Contents:
The Staff | The Room | The Atmosphere | The Location | The Price
Spain has never really attracted me much, for the simple reason that I assumed the country was full of Brits (hello, Benidorm?), and it’s quite hard to travel through Spain on my way somewhere else.
But this year, with friends moving to Barcelona and so many fabulous new hostels popping up all across the country, I swept my stereotypes aside and booked a flight to Madrid!
First stop, Room007 Chueca Hostel.
Room007 Chueca Hostel, Madrid
(A Luxury Hostel Experience)
The Staff
I have to begin this review with a mention to the staff at Room007 Chueca. As a solo traveller, I definitely rely more on staff interaction to relax into a new environment and begin meeting new people.
On my first night, I had planned to meet people by joining the nightly pub crawl. Wandering up to the receptionist to ask if anyone else had signed up, he told me that I was the only one that had asked that night, and I think he saw my face drop before asking if I was alone. When I said yes, he told me that he was just about to finish his shift, and would be happy to show me a few bars in town himself.
So a huge thanks to Aitor on reception for showing me my first sight of Madrid at night! On my last day I also had so many questions about transport from the hostel that I’m sure reception hears over and again. But the girl on reception didn’t mind at all and gave me so much help, including how to pronounce a few phrases in Spanish to help me on my way…
The Room
Before I say anything about the room, just take a look at the picture below and let your jaw drop. Because that’s what mine did when I entered!
It goes without saying that as a frequent hostel traveller, any break from a bunkbed is well received. But this was more than just a double bed. It was so comfortable and, best of all, the room was the perfect temperature! Not too hot or cold meaning that I took full advantage and had two beautiful nights of rest and relaxation.
So picture this: you wake from your first night’s sleep cosy and refreshed. It’s almost too cosy to drag yourself out of the bed. What’s the one thing that is guaranteed to wake you? Fresh air. Time then to check out the balcony!
Hello Madriiiiiiid!Woke up to this view from my balcony in Room007 Hostels! Time for breakfast! Posted by The Hostel Girl on Friday, 4 September 2015
Yes, along with all the usual amenities the room had it’s very own balcony from which you can observe the bustling Madrid streets below and get a true feel for the hustle and bustle of the hipster Chueca neighbourhood.
And by usual amenities I mean a high powered hot shower, a hair dryer, a TV (not that you’ll want to use it in Madrid!), two storage lockers, and a coat hanger. Oh and the wifi was super fast in the room!
The Atmosphere
As I was staying in a private room during my luxury hostel experience, I really had to try all the tricks of the trade to meet other guests. First stop (of course!) the bar.
The bar in Room007 Chueca is next to the main reception, and whilst there are a few bar stools to rest at I found it a little difficult to meet other guests there. The bar is a smaller part of a beautiful restaurant, that is a very popular place for locals to come to for dinner and lunch, often in groups. So, next stop, the common room on the 5th floor!
With large cosy beanbags and two long bench tables, there’s plenty of room in the common room to relax and meet other guests coming up to use the computer, kitchen, or to meet people themselves! Considering the size of the hostel, the common room didn’t have a busy or buzzing atmosphere during the day. But the layout and outside terrace definitely made it easier to meet the people that were there.
After trying the bar, I settled in to one of the chairs on the terrace and soon got talking with a fabulous girl called Emma from Paris, who swiftly offered to show me some of the boutique clothing stores nearby. I took her straight up on the offer, and as is often the way in hostels, once I met Emma (who had been staying there a week or two) I was soon introduced to other guests and my plans for the second day and night with other guests were ready!
What followed the next day was an introduction to Greg – the social rep behind Room007 Chueca’s liveliest party nights! He was there to take me to the meeting place for the free walking tour in the morning, and to get the party started with free sangria that night! He also suffered a rough defeat at table football as a result of being on my team… sorry Greg!
The Location
Not surprisingly, Room007 Chueca is located in the Chueca neighbourhood of Madrid. Officially the gay district, Chueca is very artistic and trendy and great for food if you are looking for traditional Spanish tapas bars without the tourist district price! It’s also incredible easy to reach from the airport via metro (which you can see in the map below).
The metro system in Madrid is really efficient and wide-spread across the city, but I also found it super easy to walk almost everywhere from the hostel! Click here for a map of the Madrid metro. Alternatively there is a great metro map app that you can download from the iOS store for free.
The Price
Prices for mixed dorms at Room007 Chueca start from as little as €15.50 – which is a bargain for such a high quality hostel in capital city! As I took the luxury hostel experience and stayed in the superior deluxe double room with balcony, costs were obviously a bit higher.
The luxury double room costs from €75 per night – but if you are staying as a couple then this is actually a great bargain, costing just €37.50 each which is well worth it for the location, quality, and comfort. As always – make sure to book direct in order to find the best rates, and you can always invest in a Go Around Europe hostel discount card to make the cost of your stay even cheaper – Hostel Girl readers get 10% off!
I would like to thank Room007 Chueca for organising my visit to Madrid, but as always opinions are honest and my own.
Lots of love, 
Beginning today’s #room007experience with my very first Spanish pastries! pic.twitter.com/Jk3kfCt9Xu — Katie Dawes (@the_hostelgirl) September 4, 2015