Hostels vs airbnbs in Barcelona. I'll take the hostel every time after last month.

Everyone told me to get an airbnb for my trip to Barcelona last month. Said itd be quieter and more private. I tried one for 3 nights near La Sagrada Familia. 85 bucks a night. The place was fine but I felt so isolated. Nobody to talk to. No map tips from strangers. Switched to a hostel in El Raval for 22 euros a night and met a dude from Australia who showed me this tiny spot for 3 euro paella. Way more fun. Why does everyone act like airbnbs are the only grown up option? Has anyone else had way better luck with hostels for the social side of travel?

3 comments

3 Comments

val_williams22d ago

Second night at that hostel a girl from Sweden pulled out a bottle of cheap cava and we ended up on the hostel roof with like 8 people just swapping stories. Airbnbs I've stayed in you're lucky if the host leaves you a wifi password. That 3 euro paella spot was tucked down an alley with no sign, you'd never find it on Google Maps. Hostel front desk guy also told me which metro stops to avoid after midnight. You don't get that insider knowledge from a key code and a locked door.

the_tessa21d ago

Wait, did you find that 3 euro paella place on your own or did someone at the hostel clue you in? Because that's exactly what I'm talking about. I was in Barcelona a couple years back and the hostel front desk guy circled this tiny bakery on a napkin that had the best churros I've ever had, no joke. I would have walked right past it a hundred times without him pointing it out. Even the hostel common room had a whiteboard with random tips from past guests scribbled on it, like "avoid the guy selling roses near the cathedral, he'll pick your pocket." You just don't get that kind of real time local info from a Airbnb description or a key code. Plus there's something about sitting in a shared space where people naturally start talking, versus an Airbnb where everyone's in their own room with the door shut.

the_aaron22d ago

Did you notice a big difference in the kind of people you were meeting at the hostel versus what you expected from the airbnb crowd? I’ve always wondered if the hostel folks are just naturally more open to chatting or if it’s the setup that makes it happen. Your 3 euro paella story is a good example of that kind of luck you don’t get behind a locked door.