Contents:
The Atmosphere | The Staff | The Room | The Location | The Price
Of the three cities I visited in Spain last month, Valencia was the one I knew the least about and yet the one I came to love the most.
Whilst it may seem smaller than both Madrid and Barcelona and therefore have less to do, the people I met in both the hostel and the local area quickly turned in to people I would love to see again and I credit this entirely to the welcoming and comfortable vibe I found at Red Nest Hostel.
Red Nest Hostel Valencia
The Atmosphere
With the fifth floor bar and brightly decorated roof terrace, plus the large open kitchen and first floor lounge area, Red Nest hostel offers a wealth of options for guests to hang out in common areas and get to know one another.
With a few options of where to hang out, initially I thought this would cause guests to spread out more and be less likely to meet one another, but I soon found this not to be the case at all. With the good weather and friendly bar staff (hey Raquel!) almost all the guests would end up on the terrace in the evening socialising across the long benches.
Some nights we spent chatting and getting to know each other better, other nights were spent playing drinking games before heading out to explore Valencia’s awesome nightlife.
But I wanted all nights to last forever because of this awesome crowd of guests!
When we weren’t hanging out on the roof terrace, the large and well-equipped kitchen provided the perfect environment for guests to bond. My last lunch was spent with the fabulous Thomas, Marie, Lucas and Clémence – and if there’s anything that facilitates bonding it’s sharing a meal together with new friends.
The Colour
I don’t talk much about the use of colour in hostels I visit, but I might start making it a priority when I review properties because the bright colours of Red Nest (which by the way is not just all red) definitely contribute to the cheerful mood that seems to run through the hostel.
Whether it’s the bright yellow walls, the the red and white checkered bar area, the electric purple, yellow and blue benches on the terrace, or the psychedelic murals on the walls – the sense of fun was almost impossible to escape!
I have to admit, when I first entered the shared bathrooms on my floor, the multicoloured tiles took me by a little shock. But whilst I think there might be a little too yellow… there’s nothing like doing your makeup in the morning surrounded by all the colours of the rainbow!
The Staff
The only complaint I have about the staff is that I did not get enough time to hang out with them!
At check-in I was greeted by Juan, who went out of his way the whole duration of my stay to make sure I knew enough about the city and activities to get the most out of my trip to Valencia! He clearly loved the city, which only made me more excited to see it!
When Juan wasn’t around, the rest of the front desk staff were super friendly, organising all my washing and answering all my many questions. On the final day they were even more concerned than I was about getting to my BlaBlaCar on time!
And then, of course, I have to give a big shout to Raquel. A Valencian local, Raquel rules the bar solo, which is a tough job in a backpackers hostel full of young, energetic travellers – but she made it look so easy every night. When I first arrived to the hostel (and coincidentally also became the first to arrive in the bar that evening) she sat with me and talked for more than an hour before other guests came to join us, and it soon became clear that she was as popular with the other guests as with me!
The Room
In perfect harmony with the rest of the hostel, the decoration in my female 6-bed dorm in Red Nest hostel was bright and funky! With most of the colours centered around a calm blue, we had one feature wall that I spent far too long in front of taking selfies…
Red Nest uses sturdy metal bunkbeds, and a feature I really enjoyed were the wide ladders! I’d never encountered them before, and whilst it seems like a trivial detail it really made all the difference to climbing up and down with ease.
Ultimately, I slept sound each night, despite the fact that the balcony doors led out to the main street and so if they were opened it could be very noisy in the room. If you’re a light sleeper I would definitely suggest ear plugs, but as the beds were so comfortable and I was always so exhausted after a full day hanging out in the city with other guests the noise never kept me awake.
And best of all? Whist I was out exploring the city I was able to leave my laptop charging in my locker as there was a plug socket in each! The lockers take a padlock, so you will have to ask for one at reception if you don’t travel with your own.
The Location
There is little to say here except the following six words:
Bang. In. The. Center. Of. Town.
Located on Carrer de la Pau which is the main street connecting the old and new towns of Valencia, the hostel is on the left hand side of the one-way street and impossible to miss with a big red sign out the front!
As I had a BlaBlaCar I was lucky that my driver was willing to drop me right at the hostel, but I soon discovered that it takes less than ten minutes to travel by walking and metro to the main North Station. If you’re arriving my plane then you can get to the city from the airport via metros 3 or 5 in just half an hour, with the nearest metro station to Red Nest being Colón.
The Price
With beds in 8 and 12-bed dorms costing as little as €9.90 Red Nest hostel offers one of the best budget accommodation options in Valencia! I stayed in a 6-bed dorm with prices from €10.90 to €18.80 depending on the day of the week and season.
As always I would suggest booking directly with the hostel through their website. Alternatively, if you have a Go Around Europe hostel discount card then you will also benefit from their discount – if you don’t have one use the exclusive discount code for Hostel Girl readers!
There are a few extras you have to pay for, or leave a deposit for, at Red Nest but none of these are extravagant costs which can helped me stick to my travel budget. Towels for example cost €2 plus a €2 deposit (which you get back when you return the towel) and there is also a €1 deposit for your key card.
Breakfast comes with three options ranging from the basic offering to the best. I went for the middle option, the €3 Nest breakfast and the toast, cake, and cheese and ham toastie was more than enough to keep me going until lunch. Plus it all tasted delicious so I think it’s well worth the cost!
This was a banging breakfast! pic.twitter.com/R9AMUUBIw5
— Katie Dawes (@the_hostelgirl) September 10, 2015
I would like to thank Red Nest Hostel for organising my stay, but of course all opinions are honest and my own.
And in my own honest opinion I couldn’t have enjoyed my stay in Valencia more. The hostel’s atmosphere enabled me to meet so many fantastic travellers and students who I can’t wait to meet again! And of course I need to go back to visit to hang out with the awesome staff again soon.
Lots of love,
