just wondering if hostals are open to general public or if you have to buy a membership or something?
Planing to go to spain next year and am checking hotels and hostals.

Hostals are not "hostels", like a youth hostel. They're just a type of basic hotel, mostly privately owned and run. You get your own room, you don't have to join anything.

ok thanks for clearifying that up for me.
i was confussing them with the youth hostels.
again thanks

Hehehee.. Here we go again, El Boqueron. heheehe.. First, gordk, your spelling is just a little off, but we can't blame you for "English-izing" this often confused word.

Webster's Dictionary defines the word "hostel" as:

Hostel: 1. A supervised, inexpensive lodging, especially for youthful travelers. 2. An inn.

The word "hostal" doesn't exist in Webster's Dictionary because it's a Spanish word.

The plural word is "hostalEs" and not "hostals". The english translation of this Spanish word is "hostel". You see, in the definition they are grouping both "hostels/hostales" with "youth-hostels/albergue juveniles" together. Most of the world assumes a "hostel" is always a "youth-hostel" and this is usually true except in Spain. If you ask a basic-english speaking Spaniard "Where can I find a good hostel?" he'll send you to a "hostal" and not a "youth-hostel".

Youth-hostels don't always require membership, but they'll probably charge you more if you're not a member.

Hostels/Hostales are open to everyone and are really just simple, sparsely furnished, most often very clean, family owned and operated hotels in some of Spain's older buildings.

Hope this helps! Or...maybe now you're more confused? hehehe..

Saludos, MadridMan

Ah the great "hostal" debate! I love it! Well MM, it seems to me that Websters would agree that the word "hostel" should not be used to translate "Hostal", as neither of the two meanings it gives are the meaning of Hostal. Obviously the first (main) meaning is that of "Albergue" (youth hostel). The 2nd meaning - inn - means a traditional place which serves food and drink but which can also provide accommodation (I think "Hostelry" is actually what they have in mind.) The appropriate Spanish translation of inn is "posada". So unless you intend the title of this thread to mean "Inns and other accommodation", I think you should at least change "hostels" to "hostales".

Not that I want to be pedantic or anything ..

My my my my my....

Thanks guys for the help.
One more question though, how far
in advance do you have to book the rooms?

1-2 months should be plenty of time. I doubt they would take your reservation more than 2-months in advance. You could wait until 2-3 before, but you might be shut out (COMPLETO). Best of luck and please return here to let us all know how things went.

Saludos, MadridMan

Let's put this "Hostels vs. Youth-Hostels vs. Hostales" discussion to rest, eh? (okay. I doubt it can rest, but it's fun to debate)

Look what I JUST found from "Secretaría General de Turismo, María de Molina 50, 28006 Madrid, Spain"! It's a Spain fact sheet which includes a short description in English of the different kinds of lodging in Spain. Maybe this will clear up any confusion (MAYBE!).

They write....

In the last line, they are equating hostels with pensiones (even if the only difference is the number of rooms) and giving them both a range of 1-3 stars. Clearly, youth-hostels do not fall under the star-rating system. And if the General Secretary of Tourism of Spain translates the Spanish word "hostales" to the English word "hostels", that's good enough for me.

Aaahhh... In with the good. Out with the bad. hehehe...

Saludos, MadridMan

gordk, i wouldn't worry to much about booking ahead unless you are looking for a 3-4 star hotel in Madrid or Barcelona during peak season. 3 years ago a took a 6 week trip around spain and never once had advanced reservations. we had a lonely planet book with us and once we reached the city/town where we wanted to stay the night we just called around to see what hostals had an open room. many times the hostal owners or people who worked in bares were able to refer us to a nice place to sleep. of course we were visiting several small towns and it was may-june but we never had any problems finding a very decent, clean, and inexpensive hostal to stay in. i hope this gives you an idea of how easy lodging can be in spain if you are laid back and not too caprichoso about it, if you keep this in mind i think the worst that can happen is quite encantado.
megan