Hi there, great website MM! I am new to the forum. My husband and I are off to Spain in May for three weeks and are looking for cheap accommodations in Madrid. I was perusing MM's selections on the homepage ....
Some are very cheap(curiously cheap?!) and I'm wondering if I can get some feedback on the following places:

1) Youth-Hostel Barbieri (13euros each?)
2) Hostal Mirentxu (24 euros)
3) Hostal Villar (26.5 euros)
4) Pension Antonio (28 euros)
5) Hostel Pinariega (about 30 euros)
6) Hostal Oporto (31 euros)

The photos on the websites look decent enough, so where's the catch?
Any info would be great!!

[ 01-15-2002: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

Hello Zippy! (cute name!)

I'm not familiar with Hostal Barbieri and didn't find it on MadridMan's Madrid Hostels page either. Do they have a website? If so, could you give us/me the URL please? Thanks.

Other than Hostal Barbieri and Hostal Pinariega, I think all the others have been discussed/critiqued already on the message board. But if any newer members have stayed at these places, PLEASE give your feedback about them here.

I suggest using the SEARCH link above/right and typing the name of the hostel (not the word "HOSTAL" itself, but the family name) to find those previous postings. I know a lot has been said about Villar and Oporto already and a few about the others too.

I visited Hostal Mirentxu myself in October 2000 -- it was just a visit as I didn't spend the night there -- and found it VERY nice! That is to say, NICE for a hostel. The owners are from Galicia and can be a bit difficult to understand if you speak some Spanish. But the place was nice, clean, and I remember there being a lot of light that afternoon. Great location too, just east of the Puerta del Sol.

I also visited Hostal Oporto on the same day and found it similar to Mirentxu in that it was very clean, basic rooms, nice manager, and right next to Mirentxu.

Again, if anyone else has feedback about any of these I invite you to speak up now! (if you haven't in the past, that is)

Zippy, are you spending the entire 3 weeks in Madrid?? If not, why not also ask about lodging in your other locations? Remember, as the title states above, this is "MadridMan's ALL SPAIN Message Board" (NOT just Madrid) and many cities and lodgings of all of Spain have been discussed here. We have a WONDERFULLY knowledgeable group here about ALL of Spain so ask away (in the appropriate forums, of course )

Have a GREAT trip! Saludos, MadridMan

[ 01-14-2002: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

Thanks for the help MadridMan! I'll do the search as you suggested. I found Barbieri through someone else's comments on your site, something about 13euros per person. Here's the link:
Barbieri International Hostal

My husband and I are travelling by car for six weeks from Rome into Spain. We arrive in Spain around April 24th and start in Barcelona, with a visit to Montserrat. We are huge wine fans, and so far I'm a little surprised at the difficulty I'm having on finding Spanish Wine travel info both online and in books. It took me forever to find Wine DO maps just to get a start! So anyway, we're planning on spending a couple of nights around the Rioja, then onto the West around Segovia,Avila,Salamanca and we hope to stay in a Parador in Ciudad Rodrigo . I've emailed them twice now, to no reply, which I'm finding frustrating. But I'll keep at them!
After that we head south towards Caceras, Badajoz and Zafra. We plan on three nights in Seville, and four nights somewhere along the coast around Jerez - sherry tasting region (suggestions welcome!!!). Two to three nights in Granada via Ronda and three to four nights in Madrid via Toledo. Voila!
We'll be sad to leave, I'm sure!
I think I'll copy this post to another forum as well.

So anyway, we're still looking for help/suggestions on where to do wine tasting and of course good restaurants along the way!
THanks!

[ 01-15-2002: Message edited by: Zippy ]

[ 01-15-2002: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

Hi again, Zippy! Thanks for the clarification about Barbieri International Hostel . I see from their website that this is actually a youth-hostel kind of place and not a hostel as we know them to be in Spain (called "hostal" in Spanish -- bite your tongue, Eddie. hehehe.. :p ). In this place, you and your wife might not be able to stay/sleep together since they say "Shared rooms with 2, 4 and 6 beds". You may get lucky and get one of the 2-bed rooms though, if you can reserve early. Still, they may not allow "co-habitation" between sexes.

I invite you to browse the previously posted topics (or post your own) in the "Food, Drink, & Entertainment" forum.

[Added later: OOOPS! :o I see you've already don't that... ]

Good luck and have a great time in Spain!

Saludos, MadridMan

[ 01-15-2002: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

Zippy as for your wine intentions you should get hold of:

A traveller´s wine guide to Spain by Desmond Begg
Aurum Press
This book is what you need.

Cheers,
André

Thanks Andres, I'll give that one a look!