Terrible - filthiest and had bed bugs 19 February 2011
Pros:
Amazing old building, with great common area - heaps of opportunities to meet other travellers
Cons:
Completely filthy - I got bed bugs from staying here/staff were unhelpful & the bathrooms smelled!!!
Anneka
saw things this way
Maintenance
(1)
Cleanliness
(1)
Facilities
(2)
Atmosphere
(3)
(Review ID: 14568)
This is the worst hostel that I have stayed in in Madrid let alone Europe. I satyed in 5 different hostels in madrid as I was there during a very busy time and hadn't planned very well and booked a place in advance. I got bed bugs on my first night (the mattress was crawling with them) and requested a change of room. After changing, there were still bed bugs and I checked out. I asked for my money back and money also for the washing and medicines that I had bought to treat the million bites that I had all over my body and the staff were completely unhelpful and the owner was downright rude suggesting that I had bought them with me. As a result I filled out a denunciation form and filed it with the government so hopefully the law will come down on them very hard!Also - the bathrooms were possibly the worst in any hostel I have been in. The cubicles were tiny and it was hard to not touch the walls (which you really didn't want to do as they smelled revolting) and there was no where to get changed so you were reduced to running back across the common room in your towel to your room to put some clothes on.
1 of
5 people found this review helpful
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Derek
Winnipeg, Canada
Centrally located hostel with a good vibe 11 August 2006
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Derek
saw things this way
Maintenance
(4)
Cleanliness
(4)
Facilities
(4)
Atmosphere
(4)
(Review ID: 5266)
YO !!! Stayed here for one night in May while heading to Portugal. A well run hostel with very helpful and extremely friendly staff. They made you feel very welcome. The rooms were nice with huge lockers that could hold any backpack (except for one girl in the room that seemed to have packed half her house ! ) There was a really suave central area with a stained glass ceiling and a fountain. There was a nice sized bar and also a basement with free internet, and a dance floor that I passed the time on :) The location was great, very central to the main attractions. Was a little noisy in the afternoon as it's close to a busy street...but then again what was I doing trying to nap at 4 in the afternoon !Overall Cat's Hostel is a great place from which to enjoy Madrid's various activites.Munster this one !
7 of
13 people found this review helpful
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shangrong
(shangrong@hotmail.com)
from Chicago, US
Chicago, US
All I hoped for 20 June 2006
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
shangrong
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
(Review ID: 5267)
good locationcleanbuilding with characterhelpful staffnice atmosphereI stayed in the hostel for the first two nights of my Spainish trip and choose to spend the last night there again after touring Spain before departure.
5 of
13 people found this review helpful
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Anonymous
USA
Staff maced and attacked guests 18 April 2006
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(1)
Cleanliness
(1)
Facilities
(1)
Atmosphere
(1)
(Review ID: 5268)
The hostel was run like a police state by the night time employees. They would listen outside doors at night - they were seriously looking for trouble. One night while standing outside with friends smoking we heard a scuffle and some guys pulled out two male guests who were involved. They said they were being attacked and walked away down the street without their belongings or anything. When they were almost around the corner, the hostel staff chased down the street and sucker punched one and maced the other. They proceeded to mace both of them again and kept punching them violently.Besides the violent staff the showers were so hot they actually burned me - a first in my life.
9 of
17 people found this review helpful
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Nicole
Perth, Australia
Yuck! 26 November 2005
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Nicole
saw things this way
Maintenance
(1)
Cleanliness
(1)
Facilities
(1)
Atmosphere
(1)
(Review ID: 5269)
One of the worst hostels I've stayed in! I was there in Feb 2005 so it was winter and it had freezing showers! Not nice at all... The rooms were overheated at night and as the dorms are arranged around a centre common area it was really noisy all the time even when u are trying to sleep at 2am! It seemed grubby as well, there was some rubbish in our dorm and it stayed there for 4 days! Also a few of us got itchy rashes there - not sure if it was the bedding or the gross couches in the common area. Aside from all that, it had cheap drinks in the stuffy, smokey basement bar/internet room. Breakfast was a lousy croissant and a cup of OJ or coffee. Good points - secure and friendly helpful staff.
5 of
13 people found this review helpful
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Anonymous
australia
good as any 3 November 2005
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
(Review ID: 5270)
friendly staff, and a very aesthetically pleasing hostel. but the bathrooms really bought it down. what´s with the "please don´t flush toilet paper, use waste paper baskets instead". i live in spain, and have travelled all over the country and have never had a problem with flushing toilet paper down the toilet! and also there is some mysterious building next door (we decided it was a printing press) that makes a horrendous noise ALL night therefore making sure you cant sleep. and the rooms are too packed, if they took out one bunk from each room, it would be much more comfortable.but apart from those gripes, its not bad for a Spanish hostel and its nicely priced.. hope that helps
6 of
14 people found this review helpful
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Mel
Sydney, Australia
Social Hostel thats clean and safe 11 August 2005
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Mel
saw things this way
Maintenance
(4)
Cleanliness
(4)
Facilities
(4)
Atmosphere
(4)
(Review ID: 5271)
I stayed at Cat's in July 2005 and thought it was great. One of the cleanest and safest hostels I have stayed in. Its in a pretty good location although the directions on how to get there from the website aren't great (you need to head left out of antonio metro and about 250m down the road the hostel is in a street on the left). They give you a wrist watch/buzzer things which gets you into the main door, your room and your locker and is really safe. The room doors can be a little difficult to open and thus in the middme of the night you might wake up to some drunk person struggling to open the door to your room (try to get a bed away from the door). The hostel is a really good place to meet other people and the bar has cheap drinks (1L of beer for 2.5 euro) with free paella or pizza on most nights. Although the bar closes at 12am the guys who work there are good at taking you somewhere nearby to continue the night. There is a great courtyard place where you can sit and relax or meet other travellers plus free internet downstairs is a good bonus.The only downside to this hostel would be 1; the fact that there is no curfew could be good but if you want to sleep maybe not so good as people in your room will come in at all hours and 2; no place to hang you stuff in the box like showers...although its a hostel so what can you expect.Overall a great place to stay and the best hostel I stayed at in Spain!!
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20 people found this review helpful
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Anonymous
Brisbane, Australia
Great hostel, very safe and close to main attractions. 8 June 2005
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
(Review ID: 5272)
I was there on December 2004. I stayed for 4-5 days.The location is great, close to plaza mayor and plaza del Sol.It is also close to internet caffes, shopping centres, transport and the tourist office located in the plaza mayor.The location is great for a single female traveller. I was able to go out at night and walk around without any problems.It is great for meeting people, it is quiet compared to other hostels. I had previously stayed in other hostels.The lockers were inside the dorms and they were quite big, that was great for me because of all the things I was carrying with me.It was safe and the breakfast was alright though not the best.I was happy with the dorms, they didn't try to put me in a mixed one like they did in Italy even though I had requested a female dorm there!The showers were ok and they were clean with large mirrors a great bonus. heheI would definetely recommend it it is a clean and safe hostel.
10 of
17 people found this review helpful
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Anonymous
Columbia, Missouri, United States
My Favorite Hostel Ever 1 April 2005
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
(Review ID: 5273)
It's not perfect, but it's a great hostel. It actually qualifies as "beautiful"! Rooms are PACKED, but that's actually great because it forces people to hang out elsewhere. Showers are a bit lame--lukewarm, buttons that need to be pressed, and nowhere to hang your stuff. Friendly and helpful employees and a decent breakfast. Free internet. Excellent courtyard for hanging out (until midnight). Mostly fairly quiet until free paella night kept the basement bar open until 4:00 a.m. Great location near Atocha, Santa Ana, Plaza Mayor, etc. I didn't get enough sleep, but I will certainly stay there every time I am in Madrid.
7 of
15 people found this review helpful
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noo222
Melbourne Australia
Heaven after the shithole we were in first 20 December 2004
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
noo222
saw things this way
Maintenance
(4)
Cleanliness
(4)
Facilities
(4)
Atmosphere
(4)
(Review ID: 5274)
Unfortunately we stayed our first 2 nights in an appalling "hostel" in Madrid before finding Cats (hostel Amandes found on hostelworld - STAY AWAY - filth). Even without the comparisons though Cats Hostel is very nice. Great decoration, clean rooms with lockers. Bathrooms were a bit annoying as you had to leave your stuff outside the showers and they were those stupid timed button things. Breakfast was decent sized croissant and coffee. They let us put some yoghurt in the bar fridge even though there is no kitchen. Washing machine and dryer, underground bar with free paella on our first night. Also very close to excellent vegetarian restaurant (if you are sick of the jambon).
