My husband and I are trying to find a hostal for the month of July as he is teaching at the university there. I had him call Hostal López since he is from Segovia right near by and I thought they would respond better but they were not helpful at all. The person that answered was upset that we were trying to make a reservation so early and gave him a speech then refused to make a reservation.
We are not sure that we should try again later though as they were kind of rude. This is for a teaching position and we really need to make sure we have reservations. Can someone tell me if I was crazy to be making reservations this early (day before yesterday) and if not then where would be a good place for that same price that would allow us to make the reservation for the month of July?

I learned a long time ago that most hostels don't like to make reservations more than 2 months in advance because of the liklihood that the patrons will cancel or just not show up. I'm not at all surprised your husband was "lectured" by the woman on the line (probably the mother of the hostel - who always speaks her mind). Remember, these are real people and hard-working people too. They aren't the corporate types and detail-oriented professionals that you'll find at hotels. These are real people with real emotions and real opinions. You won't get "Yes Sir. No Sir" from hostel owners.

I know every member of the López family and they are truly special, sweet, kind, hard-working people doing a 24/7 job with no vacations, nighly interruptions by the bell, phone calls, and rarely able to sit down to a meal with all members in attendance.

Also, hostels don't like to rent rooms for more than 2-weeks. In fact, I'd agree with them. An apartment would probably be MUCH cheaper and much more comfortable for you both. With an apartment you'd have a kitchen, more space, AND you'd save money! Have you looked through the postings in the "Classifieds & Personals" forum about available apartments (I wonder if GoMadrid's apartment has already been rented). I also posted a link to a Madrid apartment I found by chance on the internet.

Best of luck in your search and enjoy your time in Madrid in July! It'll be HOT! :o

Saludos, MadridMan

Via email I had a different experience with the Hostal Lopez. I tried to contact them about two weeks ago to make a reservation for three weeks from mid-June to early July. They answered my emails promptly and courteously--unfortunately, they were "completo."

I've also had a somewhat different experience with the length of stay in hostales. I've stayed in several for more than two weeks and had no trouble making a reservation for that length of time. Most recently (though it was four years ago), I did this at the Hostal Residencia Lisboa on c. Ventura de la Vega in Madrid--I stayed there for six weeks. I recommend this place highly (you have to fax or phone)--exterior rooms can be noisy in the summer, but otherwise it's a perfect location run by very nice people.

<<They aren't the corporate types and detail-oriented professionals that you'll find at hotels.

I know every member of the López family and they are truly special, sweet, kind, hard-working people>>

Thanks Madridman and Liz49 for replying. My husband is Spanish from nearby Segovia (and lived many years in Madrid while at University) and we have stayed in many a hostal before. Neither one of us ever expected the corporate type... We decided to try to stay there due to the glowing reviews specifically about the López family. We have never tried to stay at a hostal more than 1 week at a time though but in this case it is MUCH cheaper than an apartment in Madrid. We don't need the Hostal on the weekends as we have a free place with our family in Segovia. If we cannot stay there a month, or more accurately 19 days, then I will try other places. I will call them in mid May to make the reservation then. Is this about right for going the 1st week in July?

<<I did this at the Hostal Residencia Lisboa on c. Ventura de la Vega in Madrid--I stayed there for six weeks.>>
Liz49 I will check this out. Thank you for the info.
This website is AMAZING and I have already recomended it to all of the students that are coming to Madrid in the program that my husband teaches with. I will post my experiences when I return. Meanwhile if anyone has any questions about Segovia feel free to ask (post). I would be glad to answer.

Segoviana, it's truly a shame you didn't see the posting by GoMadrid in the " Nice apartment in Madrid " thread in the "Classifieds & Personals" forum. It seems HILDE just snatched up that apartment for the entire month of July! ARGH!!!

Hostal Lisboa in the Huertas area is brand new to the internet and have an impressive website too. If you stay here, please please tell us how you felt about it. We all apreciate "fresh" reviews of some of the lesserknown or new hostels to the internet. Thanks and good luck!

Saludos, MadridMan

MadridMan and Liz49 do either one of you know how much the Hostal Lisboa is? I received an email ( a very polite one : ) back from Hostal López which is all full for the days I asked for and I cannot get into the webpage for Hostal Lisboa. Also does anyone know if it has A/C as we will be in Madrid in July...?

Segoviana, the Hostal Lisboa website, while stylishly designed with Java Applets, Flash, and Shockwave technologies, isn't well constructed. You FIRST go to their entry page and watch a nice, little FLASH "movie" about the hostel and Madrid. Then it automatically goes to the main ENTRY page where you choose your language. You see "ENTRAR" below the waving Spanish flag and "ENTER" below the England flag. MY first instinct was (and I did this several times before figuring it out) to click on the waving flag, but I just got a pop-up describing the java applet used to make that darn flag wave! I finally figured out that you have to click on the WORD below, "ENTRAR" or "ENTER". When you click on ENTER (for example), it launches a new, FULL screen.. but it's not a browser window so there's no address, no "add to favorites" menu at top, nor can you exit out of it! In fact, you're stuck unless you know how to close it through your task bar at the bottom of your PC screen. ALSO, it's "optimized" (I hate this word in PC-speak.. kind of an oxymoron if you ask me) for 800 X 600 resolution. This means that if you have a crummy monitor or NEED your icons/text BIG for whatever reason and you have your settings at 640 X 480 resolution you're sunk.. you can only see HALF the Hostal Lisboa screen because everything's so BIG! Well, here's the direct link to that page without an address bar: http://www.hostallisboa.com/Hostal_lisboa_eng/index3.htm . Click THIS and you'll get the page in a browser window and you can then save it to your FAVORITES.

So anyway, you get to that page, you look at the Madrid city photos, the services, the prices, and then when you click on the RESERVE button below, the telephone number magically comes up from below. Then you notice a "broken" graphic below that RESERVE button. Curious, you click the mystery graphic and VOILA! You've launched your email program and it's ready to send an email to the fine people at Hostal Lisboa.

So there you go! How's that for a step-by-step on how to use this hostel's website!

Saludos, MadridMan

¡Gracias Majo!
It works fine now. You are too cool and EXTREMELY helpful. I clicked on the word and like you said presto it worked. I have correspondence with Hostal Jaen tambien for apartments. I will let you know my experiences when I am in Madrid with whomever I stay with and try to add photos too since you are so helpful.
Gracias otra vez.
Segoviana

After hearing mixed reviews on Hostal Lopez, I had a Spanish friend check it out while she was in Madrid. The folks at the hostal were very accommodating and helpful. They have responded promptly to my e-mails and I am staying there for three days in June and three in July with two of my kids (12 and 17). I am nervous about 6 weeks in Spain with kids and limited Spanish and wanted to make certain that we had a dependable place in Madrid. So far, I have been very impressed with all the responses from Hostal Lopez.

Hello sel in Columbus, Ohio. (Hey! We're neighbors!!! Call me on the telephone if you like.) Do a SEARCH using LOPEZ MADRID as your keywords in this forum and abot 95%+ of the reviews are positive. (and there are A LOT of reviews!) Tell them you're a "neighbor" of mine and you'll probably get the royal treatment! (not really, as I'm convinced they treat all clients/patrons the same - very very well)

Have a great time in Spain and please share with us YOUR OWN experiences with Hostal López in Madrid and your other stops here on the message board upon returning. Thanks! Sharing your experiences helps everyone.

Saludos, MadridMan