I booked this hostal on line after seeing the positive reviews it had received, as a surprise for my husband.

When we arrived it was very disconcerting as the entrance hallway to the building was being refurbished and the dust increased as we went up to the hostal on the 4th floor (in the very old but perfectly useful elevator) However, the moment the door was opened to us by Tomas, all our fears were allayed. The little reception area was spotless, as were our rooms and the bathrooms.

We had a double room with shared bathrooms. Our room was small, with one side of the bed against the wall; a wardrobe and a chair. There was a small balcony/bay window with a sink, another chair and a dressing table. This was useful as there was an extra door to block out any traffic noise.

The room was cleaned daily and the bathrooms were kept completely spotless. A fixture broke/came off in the ladies' bathroom, leaving the shower hand held but that was the only minor annoyance. Lots of powerful hot water for the shower (very occassionally sporadic in temperature, so watch it if you have children)

There was also a large fridge for the guests' use (many, many apologies Tomas for not taking the pizza box out as I meant to when we left. Grovel, grovel.)

And last but by no means least, Tomas was just as helpful and kind as the reviews led me to believe. He gave us recommendations for good places to eat, told us where to avoid and good places to go. He had our reservation to hand, and always let people know when he was going to be out in case they needed to get hold of him. Thank you for all your help, Tomas, next time perhaps we'll get to see and hear you play.

The location was great, right by a metro stop, five minutes from the main square (Placa Catalunya) and 10 minutes from pretty much anywhere of note in the city. I would definitely go there again (although maybe not in high summer as the room only had a ceiling fan which would not be adequate against the heat of Barcelona.)

My brand new husband and I stayed at the Residencia Australia for the first 4 nights of our honeymoon. We chose the Residencia for its reasonable price and glowing reviews here at TripAdvisor. I also liked that Thomas tracks the reviews and gives comments here -- to me that shows that the management is interested in its reputation and attentive to comments. (Hi Thomas!) :-)

We stayed in the suite, which we enjoyed very much! The suite shares a foyer with Thomas's mom's apartment. However, we didn't see her at all the whole time we were there, and our space felt very private.

The mini fridge was great, and the bed was comfortable enough. There's also lots of storage space if you're the type of traveler who likes to unpack.

The LOCATION is unbeatable! Extremely close to Placa Catalunya, which we thought was the hub of everything to see and do. We could walk the entire length of Las Ramblas, or up to Gaudi's Casa Mila from our suite. The airport bus (4 euros per person) drops you off at the Placa as well. (We highly recommend the bus over the Metro as a way to travel to and from the airport, btw.) Also, the Placa is a big Metro interchange so it is extremely easy to get to Sagrada Familia and the other sights of the city. There's plenty of options for eating out as well as a grocery store in El Corte Ingles, which is right in the Placa.

The view from the window is wonderful as well! The building faces a busy street, but the room is high up. We're the type of folks who enjoy street noise while we sleep, and the street isn't crazy loud at night, so for us it was perfect. Also, there's this crazy metal screen that you can lower over the window, and it shuts out the street noise very effectively. It also makes the room pitch black dark for those who like that!

Negative points: yes, the shower is unrealistically tiny. Thomas, you should extend the bar out straight and close off that small space there, there's a drain. The shower curtain kept sticking to me while I showered, and I'm not a huge person.

Second, I agree that the elevators and stairs can be a drawback. The elevator by the suite is small, but works well up and down. The elevator by the main hostel only goes up and is small and creaky, and there are a lot of stairs to go down! But it's not too bad. Mostly just be aware of it, and take this into consideration if you're claustrophobic.

As a side note, we loved the restaurant Les Quinze Nits in the Placa Reial off of Las Ramblas.

Have a great trip!

I chose to stay at this hostel after reading the positive reviews on this site.
I would agree that it was very clean and tidy and the staff were friendly and its good location and value for money.
I was given a 'room'next to reception (with 'Private' written on the door -not even a room number!) This was quite noisy until about 10pm, but did not affect my sleep thankfully. One of the best nights sleep I have had in such places.
The worst thing about this hostel (which is not mentioned in any other review so I must mention it!)is that it is at the top of a tall 'townhouse' and is 5 steep flights of stairs from the ground!
There is a very old lift which can take you up, but which is too dangerous to bring you back down again!
The combination of price and location is very good but please be aware of the stairs.

What a great place to stay! My partner and I stayed here for 4 nights, and I would definitely recommend this place for a stay in Barcelona. The reason I picked it was because of the amazing reviews it got on TripAdvisor.com, and they were all accurate. We stayed 2 nights in the suite (which was awesome! shower was very small, but well worth the privacy) and 2 nights in one of the rooms with a shared bathroom (which was equally awesome). Bathrooms were cleaned every day, and I never had to wait for the bathroom ever!

Upon our arrival, Thomas gave us a map, showed us where to go, gave us a very good lecture on being safe in Barcelona, and sent us on our way. He was always helpful with questions we had about day trips, things to see, etc. His mother Maria was the highlight of our trip! When you rent the suite, you stay right next door to Maria, and she was always chatty & helpful. She told us about flamenco dancing outside the Cathedral on Sunday afternoons (which was not in any of the guide books), and we had the best time doing that. She was very helpful and fun to talk to.

The location was great. The airport bus drops you off about a block from the hotel, and there is anything you need within 2 blocks of the hotel. Las Ramblas is a 5 min walk away, as is a grocery store, internet cafe, all kinds of restaurants, the main square Plaza Catalunya .... you name it, it's near where the hotel is.

I highly recommend this hotel. Thanks for a wonderful stay, Thomas & Maria!!

-Laura & Kellie