... floors hardly mopped, and people there do tend to stay a while, which can make it a bit unfriendly. However the beds were comfy with clean sheets, showers were hot when working, and the place is central and easy to find. for a cheap hostel it had everything it basically needs including good reccomendations to other hostels in Spain. I think this hostel will slowly improve in the coming year, so stay here, its worth your while in Cadiz you may have a better experience, oh yeah theres a good music library to choose from.
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(Review ID: 6499)
most wicked place ever!!, June 29, 2004
Reviewer:
Funky Sandy
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saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
casa caracol is defo the best hostel i´ve ever stayed in. it´s funky, chilled and great fun. the staff is helpful, funny and always up for a party. i ended up stayin` over 2 weeks, chilling out in the hammocks on the roof. the sunday BBQ`s were wicked....i felt totally at home....thanks for everything.....Ill be back!
3 of
3 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 6500)
To double what KJ said...., May 28, 2004
Reviewer:
shorza
Pros:
n/a
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Maintenance
(1)
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(1)
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(1)
Atmosphere
(1)
We checked in to this hostel around the same time as KJ (the reviewer under me), and i too was discusted with the way the owner treated us. The rooms had no security at all (no locks on the doors and no lockers), and a few little things of ours went missing during our stay. I was upset that the owner actually invited a whole lot of his 'friends' into the hostel to have a party. When we told him we wanted to go to bed (at around 3am), he actually turned the music up louder. The other staff at the hostel were not too bad, but the total lack of organization and the way the VERY drunk owner treated us that night gives this a rating of one star.To me this is not the way to run a hostel.
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(Review ID: 6501)
Worst hostel in Europe, May 1, 2004
Reviewer:
KJ
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Imported Review
saw things this way
Maintenance
(1)
Cleanliness
(1)
Facilities
(1)
Atmosphere
(1)
Initally the owner could not check us in because he was off for a surf. We where told to dump our bags and he would be back when he had finished. The room comprised of bunk beds in a room off the main common room where people roamed through. The owner even used the room to check people at the door and yell from the balcony. Didn´t matter that it was 3am, or any time for that matter, as his attitude was that he was the owner and we where treated as hinderances. The following night, he invited a number of his 'close' friends around for a party, whereby he used his positon to hit on the female population. At 4am we brought it to his attention we where paying guests and would like to get to bed soon. This is when he proceeded to argue with us for an hour about how aussies should be able to party all night, every night and again it was his place so he could do what he liked.
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Hostel Manager's Right of Reply
The democracy of peer reviews of hostels by the people who use them is of tremendous value to travellers. At the Caracol we welcome both positive and negative criticism, it enables us to improve and evolve.
The comments of the last reviewer however go beyond this.
Claims about delayed check in, due to surfing, True....hands up! Its a lifestyle choice. That the room in question is used to see who is at the door, again this is true; until a CCTV is installed this is how we control who comes in without their key. That we had a Saturday night party to welcome the spring, Yes true again and it went on till late!
However to make defamatory allegations that the owner "used his position to hit on the female population" is both untrue and spiteful. The party guests were and still are close friends. The owner does not use his "position" (owner of a tiny backpackers) to get anywhere with anyone. The reviewer avoided the party and is in no position to make defamatory remarks of this nature.
Your anger is understood this is why on your checkout you were not charged for the night of lost sleep. Take the good with the bad, please criticise us but do not make untrue defamatory accusations. Long live the democracy of valid criticism!
